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Crimes Against Humanity
by Ron Forthofer
Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera, September 10, 1999.
AND JESUS SAID, "Come. You have my Father’s blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. ... Then the just will ask him: ’Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you drink?’ ... The king will answer them: ‘I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me.’" Matthew, 25, 34-40.This column is about similar situations in East Timor and Chiapas. You might ask why you should care about what is going on thousands of miles away. How is this important to you? Perhaps the above passage from the Bible provides a partial answer. However, if you’re not into Christianity, how about simple human compassion for others who are suffering and in desperate need?
As you may be aware, crimes against humanity are occurring in East Timor. People are being driven from their homes and slaughtered because they voted for freedom. There is no civil war in East Timor. Only the anti-freedom forces are armed, armed with weapons supplied by the Indonesian military. The Indonesian military and police have joined their paramilitaries in the massacre and nothing is being done to stop this crime.
We might say this is horrible, but we have nothing to do with this situation. On the contrary, 24 years ago, then President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger gave the okay to Indonesian President Suharto for the invasion of East Timor. Since then, the U.S. has been the main weapons supplier to and trainer of Indonesian military leaders. The U.S. has also protected Indonesia from sanctions in the United Nations. Without our weapons and support, Indonesia could not have massacred one-third of the East Timorese population in the past and could not be carrying out ethnic cleansing now. Two of the reasons that the U.S. is reluctant to rein in this client state are our desire to continue business relations with Indonesia and its role in the containment of China.
Relax. I’m not advocating military action against Indonesia to stop these atrocities. Indonesia is likely to stop the massacre if the U.S. makes it clear that:
- all military relations will be severed,
- there will be no additional weapons provided, and
- World Bank and IMF loans, badly needed by Indonesia, will not be provided
We must convince President Clinton to take this position. Please call the White House at (202) 456-1111 or (202) 456-1414 and demand that the slaughter be stopped. For good measure, also call Assistant Secretary of State Stanley Roth at (202) 647-9596.
Unfortunately, a similar situation is brewing in Chiapas. Mexico has failed to honor the San Andres peace accords negotiated several years ago. Instead of trying to reach a peaceful resolution, Mexico has been waging a low intensity war against the Zapatistas and other indigenous in Chiapas. It appears that President Zedillo has decided to move beyond this low intensity war and launch a major attack. The Mexican military has moved large numbers of military forces into Chiapas and has basically surrounded the Zapatista area. Foreign observers are slowly being expelled from the area and, despite President Zedillo’s talk about restarting peace negotiations, the indigenous peoples are fearful of a major assault occurring any time.
Outside pressure is essential to stop a massacre in Chiapas. Please take another minute and call your U.S. representative and senators. Inform them of the current crisis in Chiapas and the possibility of another slaughter. Ask them to travel to Chiapas (or send an aide) with the emergency Congressional delegation that is being organized by the Mexico Solidarity Network. Also ask them to sponsor a "Dear Colleague" letter calling for Mexico to honor the San Andres peace accords, for the removal of the Mexican military from Chiapas, and for the disarming of the paramilitaries. You can find more information about how to get involved at the Mexico Solidarity Network.