December 8, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 2327 our Ambassador in India has raised this issue The congressional letter was the product of TRIBUTE TO HENRY A. PANKEY with ``high-ranking Indian officials,'' and that he effective lobbying by Gurmit Singh Aulakh will continue to do so. of the Council of Khalistan, which represents ´ Sikhs pressing for a separate homeland. HON. JOSE E. SERRANO Mr. Speaker, the human rights abusesÐthe OF NEW YORK murders, the rapes, the tortureÐthat are being IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES committed against the Sikh people are truly CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, horrible. Our State Department, our Ambas- HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Thursday, December 7, 1995 Washington, DC, October 19, 1995. sador, and the President must continue to Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Hon. P.V. NARASHIMA RAO, press the Indian Government on this issue. Prime Minister of India, Chankaya Puri, New pay tribute to my friend, Mr. Henry A. Pankey, Congress must be involved as well. It is time Delhi, India. who will be honored on Saturday at the Sec- for Congress to pass legislation conditioning ond Annual Holiday Ball of the Eternal Fellow- DEAR PRIME MINISTER RAO: According to aid to India on improving its human rights an Amnesty International ‘‘Urgent Action’’ ship of African American Postal Workers for record in Punjab, in Kashmir, and in other bulletin issued on September 7, Punjab po- his dedicated career in the U.S. Postal Serv- areas. If we continue to confront the Indian lice abducted Sikh human rights activist ice. Government on this issue, we can force them Jaswant Singh Khalra from his home in Am- The Eternal Fellowship of African American to stop the abuses and allow human rights, ritsar on September 6. His whereabouts are Postal Workers is a non-profit organization democracy and freedom to flourish. unknown. As the general secretary of Human which was founded to celebrate the African- THE WHITE HOUSE, Rights Wing (Shiromani Akali Dal), Mr. American culture and to advance the well- Washington, DC, November 15, 1995. Khalra had published a report showing that being of the African-American community. At the Punjab police have arrested more than Hon. DAN BURTON, their second Christmas ball, to be held at Ma- House of Representatives, 25,000 young Sikh men, tortured them, mur- dered them, then declared them ‘‘unidenti- rina del Rey in the Bronx, the members of the Washington, DC. ``Eternal Fellowship'' will bestow upon Mr. DEAR REPRESENTATIVE BURTON: Thank you fied’’ and cremated their bodies. These atroc- for sharing with me your recent letter to ities are intolerable in any country, espe- Pankey an honorary membership for his life- Prime Minister Rao of India regarding the cially one that calls itself a democracy. time career in postal service operations. situation in Punjab. After the report was published, Mr. Khalra I had the opportunity of meeting young and I too am concerned by the reports regard- was told by the Amritsar district police cheerful Henry Pankey when we were class- ing Jaswant Singh Khalra. The U.S. Embassy chief, ‘‘We have made 25,000 disappear. It mates at Clark Junior High School in the in New Delhi has already made inquiries into would be easy to make one more disappear.’’ Bronx. Mr. Pankey later graduated from Bronx This abuse of police power is inexcusable. these allegations with various Indian govern- Community College and completed courses at ment agencies,and our Ambassador to New The right to speak out and expose atroc- Delhi, Frank Wisner, has raised the issue the University of Virginia, Bernard Baruch Col- ities is one of the most fundamental rights of lege, Hunter College, Lehman College and with high-ranking Indian officials. We will free individuals. As long as Mr. Khalra re- continue these efforts. I appreciate your in- mains in detention, how can anyone in India Duke University. terest and concern on this issue. feel secure exercising his or her democratic His 32-year career in customer service and With best wishes and warm regards. liberties? postal office operations includes experience as Sincerely, Division General Manager/Postmaster in the BILL CLINTON. Many of us wrote to you previously urging that the passports of Sikh leader Samranjit Western New York Division and in the Newark Division, and as Officer-In-Charge of the Eliza- [From the Council of Khalistan, Nov. 28, Singh Mann and Dalit (‘‘black untouchable’’) 1995] leader V.T. Rajshekar be restored. Your