Summer 1998
 

A New Era in East Timor

Senate For Referendum

Timor Autonomy?

Selective Purchasing Law

New Report

Activist Training

Upcoming Speaking Tours

ETAN Chapters Active

Constâncio Pinto, Simon Doolittle

Attacks on Ethnic Chinese Indonesians

Timorese National Convention in the Diaspora

Relief Fund

Canadian Movement Reorganizes

ETAN/US Web Site

Upcoming Strategy Conference

Boston Concert

Estafeta -
Spring 1998
Spring 1997

URGENT ACTION AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
NOW IS A CRUCIAL TIME TO SUPPORT EAST TIMOR

The Clinton administration should press the Indonesian government to free all political prisoners in Indonesia and East Timor and make substantial and monitored troop withdrawals from East Timor in preparation for a UN-supervised referendum on self-determination.

On July 10, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution calling on President Clinton to "work actively to support an internationally supervised referendum on self-determination." (See article on front page.) President Clinton must now act on this resolution.

Please write to President Clinton (sample letters posted here) and your Representative today – the Congressional Session ends in October. You can also call or write the President:

White House Comment Line: (202) 456-1111
Fax: (202) 456-2461; e-mail: president@whitehouse.gov

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC 20500

Urge your Representative to co-sponsor

1. House Concurrent Resolution 258, which supports East Timor’s right to self-determination. Introduced by Representatives Lowey (D-NY), Porter (R-IL), Lantos (D-CA) and Christopher Smith (R-NJ).

2. International Military Training Accountability Act (H.R. 3802), which closes loopholes for U.S. military training of Indonesian troops, banning all such training.

To co-sponsor either or both bills, your Representative should contact Rep. Lowey’s office. Although each already has several dozen co-sponsors, more are needed to bring them to the House floor for passage.

Urge your Representative and Senator to keep the ban on IMET

For the past several years, the Foreign Aid Appropriations Acts have contained limitations on U.S. weapons sales to Indonesia and restrictions on U.S.-supplied training for Indonesian soldiers (IMET). In this year’s bill the Senate version prohibits the use of U.S. weapons in East Timor but allows IMET. The House bill bars IMET but says nothing about weapons sales. We want the final law (which must be agreed upon by a conference committee from both houses), to contain both provisions. Contact your Representative and Senator and urge them to let the conference committee know their support for the clearest possible message to Indonesia’s brutal, still-powerful, military.

Senators and Representatives can be phoned at 202-224-3121 or their local offices.

Write to Rep. _________, US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.

Write to Senator _________, US Senate, Washington, DC 20510.

For a list of Congressional e-mail addresses, try http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ This website also includes office phone and fax numbers. For copies of any of these bills, and more background information, visit ETAN’s website or call one of our staffers.