HR 4328 - Appropriations Bill Language

Appropriations Bill Language

23 Oct 1998 - H.R. 4328, the massive Omnibus Appropriations bill passed by Congress this week, contained the following provisions relating to Indonesia and East Timor:

page 467
LIMITATIONS ON TRANSFER OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO EAST TIMOR SEC. 569. In any agreement for the sale, transfer, or licensing of any lethal equipment or helicopter for Indonesia entered into by the United States pursuant to the authority of this Act or any other Act, the agreement shall state that the United States expects that the items will not be used in East Timor: Provided, That nothing in this section shall be construed to limit Indonesia’s inherent right to legitimate national self-defense as recognized under the United Nations Charter and international law.

page 396
TITLE III—MILITARY ASSISTANCE FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING

...Provided further, That funds appropriated under this heading for grant financed military education and training for In-donesia and Guatemala may only be available for ex-panded international military education and training and funds made available for Guatemala may only be provided through the regular notification procedures of the Commit-tees on Appropriations:...

page. 481
REPORT ON ALL UNITED STATES MILITARY TRAINING PROVIDED TO FOREIGN MILITARY PERSONNEL SEC. 581. (a) The Secretary of Defense and the Sec-retary of State shall jointly provide to the Congress by January 31, 1999, a report on all military training pro-vided to foreign military personnel under programs ad-ministered by the Department of Defense and the Depart-ment of State during fiscal years 1998 and 1999, includ-ing those proposed for fiscal year 1999. This report shall include, for each such military training activity, the for-eign policy justification and purpose for the training ac-tivity, the cost of the training activity, the number of for-eign students trained and their units of operation, and the location of the training. In addition, this report shall also include, with respect to United States personnel, the oper-ational benefits to United States forces derived from each such training activity and the United States military units involved in each such training activity. This report may include a classified annex if deemed necessary and appropriate.

(b) For purposes of this section a report to Congress shall be deemed to mean a report to the Appropriations and Foreign Relations Committees of the Senate and the Appropriations and International Relations Committees of the House of Representatives.

page. 2059-2060
(B) OTHER EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS.—

(iii) EAST TIMORESE SCHOLAR-SHIPS.— Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated under clause (i), $500,000 for the fiscal year 1998 and $500,000 for the fiscal year 1999 are authorized to be available for ‘‘East Timorese Scholarships’’.

From the FY 99 Foreign Ops Statement of the Managers:

East Timor

The conferees continue to support a peaceful resolution of the situation in East Timor. The conferees remain convinced that human rights and democratic pluralism in Indonesia must be awarded greater respect and protection by the Indonesian government and every effort must be made by the Government to ensure that human rights abuses, torture, political intimidation and harassment are completely curtailed not only in East Timor, but throughout Indonesia. It is the conferees' view that the current economic and political changes in Indonesia offer a rare opportunity for the Government of Indonesia to take bold and innovative steps to deal with the East Timor issue. In this regard, the conferees support an internationally supported referendum to determine a comprehensive settlement of the political status of East Timor.

Statement by ETAN/US