gov- beth New Jersey Post Office. ernment has not acted, and Mr. Mann and Today, Mr. Pankey holds the post of Vice CLINTON CHECKS INDIA Mr. Rajshekar remain unable to travel. The President of the Mid-Atlantic Area of the Unit- (By James Mornson) right to travel is fundamental to a demo- ed States Postal Service. His philosophy has President Clinton has taken a personal in- cratic nation. been ``what comes in today gets sorted and terest in the fate of an Indian human rights Mr. Prime Minister, we call upon your gov- activist held by the government in New dispatched today, and delivered tomorrow.'' ernment to release Mr. Khalra immediately. Delhi. Under Mr. Pankey's leadership, postal man- Following a letter-writing campaign from We also urge you to restore the passports of agement has reached higher levels of effi- 65 members of Congress, Mr. Clinton says his Mr. Rajshekar and Mr. Mann. If India is a ciency and accountability. democratic country, it must end these gross envoy to India has made inquiries into the Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me fate of Jaswant Singh Khalra. violations of human rights and democratic principles. Only then can democracy truly in recognizing Mr. Henry A. Pankey's lifelong U.S. Ambassador Frank Wisner has made and dedicated career to the benefit of our it known in New Delhi that Washington is begin to flower. We await your response. watching. Sincerely, communities. ‘‘I, too, am concerned by the reports re- Gary A. Condit, James A. Traficant, Wil- garding Jaswant Singh Khalra,’’ Mr. Clinton liam Jefferson, Peter King, Randy wrote this month to Rep. Gary A. Condit. ‘‘Duke’’ Cunningham, Roscoe Bartlett, THE MISSING COMBINED FEDERAL The California Democrat organized the Jack Fields, Donald M. Payne, Dan CAMPAIGN OR WHY CAN’T WE congressional letter to Indian Prime Min- Burton, Phil Crane, Richard Pombo, GIVE AT THE OFFICE? ister P.V. Narasimha Rao, a copy of which Karen McCarthy, Neil Abercrombie, was sent to the White House. Wally Herger, Dana Rohrabacher, Mr. Condit cited an Amnesty International Esteban Torres, HON. VIC FAZIO bulletin of Sept. 7 that accused Indian police Ronald V. Dellums, John T. Doolittle, OF CALIFORNIA of abducting Mr. Khalra for investigating ac- Michael Forbes, Enid G. Waldholtz, Gil IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Gutknecht, Victor Frazer, John Porter, cusations that police in Punjab murdered Thursday, December 7, 1995 thousands of Sikh men. Sam Gejdenson, Bob Livingston, ‘‘The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has al- Edolphus Towns, Chris Smith, William Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, NEWT ready made inquiries into these allegations O. Lipinski, Scott King, Lincoln Diaz- GINGRICH says he likes charities such as Boys with various Indian government agencies, Balart, Dick Zimmer, Collin Peterson, Town, but he's acting like the Grinch who and Ambassador Wisner has raised the issue Pete Geren, stole Christmas when it comes to the Com- Joe Skeen, Duncan Hunter, Jim with high-ranking Indian officials,’’ Mr. bined Federal Campaign for the House. Clinton wrote. Ramstad, Floyd Flake, Bernie Sanders, ‘‘We will continue these efforts.’’ Matt Salmon, Richard ‘‘Doc’’ Hastings, As we all know, the Combined Federal Mr. Condit’s letter to the Indian prime Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Phil English, Campaign is the annual event enabling Fed- minister noted that Mr. Khalra ‘‘had pub- Richard Burr, Connie Morella, Carlos eral employees to make donations to charities. lished a report showing that the Punjab po- Romero-Barcelo, Sanford D. Bishop, Virtually all Government agencies have lice have arrested more than 25,000 young Jim Moran, Martin R. Hoke, Jack completed their Combined Federal Campaign, Sikh men, tortured them, murdered them, Metcalf, and thousands of charitable causes and orga- then declared them ‘unidentified’ and cre- Amo Houghton, Jerry Solomon, Robert nizations are the beneficiaries. Torricelli, Ed Whitfield, Melvin L. mated their bodies. But one Government agency is missing: the ‘‘These atrocities are intolerable in any Watt, Jim Kolbe, John Shadegg, J.D. country, especially one that calls itself a de- Hayworth, James H. Quillen, Barbara House of Representatives. mocracy. . . . Cubin, Charlie Norwood, Vic Fazio, When December 1 rolled around, a con- ‘‘This abuse of police power is inexcus- Chris Cox, Joe Scarborough, Bill Rich- cerned staffer in my office started making in- able.’’ ardson, Steve Schiff. quiries. E 2328 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks