Pelosi Condemns Attacks on Ethnic Chinese in Indonesia

[Silent_Hunter]

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi


Pelosi Condemns Attacks on Ethnic Chinese in Indonesia

August 6, 1998

Pelosi and Colleagues to send letter to President calling for policy that protects ethnic Chinese Rep. Nancy Pelosi is asking Members of Congress to join her in sending a letter to President Clinton on the urgent need to restore the confidence and security of the ethnic Chinese community in Indonesia. In the letter, Pelosi and her colleagues urge President Clinton to make the treatment of ethnic Chinese central to the Administration's policy toward Indonesia. There are credible reports that at least 168 ethnic Chinese women and girls were raped during the mid-May riots in Jakarta. "These acts of brutality against ethnic Chinese women and their families are well-documented and cannot be condoned," Pelosi said. "The confidence and security of the ethnic Chinese community in Indonesia must be part of any credible reform program by President Habibie."
The Indonesian military has come under criticism for failing to protect the Chinese minority during the rioting and unrest that has been linked to the country's ongoing political and economic crisis. The letter also urges the Administration to impress upon the Indonesian government that it must end all official discrimination against ethnic Chinese, prevent any further attacks, identify and prosecute those responsible for the May abuses, and issue an apology and provide compensation to the victims.
The President and the Secretary of State are also urged to raise concerns about these issues, particularly the rapes of ethnic Chinese women, in possible upcoming meetings with Indonesian President Habibie and Foreign Minister Alatas.
Att: Letter to the President

http://www.house.gov/pelosi/prindchi.htm

[Silent_Hunter]

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi


Pelosi Includes Language on Indonesia's Ethnic Chinese in Foreign Operations Bill

September 10, 1998

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee, today successfully included report language in the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill urging the Administration to make the treatment of ethnic Chinese central to its policy toward Indonesia. There are credible reports the ethnic Chinese community was tragically and unfortunately targeted for the most violent attacks in the May riots, including the systematic rape and other sexual abuse of ethnic Chinese women. "These acts of brutality against ethnic Chinese women and their families cannot be condoned," Pelosi said. "The confidence and security of the ethnic Chinese community in Indonesia must be part of any credible reform program by President Habibie."
The report accompanying the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill will include the following language offered by Rep. Pelosi:
The Committee believes that the urgent need to restore confidence and security of the ethnic Chinese community in Indonesia must be central to any credible reform program there. The ethnic Chinese community was tragically and unfortunately targeted for the most violent attacks in the May riots, including the systematic rape and other sexual abuse of ethnic Chinese women. In some parts of Indonesia, these attacks or threats of such attacks continue. The Committee urges the Administration to make central to its policy toward Indonesia the need for effective action by the Indonesian government to end all official discrimination against ethnic Chinese, including repeal of discriminatory laws and regulations, prevent any further attacks, and to identify and prosecute those responsible for the abuses.
On August 7, Rep. Pelosi was joined by 37 Members of Congress who signed her letter to President Clinton urging the Administration to impress upon the Indonesian government that it must end all official discrimination against ethnic Chinese, prevent any further attacks, identify and prosecute those responsible for the May abuses.


http://www.house.gov/pelosi/prforops.htm

[Silent_Hunter]

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi


Pelosi and 37 Colleagues Condemn Attacks on Ethnic Chinese in Indonesia

August 7, 1998

Letter sent to President calling for policy that protects ethnic Chinese Rep. Nancy Pelosi today was joined by 37 Members of Congress who signed her letter to President Clinton on the urgent need to restore the confidence and security of the ethnic Chinese community in Indonesia. In the letter (see attached copy), Pelosi and her colleagues urged President Clinton to make the treatment of ethnic Chinese central to the Administration's policy toward Indonesia. There are credible reports that at least 168 ethnic Chinese women and girls were raped during the mid-May riots in Jakarta. "These acts of brutality against ethnic Chinese women and their families are well-documented and cannot be condoned," Pelosi said. "The confidence and security of the ethnic Chinese community in Indonesia must be part of any credible reform program by President Habibie."
The Indonesian military has come under criticism for failing to protect the Chinese minority during the rioting and unrest that has been linked to the country's ongoing political and economic crisis. The letter also urged the Administration to impress upon the Indonesian government that it must end all official discrimination against ethnic Chinese, prevent any further attacks, identify and prosecute those responsible for the May abuses, and issue an apology and provide compensation to the victims.
The President and the Secretary of State are also urged to raise concerns about these issues, particularly the rapes of ethnic Chinese women, in possible upcoming meetings with Indonesian President Habibie and Foreign Minister Alatas. The letter was signed by the following Members of Congress:
Pelosi Gephardt Bonior Abercrombie
Berman Campbell Engel Frank, Barney
Franks, Bob Gilman Hall, Tony Kennedy, P.
Kilpatrick Lantos Lee Lewis, John
Lofgren Lowey Meehan Mink
Morella Nadler Norton Olver
Pitts Porter Rohrabacher Roybal-Allard
Sabo Sanders Sherman Slaughter
Smith, Chris Snowbarger Towns Underwood
Wolf Yates

http://www.house.gov/pelosi/prindch2.htm

[XShipRider]

Pelosi Gephardt Bonior Abercrombie
Berman Campbell Engel Frank, Barney
Franks, Bob Gilman Hall, Tony Kennedy, P.
Kilpatrick Lantos Lee Lewis, John
Lofgren Lowey Meehan Mink
Morella Nadler Norton Olver
Pitts Porter Rohrabacher Roybal-Allard
Sabo Sanders Sherman Slaughter
Smith, Chris Snowbarger Towns Underwood
Wolf Yates

At least Kerry didn't sign it. This way he can be against it before he's
for it.

