[324] in peace2
E Timor Alert; No U.S. Military Engagement with Indonesia
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (John M.Miller)
Mon Jul 17 13:19:01 2000
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 13:08:16 -0400
From: "John M.Miller" <fbp@igc.org> (by way of Martin Voelker)
To: peace-list@MIT.EDU
Message-Id: <v04003a06b598edcbe272@[130.64.209.10]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
NO MILITARY ENGAGEMENT WITH INDONESIA
Take Action For East Timor
STOP JOINT U.S.-INDONESIA MILITARY EXERCISE SCHEDULED FOR THIS WEEK
NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY WEDNESDAY JULY 19
The Clinton Administration has begun a phased plan of re-engagement with
the Indonesian military (TNI) despite congressional and public protest.
A joint U.S. and Indonesian military exercise known as CARAT (Cooperation
Afloat Readiness and Training) is set to begin on July 20. The exercise,
one of the first steps, involves the Indonesian navy, marines, and coast
guard training with their U.S. military counterparts. The Administration
has also initiated other facets of re-engagement and is now debating the
sale of spare parts for C-130 military planes! The State Department and the
Pentagon are pursuing these plans despite deteriorating conditions in East
Timorese refugee camps in West Timor and throughout Indonesia.
You can help stop these plans.
Now is not the time to resume any military ties with the TNI! Let the State
Department and the Pentagon know this!
MAKE TWO PHONE CALLS ON WEDNESDAY JULY 19:
§ Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Stanley Roth
202-647-9596, 202-647-7350 (fax). E-mail: Secretary of State Albright at
secretary@state.gov; 2201 C St., NW, Washington, DC 20520.
§ Secretary of Defense William Cohen 703-692-7100, 703-697-9080 (fax); 1000
Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1000. Web form to send comments:
http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/comment.html
Tell them:
The CARAT exercise and any additional plans for re-engagement with the
Indonesian military should be cancelled immediately. Now is not the time to
resume any military ties with the Indonesian military. The U.S. should not
send such a premature message of legitimacy to Indonesia's brutally
repressive military force. Instead, the administration should obey
congressional restrictions and increase pressure on the Indonesian
government and military finally resolve East Timor's refugee crisis and to
support true democratic reforms in Indonesian civil society.
Thank you for your support. It does make a difference. Please let the East
Timor Action Network know the results of your contacts.
Send a blank e-mail to send a blank e-mail to sampltrs@etan.org or go to
http://www.etan.org/action/letters.htm, for sample letters which can be
adapted for administration officials, members of Congress and letter to the
editor.
UPDATE
Up to 125,000 East Timorese remain trapped in militia-controlled refugee
camps in Indonesia more than 10 months after East Timor voted
overwhelmingly for independence from Indonesia. TNI-supported militia
violence in the camps is on the increase. Border incursions into East Timor
and militia attacks on UN peacekeepers and civilians continue. Last week,
the UNHCR had to indefinitely suspend registration of the refugees because
of militia threats and assaults on international and local staff.
Indonesian security forces continue to violate the human rights of
Indonesian citizens and cause unrest throughout the archipelago In recent
weeks, hundreds of people in Maluku have been killed in fighting between
Christians and Muslims, with members of the TNI supporting, if not causing,
the violence. The TNI has grossly violated the human rights of the people
of West Papua and is now reported to be supporting East Timor style
militias there. Further, the TNI has repeatedly broken a cease-fire in Aceh
and continues to conduct military sweeps throughout the countryside.
See ETAN's website, http://www.etan.org, for more information or
contact Karen Orenstein at ETAN's Washington office, 202-544-6911,
karen@etan.org; or John M. Miller below.
See http://www.etan.org/action/action1/1alert.htm for ETAN's latest
Congressional action alert.
end
etanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetan
John M. Miller Internet: john@etan.org
Media & Outreach Coordinator, East Timor Action Network
48 Duffield St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA
Phone: (718)596-7668 Fax: (718)222-4097
Mobile: (917)690-4391
Web site: http://www.etan.org
Send a blank e-mail message to info@etan.org to find out how to learn
more about East Timor on the Internet
etanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetan
