Speech #970140367

In the months immediately preceding the introduction of my amendment. conditions in East Timor were described in press accounts as comparable to those in Cambodia. The measure I introduced expressed the sense of Congress that the President should take measures to encourage the Indonesian Government to allow Increased access to East Timor for International relief organizations l.nd to permit them to establish relief operations directly in East Timor. It also sought to encourage the Indonesians to alinw free emigration from East Timor. particularly in the case of families whose members had already left the territory while others remained behind. The amendment was adopted unanimously by the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs. It eventually became section 408 of Public Law 96533.