California Republican Party passed unanimously

By: Ir. Pius Chan 

Immediate Press Release:

The California Republican Party on September 17, 2000 has passed unanimously the resolution condemning ethnic & religious persecution in Indonesia. The resolution was passed at the California Republican Convention in Palm Spring, California, attended by many California Republican Congressional Representatives and delegates.

The resolution has been endorsed by Committees for Human Rights in Indonesia (CHI-Los Angeles), East Timor Action Network-San Francisco (ETAN-San Francisco), Human Rights International and United Front for Human Rights (UFHR).

This resolution sent a clear message that the California Republican Party are very  concerned with the current situation in Indonesia especially the recent development in Maluku and East Timorese refugees in West Timor.

In addition, the resolution also stated that no perpetrators were arrested of May 1998’s riot in Jakarta. Discrimination laws against Chinese Indonesian have not been abolished.

Enclosed is the copy of the resolution.

RESOLUTION CONDEMNING THE ETHNIC & RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN INDONESIA 

WHEREAS, the California Republican Party has passed a resolution on February 5th, 2000, in Burlingame, condemning the ethnic and religious persecutions in Indonesia; and

WHEREAS, since the last California Republican Resolution, no action has been taken by the Indonesian government to investigate the raped victims of May 1998; included girls, some as young as 9 years old;

WHEREAS, since the last California Republican Resolution, many churches and temples are still being burned, stoned, demolished,  looted and closed in the past few months; particularly in Ambon, Indonesia  and

WHEREAS, the 212th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA, in July 2000, calls upon the President of the United States and the Secretary of State to use all diplomatic means, including the immediate suspension of military assistance to urge the government of Indonesia to end any military support for attacks upon the Christians of Ambon and to guarantee the safety and rights of all minority populations and institutions in the  country;

WHEREAS, up to today, despite the new Indonesian President's promises of reformation, discriminatory laws and regulations denying equal rights for ethnic Chinese are still in place; including  prohibition of Chinese  characters, bans on Chinese-language publications and  all obligation of ethnic Chinese to take Indonesian  names; and

WHEREAS, Indonesia's People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) recently passed a Constitutional amendment which introduces the principle of   non-retroactivity into Indonesian law without  any  exceptions, providing an  amnesty for military leaders responsible for many past violations of human  rights and showing the Indonesian government is incapable of bringing the  perpetrators of crimes against humanity in East Timor and elsewhere to justice; and

WHEREAS, it is reported that more than 100,000 of the 300,000 East Timorese forcibly taken to West Timor and other parts of Indonesia by the Indonesian  militaries have not been able to return by year's-end; and

WHEREAS, more than one thousand East Timorese,  including Catholic priests, nuns and lay workers, were brutally murdered last  year in East Timor by the Indonesian military and the militias they armed and trained; and

WHEREAS, human rights groups worldwide have accused the Indonesian Government's security forces of killing scores of civilians in Aceh, creating East Timor-style militias in West Papua, and failing to control the mayhem in Ambon, where troops have participated in armed attacks; and

WHEREAS, the United States must condemn and denounce these horrific atrocities and express the moral outrage of the American people; now

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Republican Party condemns the ongoing human & religious rights abuses, persecutions, racial violence; and 

BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Republican Party continues to urge its Political Representatives to call for the United  States Congress to pressure  even more the government of Indonesia to provide  full protection on the  safety and welfare of all Indonesians and minority,  religious groups; and

BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Republican Party continues to urge its Political Representatives to support HR. 1063, introduced by Representatives to support HR 1063, co-sponsored by Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Gary Miller (R-CA), Richard Pombo (R-CA), and Brian Bilbray (R-CA), which would  close loopholes that have allowed the Pentagon to train Indonesian troops  in violation of Congressional intent; and

BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Republican Party Continues to urge its Political Representatives to call for the United States Congress and the Administration to continue its suspension of military assistance to  Indonesia until the Indonesian Generals who were responsible for atrocities  in Ambon, East Timor, Aceh and the Riot of May 1998 brought to justice now; and Aceh, West Papua and the riots of May 1998 are brought to justice  through an international tribunal; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the California Republican Party continues to urge its Political Representatives to call for  United States Congress and United Nations to reassure the Indonesian government to seek accountability and bring to justice those responsible for these  outrageous inhumane acts.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the California Republican Party urges its Members of Congress to push the United States Administration and The United Nations to give full political and financial support for the Establishment of an international tribunal to try those responsible for atrocities committed in Indonesia and East Timor.

Ir. Pius Chan/ Indonesia Media