Text: Rep. Pitts Decries Indonesian Military's Role in Violence
(Jakarta must stop the killings, Pitts says)Fighting between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia is being aggravated by the actions of parts of the Indonesian military, according to Representative Joseph Pitts (Republican of Pennsylvania).
In a July 24 speech to the House of Representatives, Pitts said the United States "should not lend our military expertise to military officers who approve of the killing of innocent women and children."
"We have laws that impose sanctions on Nations that allow persecution of ethnic and religious groups," he said.
Pitts blamed supporters of former Indonesian leaders for the violence. "There are members within the current Indonesia government and former government and the military who do not care how many innocent lives are stamped out," he said.
Focusing on killings in the Indonesian province of Ambon, Pitts told fellow lawmakers, "These people simply care about their ultimate goal of controlling Indonesian society and keeping their hold on power."
Turning to the situation in the Malukus, Pitts charged that members of "the more extremist Islamic community, including the current leader of the People's Consultative Assembly, Dr. Amien Rais, openly have supported calls for `jihad' or an Islamic holy war against the Christians and other religious minorities in Indonesia."
Pitts, a member of the Religious Prisoners Congressional Task Force and a participant in the Helsinki Commission, quoted from a survivor of the sectarian violence: "`For the 3 days of the fighting, soldiers were shooting at us, many of them died. Two of our kids died. One was handicapped, and the soldiers hung him and burned him alive. These two had not died in the fighting; it was after when the soldiers rounded us up. The soldiers murdered these two.'"
The Pennsylvanian Republican asked his colleagues to join him in sending a letter to President Clinton and Indonesia's President Wahid calling upon both governments "to act immediately to stop the killings and bring to justice the parties responsible for this reign of terror."
Following are excerpts from the text of Representative Pitts' speech in the July 24 Congressional Record:
(begin excerpts)
INDONESIA
(House of Representatives)
July 24, 2000Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to protest the widespread violence and killing of innocent people occurring daily in the Malukus, the Spice Islands and Ambon in Indonesia.
The mass killings in Ambon are deeply disturbing. There are members within the current Indonesia government and former government and the military who do not care how many innocent lives are stamped out. These people simply care about their ultimate goal of controlling Indonesian society and keeping their hold on power. It is deeply disturbing and offensive, Mr. Speaker, that these individuals would allow this. They are in the same league as those who ordered the deaths of innocent people in the concentration camps of World War II.
Horrifying reports and photos arrive each day in my office. I have photos of destroyed homes, businesses, churches, places of worship. I have photos of men, women, children, lying in streets with severed limbs, heads blown off, photos much too graphic to bring to the House floor.
Mr. Speaker, I traveled to Indonesia at the end of May, met with various leaders, including President Wahid and leaders from both the Christian and Muslim communities.
They long for peace to reign again. But it seems impossible because of numerous reports of behind-the-scenes maneuvers by Suharto, Habibie, their cronies, various military officers and others who want to destabilize the present government.
These former government leaders and military leaders are really people with no hearts. Why do I say that? Because only uncivilized people could coldly and callously calculate to cause the deaths of whole societies simply to maintain their power.
Mr. Speaker, the mass killings continue. Day after day, more and more people in these islands become refugees with no access to food, clothing, medicine or shelter.
Reports suggest that the tension in the Malukus is not simply an economic issue; it is a religious issue as well. Members of the more extremist Islamic community, including the current leader of the People's Consultative Assembly, Dr. Amien Rais, openly have supported calls for `jihad' or an Islamic holy war against the Christians and other religious minorities in Indonesia.
The influx of Laskar Jihad fighters into Maluku has only happened through complicity of members of the military who have allowed a mass influx of men and arms into the Ambonese communities.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to share a couple of excerpts from letters and reports that we have received:
`Before the military arrived, we were fine. There was no fighting. They came and the attacks came with them. When we were boarding the evacuation ship, the soldiers had stolen most of our things, including our rings, necklaces, et cetera, and sold them in front of us for almost nothing. A chain saw that costs several hundred dollars was sold for $10. If we carried two bags of clothes to bring, they threw one out. We took only part of what we had fled with. The clothes I have on are the only ones I now own. This shirt I wore during the attacks. I had no long pants.'
`For the 3 days of the fighting, soldiers were shooting at us, many of them died. Two of our kids died. One was handicapped, and the soldiers hung him and burned him alive. These two had not died in the fighting; it was after when the soldiers rounded us up. The soldiers murdered these two.'
`The attacks continued until the evening the 3rd of July in the village. The next day, the attack continued. When it was known that the mobs planned to burn down the university, the villagers again asked the military's help to stop the mobs. Again, the request was ignored with the excuse that there are villagers, civil security personnel, and the students regiment who could guard the university campus.' . . .
Mr. Speaker, out of desperation, many community leaders from Ambon have urged the international community to help stop these continued killings by bringing in U.N. observers and peacekeepers and boycotting Indonesian businesses involved in supporting the destruction of the Malukus.
Mr. Speaker, we should not stand idly by and watch while the death count continues to rise. Our Nation should not do business with businesses supporting this bloodshed. We are starting our military assistance again. We should not lend our military expertise to military officers who approve of the killing of innocent women and children. We have laws that impose sanctions on Nations that allow persecution of ethnic and religious groups.
I call on Members to join me in sending a letter to President Wahid and President Clinton. I call on the Indonesian and U.S. Governments to act immediately to stop the killings and bring to justice the parties responsible for this reign of terror.
(end excerpts)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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