American Jewish Committee Condemns Violence In East Timor, Supports International Peacekeeping ForceAmerican Jewish Committee The American Jewish Committee has declared its support for an international peacekeeping force to end brutal violence and religious persecution in East Timor, and help prepare for the independence chosen by its citizens. AJC President Bruce M. Ramer and Executive Director David A. Harris, in a letter sent to President Clinton today, welcomed his efforts "to deliver an unequivocal message to Indonesian authorities that acquiescence to violence in East Timor is unacceptable."  "The American Jewish Committee is anguished by the suffering of the East Timorese at the hands of vigilantes and Indonesian troops after last month's referendum," said Ramer and Harris. "The violence inflicted on this long-suffering people, and the shocking instances of brutality in recent days against Catholic clergy and other humanitarian workers, offend the conscience of the world," Ramer and Harris wrote in their letter to President Clinton. "The displacement of hundreds of East Timorese from their homes, the depravation faced by those who have fled for safety into the wilderness, and the creation of vast numbers of refugees elsewhere in Indonesia and throughout the region all cry out for a comprehensive international response - arresting the terrible mayhem, first of all, and offering relief and a return to normalcy for the victims of the post-referendum rampage." The American Jewish Committee combats bigotry and promotes intergroup understanding, pluralism and democratic values in the United States and around the world.
For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org |
 |
Email Article To A Friend |  |
Link to us! |
