[asia-apec 1864] As Clinton heads to E Timor, ETAN urges history not be forgotten
John M. Miller
fbp at igc.org
Thu May 16 20:13:17 JST 2002
For Immediate Release
Contact:
John M. Miller, 718-5967668; mobile: 917-690-4391
Clinton Heads to East Timor for Independence Day
ETAN Urges History Not Be Forgotten
As Bill Clinton leads the U.S. delegation to East Timor's independence
celebration, the East Timor Action Network (ETAN) urged that the history of
U.S. support for Indonesia's military occupation of East Timor not be
forgotten. On May 20, East Timor will become the first new nation of the
millennium.
"When former President Clinton, joined by his last ambassador to the UN,
Richard Holbrooke, congratulates the East Timorese people on their hard-won
victory, we must remember that as the most important supporter of
Indonesia's illegal occupation, the U.S., owes the new country an enormous
moral debt. We urge the Clinton delegation to acknowledge it," said John M.
Miller, spokesperson for ETAN.
"If President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger had not given the go
ahead for Indonesia's invasion in 1975, tremendous suffering could have
been avoided," added Miller.
As detailed in declassified documents recently released by the National
Security Archive, on December 6, 1975, then-U.S. President Ford and
Secretary of State Kissinger gave Indonesian dictator Suharto a green light
to invade East Timor, which his military did the next day. The U.S.
supplied 90 percent of the weapons used during the invasion. For the next
twenty-three years, from Ford to Clinton, successive U.S. administrations
consistently backed Indonesia's occupation, providing Jakarta diplomatic
cover and billions of dollars in weaponry, military training, and economic
assistance. More than 200,000 people -- one-third of the population -- were
killed as a result.
When video footage and photographs of a November 1991 massacre in Dili, the
capital, were smuggled to the outside world by reporters who survived the
bloodbath, international support for East Timor's independence grew
dramatically. Following the massacre, the newly-formed East Timor Action
Network successfully worked with members of Congress to block some weapons
sales and military training to Jakarta.
In the aftermath of East Timor's overwhelming vote for independence on
August 30, 1999, the Indonesian military (TNI) and its militia proxies laid
waste to the territory, killing at least 2,000 and forcibly displacing more
than two-thirds of the population. Through intelligence intercepts and
press reports, the Clinton administration was aware of Jakarta's plans to
engage in such terror but failed to threaten a cut off of American economic
and military aid as a preventative measure. It never issued a presidential
statement warning of repercussions if Indonesia did not comply with
obligations to ensure security for the U.N. ballot.
A week into the TNI's scorched-earth campaign, Clinton belatedly cut
military assistance and other aid to Indonesia. The Indonesian military
quickly agreed to withdraw and allow in international peacekeepers.
"Grassroots and congressional pressure did force the executive branch to
make significant concessions on its Indonesia policy," said Miller. "The
U.S. supported the 1999 referendum and since September 1999 Washington has
provided significant assistance to East Timor's reconstruction, but such
aid does not begin to compensate the East Timorese people for the suffering
wrought by 24 years of U.S. support for Indonesian military occupation."
"The U.S. government must declassify and release all relevant information
needed to help the people of the U.S., Indonesia and East Timor understand
what happened during the invasion and occupation," said Miller. "We urge
Congress to investigate the U.S. role, in order to avoid repeating policies
like those which caused such suffering in East Timor."
For over a decade, the East Timor Action Network/U.S. (ETAN) has supported
self-determination and human rights for East Timor It now works to support
human dignity for the people of East Timor by advocating for democracy,
sustainable development, social, legal, and economic justice and human
rights, including women's rights.
Spokespeople for ETAN are available for interviews (call 718-596-7668).
For additional information see ETAN's web site (http://www.etan.org).
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John M. Miller Internet: john at etan.org
Media & Outreach Coordinator
East Timor Action Network: 10 Years for Self-Determination & Justice
48 Duffield St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA
Phone: (718)596-7668 Fax: (718)222-4097
Mobile phone: (917)690-4391
Web site: http://www.etan.org
Support ETAN, make a secure financial contribution:
http://etan.org/etan/donate.htm
Send a blank e-mail message to info at etan.org to find out
how to learn more about East Timor on the Internet
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