Dear East Timor supporters --
Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI), one of East Timor's strongest supporters in
Washington, is trying to encourage President Clinton to speak out for
self-determination for East Timor when he meets Suharto and other Asian
leaders at the APEC summit in mid-November.
Last Friday, Senator Feingold circulated a letter to his colleagues asking
them to sign a letter to Clinton. He also wrote to Dole. (see text below)
Please call or fax all Senators, especially your own, to sign this letter,
which is the clearest support for self-determination ever expressed by
Congress. All Senate offices can be reached through the Capitol
switchboard at 1-202-224-3121.
Senators should sign the letter before Friday, November 8. Given the
election and recess, staff attention is not very focussed. It will
take many calls and faxes from constituents to get their attention. Please
do what you can, NOW.
Thanks. The letters follow. Please let ETAN know of any
responses you receive.
-- Charlie
===========================================
Russell D. Feingold, Wisconsin
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-4904
October 24, 1996
(Sent to all Senators)
Dear Colleague,
Events in recent weeks -- the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to two East
Timorese activists and the stories relating to political campaign
contributions by Indonesian nationals -- have brought enormous attention
to the plight of a small group of people living in East Timor, an island
invaded by Indonesia in 1975.
Since 1975, thousands of Indonesian troops have occupied the island,
restricting freedom of expression and association and brutally punishing
those who have spoken out against this occupation. The United Nations
Security Council and the General Assembly have repeatedly passed
resolutions calling for a withdrawal of troops and recognition of the
right of the people of East Timor to self determination. Congress has
passed a number of resolutions relating to human rights concerns in East
Timor, the most recent after the brutal massacre in 1991 of as many as 100
peaceful protectors in Dili, the capital of East Timor.
In the past, Congress has placed restrictions on the sale of certain types
of military equipment to Indonesia and limited access of Indonesia to the
IMET program because of concerns about East Timor. More recently, there
have been calls for the U.S. to reassess its decision to transfer nine
F-16 fighter jets to Indonesia. These are all important steps that help
heighten awareness about the continuing problems in East Timor.
Yet, before East Timor again fades from the headlines, I believe that there
are concrete steps that should be taken to help resolve, once and for all,
the status of East Timor. Upon receipt of his Nobel Prize, Bishop Carlos
Ximenes Belo called, once more, for a UN-sponsored self-determination
referendum for the people of East Timor. I am asking you to join in
signing the attached letter to President Clinton, urging him to raise the
issue of a self-determination referendum with President Suharto at the
upcoming APEC Summit and to join in supporting Bishop Belo's plea for his
people's right to vote on their future.
I am also writing, personally, to former Senator Bob Dole, to urge that
he, too, endorse Bishop Belo's call for a self-determination referendum.
The human rights situation in East Timor has long been a concern of mine.
I hope that you will join in using this opportunity to take a meaningful,
long-term step towards resolving the plight of the East Timorese.
If you would like to co-sign the letter to President Clinton, please have
your staff contact Linda Rotblatt at 4-5323.
Sincerely
/s/
Russ Feingold
United States Senator
====================================
United States Senate
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-4904
October 24, 1996
Senator Robert J. Dole
810 1st Street, NE
Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20002
Dear Bob,
In the past few days, you have spoken out regarding the human rights
situation in East Timor. As you may recall, this is an issue that I have
pursued for a number of years. I am hopeful the current national attention
on East Timor may provide an opportunity for the United States to take
some meaningful steps towards resolution of this situation.
After Bishop Belo received news of his Nobel Peace Prize, he spoke out,
again, on behalf of a UN-sponsored self-determination referendum for the
people of East Timor.
I am asking both you and President Clinton to support Bishop Belo in his
call for a UN-sponsored self-determination referendum. Your endorsement of
this process at thin time could be very critical to gaining the bipartisan
momentum needed to make such a self-determination referendum a reality. I
hope that you will give serious consideration to this request.
Sincerely,
Russ Feingold
United States Senator
==========================================
DRAFT -- DRAFT -- DRAFT -- DRAFT -- DRAFT -- DRAFT
U.S. Senate
October __, 1996
The Honorable William J. Clinton
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
As you prepare for the next Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Summit, to be held in Jakarta next month, we wish to commend your
Administration for its efforts in expanding United States trade
opportunities in Asia. Your continued personal involvement in APEC
demonstrates America's strong interest in increasing economic ties in the
region.
We believe that the APEC Summit also provides an important opportunity to
focus on other U.S. interests in the region, most notably the U.S.
commitment to international human rights. In particular, we believe that
the occasion of your meeting with Indonesian President Suharto at the APEC
Summit offers an important opportunity to raise the issue of a United
Nations-sponsored self-determination referendum for the people of East
Timor.
As you know, Indonesia has sustained a brutal military occupation of East
Timor since 1975, and the people of East Timor have lost thousands of
lives as a result. Human rights organizations from around the world, as
well as our own State Department, continue to report substantial human
rights violations by the Indonesian military -- including arbitrary
arrests and detentions, curbs on freedom of expression and association,
and the use of torture and summary killings of civilians.
More recently, we have heard reports of the Indonesian military conducting
systematic training of East Timorese youth to take part in local militia
groups. We also have heard disturbing reports of increasing religious and
ethnic tension in East Timor, which at times is exacerbated by government
inaction.
Immediately after the Indonesian occupation of East Timor in 1975, and
again in 1976, the United Nations Security Council called for Indonesia to
withdraw from the region and called for the recognition of East Timorese
self-determination. From 1976 to 1982, the U.N.. General Assembly adopted
eight separate resolutions calling for the withdrawal of Indonesian armed
forces from the territory. More recently, the European Union, the
Australian Senate, and others have delivered strong statements condemning
the actions of the Indonesian government in East Timor and calling for a
process of self-determination.
The recent announcement of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize winners -- both East
Timorese activists -- has reinvigorated the momentum for
self-determination. As you know, Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo has long
called for the self-determination of his people and reiterated his plea
for a self-determination referendum immediately after receiving news of
his Nobel prize.
We believe now is the time for the United States to take a leading role in
advocating for the right of the East Timorese to choose their own
government through a U.N.-sponsored referendum. We urge you to raise the
issue with President Suharto at the Summit, and then instruct U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations Madeleine Albright to take appropriate
steps to bring about U.N. action on this matter.
Sincerely,
as many Senators as we can get.
***********************************************************
Charles Scheiner
P.O. Box 1182, White Plains, New York 10602 USA
Telephone: 914-428-7299 fax: 914-428-7383
Internet: cscheiner@igc.apc.org
For information on East Timor write timor-info@igc.apc.org