December 8, 1995 Where is the Combined Federal Campaign, What has happened in East Timor over the to vote on December 6. I would have voted he asked? last 20 years has been sarcastically called by ``yes'' on H.R. 290 waiving points of order He called the Finance Office. The Finance John Pilger, an Australian journalist, ``one of against the conference report to accompany Office said, ``Don't look at us.'' the world's great secrets.'' Indonesia severely the bill H.R. 1058 to reform Federal securities He called the Chief Administrative Officer's restricts access to East Timor, making it dif- litigation, ``yes'' on final passage of the con- Office. The CAO's Office said, ``Don't look at ficult to monitor abuses, while human rights ference report on H.R. 1058 and ``no'' on the us.'' organizations and activists are subject to har- motion to recommit the conference report on He even called the CAO's new one-call assment and threats from the government. H.R. 2067, the Commerce, State, Justice and service. He called again the next day. He Still, well-respected organizations such as Am- the Judiciary appropriations bill. called again yesterday. Nothing to report. nesty International and Human Rights Watch/ Is it just administrative incompetence by the Asia have been able to report on the continu- CAO? ing human rights problems in East Timor. U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE EMPLOY- I wish the answer was that easy. In addition to the thousands killed over the EES PROTECTION ACT OF 1995, But a few more calls have unearthed the last 20 years, the Indonesian Government has H.R. 2737 discovery, and the answer my employee finally unleashed a reign of terror over the East received is not a good one. Timorese which includes detaining political HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN All fingers point to the Speaker. prisons, torture and rape, and disappearances. OF NEW YORK This is the same Speaker who told us all According to Roman Catholic Bishop Ximenes IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES about Boys Town and the benefits of non- Belo, an outspoken defender of human rights Thursday, December 7, 1995 government solutions to our problems. in East Timor and a Nobel Peace Prize nomi- Well, Mr. Speaker, If you'd check with the nee, ``There is always fear. We lack freedom Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, on October 31, Combined Federal Campaign, you'd discover to speak, to walk where we want, to have dif- 1995, the House International Relations Com- that Father Flanagan's Boys Home is one of ferent opinions. If people talk, they know they mittee held full committee hearings on the the worthy organizations that is going wanting will be interrogated. They will be tortured.'' matter of the U.S. efforts at international nar- while you procrastinate. Because of Bishop Belo's strong defense of cotics control. What's the hold-up? human rights, the Jakarta Government is ac- We were pleased among the witnesses that Is it incompetence, inefficiency, or neglect tively seeking his replacement as leader of day to hear from the DEA and the U.S. Cus- when every other agency of Government has East Timor's Roman Catholic Church. The toms Service. Both these fine agencies are completed their Combined Federal Campaign, government's attempt to control the church is engaged in the difficult and often and the House has yet to begin? It's a fair an attempt to control even the spiritual life of unappreciated battle to prevent these deadly question. the East Timorese people. In addition to the drugs from ever entering our Nation and in- Maybe it's because we're so busy this year. campaign against Bishop Belo, Amnesty Inter- fecting our cities and schools, where they But even the U.S. Senate has found time to national reports that church officials are sub- soon destroy the lives of so many of our conduct their Combined Federal CampaignÐit ject to surveillance, including the tapping of young people, and many others. concluded on November 15. phones and interception of letters. Members of During the hearing, we examined our efforts Maybe just maybe, we're facing one more the clergy also face harassment and intimida- along the Southwest border to prevent drugs unfathomable facet of the radical conservative tion by security forces and Indonesian troops. from entering the United States from Mexico. agenda. Are there left wing groups benefiting? In October of this year young people, un- We also discussed the phenomena of the drug Is this just one more part of the Istook effort able to tolerate