[budgie]

Who's John Kerry?

[Secret Squirrel]

If i understand correctly Silent_Hunter, you're saying that we should go back in time to 1998 and stop these letters?

[white_raven0]

I don't know why you are posting these records eight years after the events. The attacks on ethnic Chinese were evil things which should be condemned by all good people.

[Ordie]

The ethinic population of Indonesia arrived from Fukien provence hundreds of years ago. The PRC, ROC and Singapore (Chinese majority country) do not give a damn about the Indonesian Chinese.

Many in the Chinese community are forced to acculturate themselves into adopting Indonesian names, becoming Muslims and not speaking Chinese.

At least some people have the guts to stand up and care.

[LazerLordz]

Singapore does care. At least not publicly though.

There are contingencies, both rumoured and in the black for any Chinese genocidal-type event in Indonesia.

[Friendly Fire]

The ethinic population of Indonesia arrived from Fukien provence hundreds of years ago. The PRC, ROC and Singapore (Chinese majority country) do not give a damn about the Indonesian Chinese.

Many in the Chinese community are forced to acculturate themselves into adopting Indonesian names, becoming Muslims and not speaking Chinese.

At least some people have the guts to stand up and care.

Wonderful genius...haven't you viewed the possibility that the Chinese may instrumentalize these minorities for future operations?

The Chinese care, they always do. As much as the US cares...when the "time is right".

[SpikeATGM]

Chinese in singapore do care. emotional were running high amongs many of my friends. it just that singapore is a little red dot compare to indonesia. there is a limit to what we can do.

[Ordie]

Singapore does care. At least not publicly though.

There are contingencies, both rumoured and in the black for any Chinese genocidal-type event in Indonesia.

Genocide and ethnic cleansing already happend. There are many Chinese Indonesians in Australia and San Francisco. I know some of them and thier stories are gutwrenching. Many have relatives back home who cannot speak Chinese nor have Chinese sur-names.

[Silent_Hunter]

ETAN/US Statement on Attacks on Ethnic Chinese Indonesians
By Ben Terrall and Charles Scheiner

The East Timor Action Network condemns the horrific campaign of rapes of ethnic Chinese Indonesians which were carried out during the May riots in Jakarta.
The director of a Jakarta women’s organization interviewing victims of the mass rapes said "we think this is the government’s responsibility...the acts were well-planned and carried out as a military operation."
Indonesian troops occupying East Timor have used systematic rape and torture to terrorize the civilian population since Indonesian forces invaded the territory 23 years ago. Recent testimony points to wide- scale rapes by Indonesian security forces in Aceh, and similar accounts have emerged from West Papua (Irian Jaya). Their use of the same tactics against Chinese Indonesians is sadly predictable.
The Indonesian military has long encouraged anti-Chinese racism. Similarly, they portray East Timorese people as inferior to Indonesian transmigrants brought into the occupied territory. This is all part of the repressive apparatus that was responsible for the abduction and torture of numerous pro-democracy activists this year, as well as the deaths of 200,000 East Timorese since 1975 and more than a million Indonesians when Suharto rose to power. This divide-and-conquer strategy is applied as dissent grows: nationwide strikes and demonstrations are increasing, and 100 million Indonesians will soon be under the official poverty line. It distracts from the repressive, corrupt military government that has made very few fabulously wealthy at the expense of everyone else. Fomenting riots and wreaking havoc on civilians also justifies maintaining the military’s domination of Indonesian government and society.
The East Timor Action Network salutes the courageous work of Father Sandyawan and his colleagues in the Volunteer Team for Humanity, which have been interviewing rape victims in an effort to track the intellectual authors of these atrocities. We agree with Father Sandyawan that "the May 1998 tragedy is simply the latest manifestation of the recurring pattern of State Violence and blood- shedding politics in Indonesia" and that now is "an appropriate time for ... the US government to re-assess the impacts of its military linkages." People in the United States should urge their Representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 3802, which bans U.S. training of Indonesian troops, and H.R. 3918, which prohibits weapons transfers to this despotic, murderous regime.
As Indonesians of every ethnic background struggle together for democracy, the East Timorese are also struggling to govern themselves. Last July, the US Senate unanimously supported East Timor’s right to self-determination through a UN-supervised referendum and urged President Clinton to "encourage the new political leadership in Indonesia to institute genuine democratic and economic reforms, including the establishment of an independent judiciary, civilian control of the military, and the release of political prisoners." Representatives should be asked to co-sponsor analogous House Concurrent Resolution 258, and President Clinton should be urged to take action. It’s long past time for the U.S. to be on the right side in Indonesia.
In recent weeks, the Indonesian government (with help from Western media), has denied that the rapes occurred, and tried to discredit the international campaign against them by pointing out that some photographs described as Chinese Indonesian rape victims actually were not (in fact, some of them recorded atrocities committed by Indonesian soldiers in East Timor last year.) But numerous eyewitness accounts and victims’ testimonies attest to the truth of the horrors. During the first 15 years of Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor, when the rate of killing was highest, U.S. and Indonesian officials repeatedly denied reality, insisting that they needed more proof. While sticking with the facts, we must avoid being diverted by debates over particular shreds of evidence when the overall case is overwhelming. And we must guard against the Indonesian army’s efforts to use racism and communalism to divide the people against themselves – a tactic used repeatedly in East Timor to try to make Christians and Muslims oppose each other instead of the occupying military forces.


