U.S. congressman endorses humanitarian aid for RI

JAKARTA (JP): American congressman Tony P. Hall said on Saturday that he fully endorsed U.S. humanitarian programs in Indonesia, in spite of Jakarta's failure to punish the perpetrators of violence in East Timor two years ago.

Completing his tour of Indonesia and East Timor, the Democratic representative from Ohio gave a thumbs down to the present Indonesian legal system in delivering fair and good justice, which he described as a main pillar of democracy.

Hall, who has championed the cause of East Timor's independence through the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 20 years, ruled out linking U.S. humanitarian aid programs to Jakarta's ability to try those responsible for the mayhem before and after East Timor became independent in 1999.

"When it comes to humanitarian aid, there must be no strings attached," he said during a media conference at the conclusion of his three-day visit to Indonesia.

Hall has long been active in humanitarian and hunger-related work, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998, 1999 and 2001.

Hall said that upon returning home, he would recommend Washington continue supporting humanitarian programs in Indonesia through such organizations as the World Vision and the World Food Program (WFP), and various local non-governmental organizations.

"These are very good projects," he said of the humanitarian programs in Indonesia which received U.S. government funding.

Hall visited on Saturday one of the 800 food distribution centers run by the WFP, which are scattered throughout Jakarta's poor districts.

The United States is financing about half of this year's US$68 million budget for the WFP's 800 food distribution centers in Jakarta and another 400 outside the capital.

Hall also met with President Abdurrahman Wahid on Friday, during which he was briefed about Indonesia's struggling transition to democracy.

The congressman said that at the talks he underlined the need for Indonesia to build a fair and good legal system.

When asked if he was confident the present legal system was capable of delivering justice to the perpetrators of violence in East Timor, Hall said: "No. But hopeful, yes. I'm hopeful for the future of East Timor. For Indonesia, I don't know."

Asked about the likelihood of Washington resuming some military aid programs for Indonesia, which were terminated in the wake of the East Timor mayhem, Hall insisted that there first should be a fair legal system in place.

Washington has insisted that those responsible for the violence in East Timor must be punished before these military cooperation programs can be resumed.

Hall said there should be justice in both West Timor, where there are more than 100,000 East Timorese refugees, and in East Timor itself.

He said that based on his talks with leaders in East Timor, he believed that between 30,000 and 40,000 East Timorese refugees in West Timor wanted to return home, but most held back largely for fear that they would have no place to go when they returned.

With the United Nations peacekeeping force in East Timor, there should be no concern about security, he said. "There is nothing to fear. There's a lot of protection back there."

Hall called on the United States and the international community to continue supporting East Timor after a new administration is set up in Dili following next month's election.

"The challenges of rebuilding not just physical but human infrastructure are great, and the fact that East Timor has passed its early test with flying colors does not mean it can complete this work alone. In fact, it cannot," he said. (emb)