the suppression any longer, trafficking port runners, who our border control to cut off your enemies? protested against the Indonesian Government. people now face frequently along our vast bor- Only the Speaker can tell us for sure. The response of the military was swift and vio- der with Mexico. In the meantime, people in need supported lent. Over 200 people were injured by gunfire, These port runners are individuals who load by the Combined Federal Campaign's many while 150 others who were attending a meet- up cars or vans with large quantities of drugs, charitable organizations may go without. ing at a convent were arrested and detained. then await the chance to race illegally across And generous House employees wait to see Many of those who were detained were re- the border at high and very dangerous speeds when the Speaker will catch the spirit of ported to have been tortured with electric past the U.S. Customs Service checkpoints; Christmas and let the Combined Federal Cam- prods or beaten while in custody. sometimes even heading across the U.S. bor- Mr. Speaker, the territory of East Timor has paign go forward as it has for many years in der going against oncoming traffic in the been held in captivity for 20 years by the Indo- every Federal agency. southbound lanes. nesian Government and there are few indica- Needless to say, there is real danger and tions that the reign of terror will soon end. On the potential for serious tragedy from these REMEMBERING THE 20TH ANNI- this day, when we remember that our own na- madmen willing to risk the lives of innocent VERSARY OF THE INDONESIAN tion was once invaded by another nation, we people, including our Customs Service inspec- INVASION OF EAST TIMOR AND must not forget the people of East Timor who tors, and other Federal officials, who they CONDEMNING THE HUMAN have not known freedom and peace since the seek to avoid detection by in their dangerous RIGHTS ABUSES IN EAST TIMOR Indonesian invasion on December 7, 1975. dash across the Mexican-United States bor- And unlike the attack on Pearl Harbor where der, loaded with illegal drugs headed for the HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH we were able to overcome the invaders, the streets of America. invaders of East Timor have yet to be de- OF NEW JERSEY During the hearing, we learned of the case feated. We can only imagine what life must be IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES a few years ago of an individual driving a like, denied the right of self-determination and 1976 Dodge van from Mexico loaded with Thursday, December 7, 1995 other basic human rights. But the words of drugs intended for entry at El Paso, TX. A Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, one man who has spent the last 20 years of U.S. Customs Service inspector working with today is a day of several anniversaries. As his life under the Indonesian dictatorship might an Agriculture inspector in the primary inspec- Americans we cannot forget that 54 year ago help us understand: ``We the people in East tion lane attempted to stop the fleeing driver today our nation was invaded and attacked Timor call it the biggest prison island in the when suspicions arose about the illicit cargo and lives were lost at Pearl Harbor. Today we world. You must understand that. For us who he was carrying. remember those who lost their lives and honor live here it's hell.'' In the ensuing struggle, the Customs in- those who bravely served in our Armed spector held on to the passenger side of the Forces and defended our borders. PERSONAL EXPLANATION vehicle in an attempt to stop the van. The Today is also the anniversary of another in- Customs inspector was then thrown from the vasion. Twenty years ago today the nation of HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN vehicle about 300 yards from the primary lane, Indonesia invaded the territory of East Timor suffered massive head injuries, and died 1 day OF FLORIDA and 1 year later forcibly annexed it. Within a later at a local hospital. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES matter of hours and days after the invasion One more victim of the deadly drug trade entire families were wiped out. And since De- Thursday, December 7, 1995 was claimed that day, and this Customs Serv- cember 7, 1975, over 200,000 Timorese have Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, due to ice inspector, and so many others, like the five been killedÐone-third of the entire population. the illness of my mother-in-law, I was unable DEA agents killed in a plane crash in the