http://www.etan.org/estafeta/98/summer/6stateme.htm

[Silent_Hunter]

Subject: U.N. Official Confirms Indonesia Mass Rapes
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 10:48:19 GMT
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (TAPOL) U.N. Official Confirms Indonesia Mass Rapes 02:30 a.m. Dec 18, 1998 Eastern
By Farah Mihlar
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - A United Nations investigator Friday accused the Indonesian military under former President Suharto of carrying out widespread rapes in various parts of the country.
Radhika Coomaraswamy, U.N. special *******eur on violence against women, backed reports by non-government organizations in Indonesia that many women of Chinese ethnic origin had been raped in the Jakarta riots in May which preceded Suharto's fall.
Indonesian officials, including armed forces chief General Wiranto, repeatedly denied that any rapes had taken place in the Jakarta riots.
``During the May riots, with regard to women there was mass rape and they were all Chinese (women). We met many victims and it was clear it was conducted in a widespread manner,'' said Coomaraswamy.
``Secondly it seems to have been conducted in an organized manner,'' she told Reuters in an interview.
Coomaraswamy also accused Indonesian authorities of perpetrating violence before Suharto's fall in May against women in East Timor and the troubled provinces of Aceh in northern Sumatra and Irian Jaya, on New Guinea island.
``The problem was with military occupation. The troops were not sensitized to sexual violence and there was widespread rape,'' she said.
Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 after the former colonial power Portugal pulled out.
Coomaraswamy recently visited Indonesia to compile a report for the United Nations on violence against women during the May riots. Non-governmental organizations had recorded complaints of rape from some 168 women but she said she believed the figure was much higher.
``So many victims we spoke to had not made complaints to the police,'' said Coomaraswamy, who is expected to submit the report on Indonesia to the U.N. Human Rights Commission next March.
An Indonesian government appointed team in November blamed some members of the military for the violence and confirmed 52 rapes.
Human rights groups estimate that nearly 1,200 people died last May in Jakarta in rioting which forced President Suharto to step down after a 32-year rule. Most of those who died were looters trapped in burning buildings and ethnic Chinese bore the brunt of the violence.
The Indonesian government needed to pay more attention to reforming the country's legal system, Coomaraswamy said
``There seems to be a huge lack of confidence in the criminal justice system with regard to victims of violence.''
``There is also a lack of implementation with regard to the human rights procedure. A lot of it is a lack of know-how because they were basically an authoritarian state,'' she added.
The Indonesian government had strived to change its attitudes and make a concerted effort toward democratic values but there were still hurdles for them to overcome, she said.
``Since May 1998 there has been a clear break from the past. Those in power now seem to very much want to put the country on to democracy and to some level of transparency.''
``I think the state itself is polarized though, between those who want reform and those who want the old regime. There are elements within the government and the army that don't want change,'' she added.
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign 111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 8HW, UK Phone: 0181 771-2904 Fax: 0181 653-0322 email: tapol@gn.apc.org Campaigning to expose human rights violations in Indonesia, East Timor, West Papua and Aceh

http://www.etan.org/et/1998/december/15-21/20un.htm

[Arvln]

The ethinic population of Indonesia arrived from Fukien provence hundreds of years ago. The PRC, ROC and Singapore (Chinese majority country) do not give a damn about the Indonesian Chinese.

Many in the Chinese community are forced to acculturate themselves into adopting Indonesian names, becoming Muslims and not speaking Chinese.

At least some people have the guts to stand up and care.

You are right that we have to adopt Indonesian names, however, converting to Islam is a rare case. It was forbidden to speak Mandarin [ There is no such thing as Chinese Language] or Chinese's dialects, the regulation just being changed after 1999.

I believe that those nations care to some extent about the well being of the Chinese community in here.

It used to be very bad from the 60's to around 1999. Right now the situation is not as bad as it used to be, I guess that China's economic pressure really forced Indonesian government to change its policy.

You are right that a significant percentage of Indonesian-Chinese can't speak Mandarin or have Chinese sur-name; I am one of them.