To US President Bill Clinton from East Timorese Protesters at US Embassy in Jakarta, 12 November 1994

The Honourable President of the United States of America, Mr Bill Clinton. On behalf of the East Timorese student and worker communities, we come to you today, Mr President, to present the following petition.

It is our wish, on this occasion of the Third Anniversary of the massacre of 12 November 1991, to remind the world that demands for a serious and independent investigation of the Santa Cruz slayings have gone unheeded purely and simply as a result of the West's economic relations with Jakarta and that a systematic violation of human rights in the form of the repression of students, persecution, intimidation, detention and torture continue in East Timor to this day.

Given that we are rapidly approaching the year 2000, set as the time limit for the total eradication of all forms of colonialism and oppression of Peoples;

Given that under your Administration, the United States has proven once again to the world its moral responsibility in relation to the defence of the universal principles of freedom, justice and peace with the successes it has achieved in the difficult Middle East peace process, in the prevention of a second invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and your government's support of the restoration of democracy in Haiti;

We wish to remind you, Mr President, of the 19 year old conflict in East Timor. It is our hope that, in an effort to redress the error of President Ford who, during his stay in Indonesia just days prior to the fateful day of 7 December 1975, gave the green light to Indonesia's military invasion and occupation of East Timor, you will be prepared to make use of the great moral stature achieved by the United States of America through its condemnation of the violation of the fundamental rights of human beings and peoples to make the following demands of President Suharto:

1. The release of East Timorese Resistance Leader, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, and of all East Timorese political prisoners

2. That the President of Indonesia, who has stated his preparedness to engage in dialogue with anti-integration elements, agree to the participation in such talks of the true representatives of the People of East Timor, including members of the four components of the Resistance: the East Timorese Church, CNRM, UDT and Fretilin.

3. That Jakarta grant access to an independent and impartial mission with the aim of conducting a serious investigation into the Santa Cruz massacre. The Jakarta regime fails to acknowledge the universal nature of Human Rights, arguing that cultural considerations and those of a socio-economic nature must be taken into account. It is this understanding of Human Rights which the regime relies upon to justify its violation of the same in Indonesia.

We therefore appeal to you, Mr President, to remind President Suharto,

1. of the existence of elderly and incapacitated Indonesian political prisoners who should, as a matter of urgency, be granted amnesty;

2. of the existence of Indonesian political prisoners who after 30 years in jail continue to face the death penalty.

Finally, we appeal to you to exert pressure upon Jakarta,

1. to recognise the right of Indonesian workers to organise, to assemble and to freedom of expression,

2. to free union leaders Muchtar Pakpahan and Amosi whose "crimes" are their defence of the rights of Indonesian workers.

We firmly believe that the ethical concerns which have guided America's foreign policy in relation to other countries extend also to Indonesia, and thus we deposit great hope in the decisive influence which the United States of America is able to bring to bear in realising a solution to the East Timor case which constitutes a flagrant violation of universal principles and of International Law.

Jakarta, 12 November 1994
With the highest consideration,
On behalf of East Timorese On behalf of East Timorese workers, students.
[Newsgroups-soc.rights.human]