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ETAN Alert -- NO IMF FUNDING WITHOUT HUMAN RIGHTS (fwd)
NO IMF FUNDING WITHOUT HUMAN RIGHTS
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BACKGROUND:
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In October 1997 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pledged $40 billion
to bailout Indonesia's troubled economy. In exchange, the Indonesian
dictator, Suharto, promised to implement far-reaching economic reforms and
structural adjustment measures. Despite the Indonesian regime's brutal 22
year occupation of East Timor and its severe repression of its own people,
the IMF has never seriously considered conditioning the bailout on human
rights.
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THE US SITUATION:
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The U.S. is the IMF's largest shareholder. The U.S. Congress will be
called to vote on $18 billion to the IMF within weeks. This money will be
considered in two parts:
1) A portion of this money, $3.5 billion, earmarked for the IMF emergency
bailout fund, will be considered first.
This money is being fast-tracked through the Congress. There will be no
human rights conditions attached without significant pressure on Congress.
Several unrelated appropriations have already been attached to this bill,
including funds for domestic disaster relief, Bosnia, and the U.S. military
mobilization against Iraq, making the bill very difficult to oppose.
2) The majority of the $18 billion -- $14.5 billion -- will replenish IMF
funds pledged (without
human rights conditions) to Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea. This
portion will be considered in April or May.
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ACTION
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Call, fax, or write to your Representative and Senators to demand:
* NO MORE MONEY TO THE SUHARTO REGIME WITHOUT HUMAN RIGHTS CONDITIONS
* NO IMF EMERGENCY BAILOUT FUNDS ($3.5 billion) OR REPLENISHMENT ($14.5
billion) WITHOUT HUMAN RIGHTS CONDITIONS
Human Rights conditions on IMF money to Indonesia should include:
1) The release of Indonesian and Timorese political prisoners
2) A permanent UN or U.S. presence in East Timor
3) Direct Timorese participation in the UN-sponsored dialogue
between Indonesia and Portugal
4) Support for labor rights and democratization in Indonesia.
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ADDRESSES & PHONE NUMBERS
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To reach your members of Congress by phone or fax, call the Congressional
Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected with your
Representative or Senator.
Write to Senator _________, US Senate, Washington, DC 20510 -- or --
Representative _______, US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515
************************************
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Who to call, write or fax:
1) Contact your Representative:
- ask him/her to oppose the $3.5 billion appropriation for the IMF
emergency bailout fund (coming up for a vote in the House by mid-March) as
well as the $14.5 billion replenishment appropriation (coming up in April
or May) unless
human rights conditions are attached.
Your call is especially important if your Representative is on the House
Appropriations Committee (see the list at the end of this message).
2) Contact your Senator:
- ask them to oppose the $3.5 billion appropriation for the IMF emergency
bailout fund (coming up for a vote in the Senate by mid-March) as well as
the $14.5 billion replenishment appropriation (coming up in April or May)
unless human
rights conditions are attached.
Your call is especially important if one or both of your Senators are on
the Senate
Appropriations Committee, Foreign Relations Committee, or Banking
Committee. (see the list at the end of this message)
*** AN IMPORTANT NOTE ***
Letters to the editor and call-ins to your local radio talk shows, are
especially important at
this time. Protest huge bailouts of repressive regimes. Human needs must
be considered!
For more information, contact:
Lynn Fredriksson
ETAN Washington Representative
202-544-6911 ph
202-546-5103 fax
etandc@igc.apc.org
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RELEVANT COMMITTEE LISTS:
House Appropriations Committee
Bob Livingston (R-LA), Chair David Obey (D-WI), Ranking Minority
Joseph McDade (R-PA) Sidney Yates (D-IL)
C.W. Bill Young (R-FL) Louis Stokes (D-OH)
Ralph Regula (R-OH) John Murtha (D-PA)
Jerry Lewis (R-CA) Norman Dicks (D-WA)
John Edward Porter (R-IL) Martin Sabo (D-MN)
Harold Rogers (R-KY) Julian Dixon (D-CA)
Joe Skeen (R-NM) Vic Fazio (D-CA)
Frank Wolf (R-VA) W.G. (Bill) Hefner (D-NC)
Tom DeLay (R-TX) Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) Allan Mollohan (D-WV)
Ron Packard (R-CA) March Kaptur (D-OH)
Sonny Callahan (R-AL) David Skaggs (D-CO)
James Walsh (R-NY) Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Charles Taylor (R-NC) Peter Visclosky (D-IN)
David Hobson (R-OH)
Ernest Istook (R-OK) Esteban Edward Torres (D-CA)
Henry Bonilla (R-TX) Nita Lowey (D-NY)
Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) Jose Serrano (D-NY)
Dan Miller (R-FL) Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Jay Dickey (R-AR) James Moran (D-VA)
Jack Kingston (R-GA) John Olver (D-MA)
Mike Parker (R-MS) Ed Pastor (D-AZ)
Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) Carrie Meek (D-FL)
Roger Wicker (R-MS) David Price (D-NC)
Michael Forbes (R-NY) Chet Edwards (D-TX)
George Nethercutt (R-WA)
Mark Neumann (R-WI) Robert "Bud" Cramer, Jr. (D-AL)
Randy (Duke) Cunningham (R-CA)
Todd Tiahrt (R-KS)
Zach Wamp (R-TN)
Tom Latham (R-IA)
Anne Meagher Northup (R-KY)
Robert Aderhold (R-AL)
Senate Appropriations Committee
Ted Stevens (R-AK), Chair Robert Byrd (D-VA), Ranking Minority
Thad Cochran (R-MS) Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Arlen Specter (R-PA) Ernest Hollings (D-SC)
Pete Domenici (R-NM) Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Christopher (Kit) Bond (R-MO) Dale Bumpers (D-AR)
Slade Gorton (R-WA) Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Conrad Burns (R-MT) Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Richard Shelby (R-AL) Harry Reid (D-NV)
Judd Gregg (R-NH) Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Robert Bennett (R-UT) Patty Murray (D-WA)
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Larry Craig (R-ID) Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Lauch Faircloth (R-NC)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Jesse Helms (R-NC), Chair Joseph Biden (D-DE), Ranking Minority
Richard Lugar (R-IN) Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)
Paul Coverdell (R-GA) Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Chuck Hagel (R-NE) John Kerry (D-MA)
Gordon Smith (R-OR) Charles Robb (D-VA)
Craig Thomas (R-WY) Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Rod Grams (R-MN) Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
John Ashcroft (R-MO) Paul Wellstone (D-MN)
Bill Frist (R-TN)
Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Senate Banking Committee
Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY), Chair Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), Ranking Minority
Phil Gramm (R-TX) Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Richard Shelby (R-AL) John Kerry (D-MA)
Connie Mack (R-FL) Richard Bryan (D-NV)
Lauch Faircloth (R-NC) Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Robert Bennett (R-UT) Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL)
Rod Grams (R-MN) Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Wayne Allard (R-CO) Jack Reed (D-RI)
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Chuch Hagel (R-NE)
________________________________________________
Kristin Sundell, Field Organizer
East Timor Action Network
101 Western Ave. # 41
Cambridge, MA 02139
tel: 617-868-6600 x319 (w) or 617-441-5043 (h)
pager: 617-673-2429
fax: 617-868-7102
"The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed
by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing
about them."
-- George Orwell