wfn.org | NCCCUSA Asks East Timor Intervention

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org (CAROL FOUKE)]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227
E-mail: news@ncccusa.org; Web: www.ncccusa.org

45NCC4/21/99      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC FAXES U.S., U.N. URGENTLY ASKING INTERVENTION IN EAST 
TIMOR
Council Staffer, in Indonesia, Confirms News Reports, Need 
for Disarmament

 April 21, 1999, NEW YORK CITY - Escalating violence in 
East Timor has prompted the (U.S.) National Council of 
Churches to send its second urgent message this year to U.S. 
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and United Nations 
Secretary General Kofi Annan asking their urgent 
intervention.  

An urgent fax also has gone to U.S. Secretary of Defense 
William F. Cohen asking him to use his influence "to help 
stop the brutality and violence in East Timor."

 "Within the last week alone, there has been news of the 
Liquisa incident, attacks by pro-Indonesia forces on 
suspected pro-independence supporters, and a threat on the 
life of Bishop Carlos Belo," wrote the NCC's General 
Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Joan B. Campbell, in letters faxed 
to the three leaders today.  "It must be stopped before one 
more life is lost."

 The NCC's Southern Asia Director, the Rev. Larry D. 
Tankersley, is in Ujung Pandang, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, 
and expects to go to East Timor in a few days.  He has 
talked with ecumenical partners in East Timor, who "verified 
what we are hearing in the press" and who urge "our urgent 
intervention with the U.N. and U.S.A. government to press 
disarming the militia and sending a peace keeping force."

 Complete texts of the letters follow.

 (Meanwhile, Mr. Tankersley reported "serious conflict" 
between Muslims and Christians in Ujung Pandang, where the 
regional council of churches offices were burned this past 
weekend and "students are stopping cars on the road outside 
and refusing to let Christians pass.  This is in reaction to 
the bombing of a mosque in Jakarta yesterday.")

 Dr. Campbell's February letters welcomed the "recent 
announcement by the Indonesian government that they may now 
consider independence an option for East Timor," but 
expressed alarm at reports that the Indonesian military has 
provided arms to residents of East Timor and created para-
military groups.

She urged the United States and United Nations to press for 
disarmament, lest conditions "lead to strife and violence 
similar to that witnessed by the international community in 
Somalia and Rwanda."

-end-

Text, April 21, 1999, Letters to Kofi Annan and Madeleine 
Albright (identical except for references to each by title)

We are writing to you because we cannot be silent about the 
situation in East Timor.  We wrote to you on February 11, 
1999 expressing our deep concern, but since then violence 
has escalated at an alarming rate.  Within the last week 
alone, there has been news of the Liquisa incident, attacks 
by pro-Indonesia forces on suspected pro-independence 
supporters, and a threat on the life of Bishop Carols Belo.  
It must be stopped before one more life is lost.

The UN talks, scheduled for this week, can open new 
possibilities for a quick end to the rampant killing in East 
Timor.  It is our urgent appeal that you do everything in 
your power to ensure that those talks are not delayed or 
postponed.  

Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Mr. Ali Alatas will bring to 
the talks a proposal for autonomy or independence for East 
Timor.  But only when the reign of terror ends can the East 
Timorese focus on their future.  Only when the military and 
armed militia have been removed can talks begin which will 
find a lasting resolution to the nearly 25 year-old 
Indonesia-East Timor conflict.  Therefore the Indonesia 
government must find a way to control its military unit, 
ABRI.  ABRI admitted to having armed the pro-Indonesia 
militia in East Timor.  Now they must disarm them, and allow 
a just and fair referendum to be voted on by the people, in 
due process.

That the international community will stand by and allow 
such atrocities as we are witnessing in East Timor is 
shocking and without support.  In our earlier letter we 
called for the United Nations to send an international 
monitoring force to East Timor to oversee the disarming of 
the paramilitary and the withdrawal of troops as well as to 
provide protection to the population against human rights 
abuses.  In light of activities in East Timor since then, 
once again we strongly urge that UN intervention.

As Secretary General to the United Nations (Secretary of 
State), you stand as a glimmer of hope for all those in East 
Timor for whom the future now looks bleak.  Your decisive 
action can help to find a solution which will establish 
justice and peace in East Timor.

Yours sincerely,
The Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell
General Secretary

Text, April 21, 1999, Letter to William F. Cohen

We are writing to urge you to use the influence of your 
office to help stop the brutality and violence in East 
Timor.  Within the last week alone, there has been news of 
the Liquisa incident, attacks by pro-integration forces on 
suspected pro-independence supporters, and a threat on the 
life of Bishop Carlos Belo.  It must be stopped before one 
more life is lost.

The United States Defense Department has maintained a 
longstanding and positive relationship with ABRI, the 
military unit of Indonesia.  That relationship may be the 
only hope for a peaceful solution to the nearly 25 year-old 
Indonesia-East Timor conflict.  UN talks on East Timor are 
scheduled for this week, but only when the military and 
armed pro-integration militia have been removed from East 
Timor and the reign of terror ends can the East Timorese 
focus on their future.  ABRI admitted to having armed the 
pro-integration militia, who have staged a campaign of 
terror and intimidation Dili and surrounding villages.  Now 
ABRI must disarm and control the militia to allow a just and 
fair referendum to be voted on by the people, in due 
process.

That the international community will stand by and allow 
such atrocities as we are witnessing in East Timor is 
shocking and without support.  We called for the United 
Nations to send an international monitoring force to East 
Timor to oversee the disarming of the paramilitary and the 
withdrawal of troops as well as to provide protection to the 
population against human rights abuses.  In light of 
activities in East Timor since then, once again we strongly 
urge that UN intervention.

As Secretary of Defense of the United States of America, you 
stand as a glimmer of hope for all those in East Timor for 
whom the future now looks very bleak.  Your decisive action 
can help to bring about a solution which will establish 
justice and peace in East Timor.

Yours sincerely,
The Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell
General Secretary
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