East Timor after the Referendum

   On September 5, the Asia Pacific Center ecumenical observer delegation to East Timor departed Dili in the midst of deepening intimidation and violence. The previous night, the home of three of our delegation members was attacked by militia armed with rocks and pistols, while Indonesian police stood by. Constant gunfire surrounded even the quiet Delta Komoro suburb where many international observers were based. Amid a sense that our presence was no longer serving to protect our partners in the Christian Church of East Timor (GKTT), the displaced people staying with us, or the 78.5% of East Timorese who had voted for independence, our delegation decided to leave.

   We arrived in Indonesia and the U.S. uneasily, aware that the departure of international journalists and observers formed part of a coordinated Indonesian strategy of reprisals against the strongly pro-independence vote. Without the eyes of the world focused on East Timor, the generals, Special Forces and militia moved ahead with a scorched-earth campaign, driving thousands from their homes, looting and burning large areas of the country.

   Pro-independence leaders and their families have been targeted. One witness reported bruised and battered severed heads on sticks lining a road into Dili. In the immediate aftermath of the election, four United Nations local staff were killed, and at least six others went missing. There are many eyewitness accounts of murder, torture and forced deportation by the Indonesian military and militia. Aid organizations now estimate that 300,000 people, or 45% of the population, are now at risk of starvation in the hills of East Timor and in refugee camps in West Timor.

   We are especially outraged at the targeted attacks against Catholic and Protestant religious leaders. Bishop Carlos Belo fled for his life when the army and militia attacked and burned his house in Dili. Bishop Basilio Nascimento was injured in a similar attack in Baucau. At least four priests and nuns have been killed, and there have been horrific massacres in churches where people sought refuge after the referendum. Displaced families crowded into church-owned buildings, as well as the house where the Asia Pacific Center delegation was staying. On September 12, our host, GKTT General Secretary Francisco de Vasconceles, was murdered by Indonesian army-backed militia while attempting to lead displaced persons to safety.

   The Indonesian military is culpable for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide-killing, torture, rape, mass deportations and destruction of property. The local militias were created by the Indonesian military, and are still clearly funded and controlled by them. Since the results of the referendum were announced, members of the Indonesian Armed Forces have actively assisted in the violence. General Wiranto, as Commander of the Armed Forces, is ultimately responsible for the military's actions, whether or not he can fully control them. Indonesia agreed to an international peacekeeping force in East Timor only after UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson threatened that Indonesian officials may be prosecuted for these crimes.

   The world needs to act now on our moral imperative to prevent genocide. We have heard many comparisons to Kosovo. But Kosovo is a part of Yugoslavia, while East Timor has never been recognized as a part of Indonesia, despite an illegal occupation since 1975. In spite of the UN Security Council's resolutions calling for an Indonesian withdrawal, the international community has been slow to act to stop the violence in East Timor. The US has a particular responsibility to act due to its long relationship with Indonesia and major influence on the region.

   Since returning to the US, members of our delegation have taken up this responsibility through tireless advocacy on behalf of the Timorese people. (Ten delegation members are back in the US, while two returned home to Australia, and two remain in Indonesia.) In Dallas, Louisville, San Francisco and Washington, we have written articles and given interviews in local radio and newspapers. We have contributed to letters and statements by the National Council of Churches, major Protestant denominations, and Catholic orders. The Asia Pacific Center has produced a full delegation report, held a public briefing at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and is organizing a large-scale demonstration in front of the White House on September 17 to show support for peacekeepers in East Timor. Executive Director Miriam A. Young testified before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus concerning the delegation's experiences.

   We applaud the wide media coverage and international condemnation of Indonesia's actions in East Timor after the referendum. We can find no words to express our horror at the violence that has ravaged East Timor. The only solution to this genocide lies in immediate, complete Indonesian withdrawal and placement of a UN-backed peacekeeping force. No Indonesian presence or participation in an international security force can be allowed; Indonesia has forfeited all rights to be present in East Timor. The thousands of refugees who have fled, willingly or by force, to West Timor and elsewhere must be allowed food, medical care and safe return home. Foreign aid should be halted until Indonesia ends the terror and respects the result of the referendum. We appeal to the United States and the international community to continue pressure on the Indonesian government and military in the strongest possible terms.

September 16, 1999