End U.S. Complicity in Indonesian Genocide

Intense media coverage continues to highlight how President Suharto of Indonesia has done much to bring his country’s economy to the brink of collapse. Missing from most reports is what the U.S.-backed Suharto regime has done in its war of aggression that has resulted in genocide in East Timor.

Since Indonesia’s Dec. 7, 1975, invasion of East Timor, more than 200,000 people, about one-third of the population, have lost their lives. My awareness of such a mind-numbing statistic, however, did not prepare me for the pervasive climate of fear and terror that I encountered there.

I led a 10-member ecumenical delegation of the National Council of Churches to the former Portuguese colony last year. While the Indonesian authorities tried to stage manage every aspect of our trip, they could not hide the brutal reality of Indonesia’s presence. We heard numerous accounts during private meetings with East Timorese of ongoing repression, systematic torture and even extrajudicial execution of people suspected of pro-independence activities.

The awarding of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize to Bishop Carlos Belo, head of the territory’s Catholic Church, and Jose Ramos-Horta, leader of the diplomatic wing of the resistance, has led to a great increase in international activism in favor of East Timor, including in Congress. But within East Timor, Indonesia has actually intensified its repression. A report released in October by Human Rights Watch/Asia describes how the Indonesian military is forming paramilitary groups throughout the territory.

As an American, I’m dismayed that the Clinton administration continues to participate in this oppression. While the administration has made some overtures to Indonesia aimed at lessening abuses in the territory, these have been totally insufficient, failing to raise a strong protest for the basic human rights of the East Timorese, especially that of self-determination. The White House continues to deny our East Timor delegation’s request to meet with President Clinton or any other high-level administration official.

As people of God, we cannot sit still while our sisters and brothers in East Timor live in terror. As Americans, we cannot allow our government to continue to arm and finance Indonesia’s war of aggression. An end to all U.S. military sales and military training to Indonesia, along with strong U.S. diplomatic pressure on Jakarta to end its illegal occupation, would go a long way to realizing peace in East Timor. As a country, we owe the East Timorese people at least as much, given our shameful role in facilitating Indonesia’s brutal conquest of their homeland.