Pelosi Condemns Attacks on Ethnic Chinese in Indonesia

Dutch-Lady

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

Dutch-Lady

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

Dutch-Lady

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

lemon8

certain towns in america also targetting chinese migrants, discrimination is everywhere

Debmey

The problem is, such discrimination had the support of the govt, that is why it was never investigated.

The same it is for Msia where minorities are unfairly marguinalised in the constitution.

Dutch-Lady

Senator Feinstein to Introduce Measure to Condemn Rape of Ethnic Chinese in Indonesia
August 6, 1998

San Francisco, CA -- U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today announced that she will introduce legislation when the Senate reconvenes in September that will condemn the ethnic violence in Indonesia directed against Indonesians of Chinese descent.

?hen the Senate reconvenes in September, I will offer an amendment to the FY 1999 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill that will make it clear that the United States condemns in no uncertain terms the violence in Indonesia which was targeted against Indonesian Chinese, and especially the reports of systematic rapes of Indonesian Chinese women,? Senator Feinstein said.

According to reports, over 1,200 people were killed and more than 150 women and girls, some as young as 9 years old, were raped as part of what appeared to be a targeted campaign of ethnic violence directed against Indonesians of Chinese descent during the riots this past May.

? believe that our government must make it clear to the government in Jakarta that such abuses are totally unacceptable, and we must be certain that the Indonesian government works to apprehend and punish those who perpetrated and abetted these crimes, and prevent the recurrence of such actions.?

Senator Feinstein? amendment would:

?all for the Indonesian government to conduct a full and swift investigation into these incidents and bring the culprits to justice, and to take action to see that such events never again occur.

?rge the Indonesian government to take every measure to restore confidence among and protect the security of the Indonesian Chinese community as well as provide just compensation and medical assistance to the victims of the riots.

?all for the United Nations to work with the Indonesian government and non-governmental organizations to support a full and swift investigation of this situation and make appropriate recommendations.

?irect the U.S. Secretary of State to provide support and technical assistance to the investigations.

?equire the U.S. Secretary of State to report to Congress on the adequacy of the investigation and measures undertaken by the Indonesian government.

? have also sent a letter to Secretary Albright calling on her to raise this issue directly in her discussions with the Indonesian government.

?ndonesia today in undergoing a tremendous and wrenching transformation. It is my hope that these cataclysmic changes are opening up the process of democratization and respect for human rights. But the progress that Indonesia has made -- and will, I hope, continue to make -- cannot serve as an excuse for such acts of barbarity as occurred during the May riots.?

Senator Feinstein? letter to Secretary Madeleine Albright is below.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

August 6, 1998

The Honorable Madeleine K. Albright
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C. St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Madam Secretary:

I am writing to express my deep concern about the situation in Indonesia, and the urgent need to address the concerns of the ethnic Chinese community there. Restoring their confidence and sense of security is crucial to the success of Indonesia? economic and political reforms. There is particular concern -- both in Indonesia and among Chinese-Americans -- about the rapes of Indonesian Chinese women and girls that took place during the rioting of May 13-15, 1998.

According to credible reports, at least 168 cases of rape occurred in Jakarta alone as part of a pattern of political violence targeted against Indonesian Chinese. An investigative report published by Asiaweek on July 24, 1998 describes incidents documented by Rosita Noer, an Indonesian physician and human rights activist. For example: ?n three Chinese areas of west Jakarta, between 5 and 8 p.m., dozens of men dragged a hundred or so girls on to the streets, stripped them and forced them to dance before a crowd. Twenty were raped, then some burned alive, says Noer. She examined six other victims attacked in their homes in different areas of Jakarta. The girls were between the ages of 14 and 20; four of them had been raped by seven men.?

I was encouraged by President Habibie? decision last month to set up a national committee of inquiry to investigate the rapes. I understand that the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights has urged the government to act, and to apologize to the victims for failing to protect them. Non-governmental organizations are also conducting their own investigations. However, efforts to identify and fully prosecute those responsible can only succeed with the complete cooperation of the Indonesian military and police.

I want to encourage you to continue pressing the Indonesian authorities, in the strongest possible terms, to effectively address this important issue. I respectfully urge you to raise this issue in your discussions with Foreign Minister Alatas during any bilateral meetings you have with him, including at the United Nations when the General Assembly convenes in September.

I have been proud to stand with you to respond to the use of organized, premeditated mass rape to serve political ends in Bosnia and Rwanda. Tragically, it appears this barbaric practice may have reared its head again, this time in Indonesia. I look forward to working with you to respond to this crisis as well.

Sincerely,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

http://www.senate.gov/~feinstein/rel...indonesia.html