S12184 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 9, 1998 (2) recognizes the research scientists, ad- SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLU- to take steps to create conditions for good ministrative staff, professional societies, and TION 128—EXPRESSING THE faith negotiations that address the social, patient groups for their active participation SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARD- economic and political causes of the conflict in support of the research programs and ING MEASURES TO ACHIEVE A to achieve a peaceful and lasting resolution goals of the NIAID; and of the conflict, and to vigorously pursue such (3) reaffirms its support of the National In- PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE negotiations; stitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases CONFLICT IN THE STATE OF (5) support efforts to provide relief assist- and its commitment to advance knowledge , MEXICO ance to displaced persons in Chiapas and ade- and improve health. Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Mr. DODD, quate monitoring of such assistance; and (6) seek a commitment from the Govern- Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. KERRY, Mrs. MUR- ∑ Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am ment of Mexico to respect the rights of pleased to submit a Senate Concurrent RAY, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. United States citizens and human rights Resolution recognizing and honoring FEINGOLD, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. BUMPERS, monitors in Mexico in accordance with Mexi- the 50th anniversary of the National Mr. WELLSTONE, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mrs. can law and international law. Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dis- BOXER, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am eases. An identical resolution is being Ms. MIKULSKI) submitted the following today submitting a Concurrent Resolu- introduced in the House by my distin- concurrent resolution; which was re- tion expressing the sense of Congress guished colleague, Representative ferred to the Committee on Foreign regarding measures to achieve a peace- Relations: NORTHUP. ful resolution of the conflict in the S. CON. RES. 128 As you know I am an ardent sup- state of Chiapas, Mexico. Whereas the United States and Mexico This resolution is cosponsored by porter of biomedical research and the have a long history of close relations and National Institutes of Health. In this Senator DODD, who is the ranking share many economic and security interests; member of the Western Hemisphere century, great strides have been made Whereas the democratic and prosperous subcommittee and among the most in the control of such killer infectious Mexico is in the interest of the United knowledgeable Members of Congress on diseases such as polio, rubella, measles, States; Mexican affairs, Senator FEINSTEIN, cholera, typhoid fever, and diphtheria. Whereas the United States is providing as- sistance and licensing exports of Senator BINGAMAN, Senator JEFFORDS, Small pox has been eradicated. We con- equipment to Mexican security forces for Senator FEINGOLD, Senator KERRY of tinue to benefit from the development counter-narcotics purposes; Massachusetts, Senator WELLSTONE, of new drugs and vaccines that contrib- Whereas the Department of State has doc- Senator BUMPERS, Senator BOXER, Sen- ute enormously to the betterment of umented human rights violations by Mexi- ator KENNEDY, Senator DURBIN, Sen- the public health. can security forces and paramilitary groups; Whereas the conflict in Chiapas, Mexico ator MURRAY, Senator WYDEN, Senator At the forefront of these advances has resulted in the deaths and disappearance HARKIN, and Senator MIKULSKI. stands the National Institute of Al- of innocent civilians; Congresswoman NANCY PELOSI is lergy and Infectious Diseases. NIAID Whereas the lack of progress in imple- today introducing an identical resolu- began as the National Microbiological menting a preliminary peace agreement tion in the House of Representatives. Institute, formed through the union of signed in 1996 and the presence of tens of Mr. President, the purpose of this the Rocky Mountain Laboratory, the thousands of Mexican soldiers, as well as resolution is to convey our support for Biologics Control Laboratory, the Divi- paramilitary and other groups, have contrib- uted to increased political tension and vio- a peaceful resolution of the conflict in sion of Infectious Diseases, and the Di- lence in Chiapas and the absence of basic Chiapas that has been simmering since vision of Tropical Disease of the NIH. human rights protections; the in 1994. Since In 1955, Congress renamed the Institute Whereas the persistence of political ten- then, and despite attempts at negotia- as the National Institute of Allergy sion and violence has exacerbated the impov- tions, the situation remains explosive. and Infectious Diseases, recognizing erished conditions of indigenous people in Scores of innocent people, mostly im- the need for a coordinated scientific re- Chiapas; poverished Indians, have been killed. search program on infectious, allergic, Whereas thousands of indigenous people in Chiapas have fled their homes as a result of Thousands have fled their homes and and immunologic diseases. the violence and are living in deplorable con- are living in squalid conditions, made Research supported by the Institute ditions; unbearable by the recent flooding. has led to important advances, includ- Whereas despite President Zedillo’s calls This resolution does not attempt to ing: the development of vaccines for negotiations and repeated visits to take sides or to dictate an outcome. against infectious diseases such as chiapas, efforts to negotiate a peaceful reso- The situation in Chiapas is a complex lution of the conflict have been unsuccessful meningitis, hepatitis A, whopping one that has social, ethnic, economic and the National Commission was and political dimensions. It is a mani- cough and the rotavirus diarrhea; new dissolved after the resignation of its Presi- treatments to fight against the human dent, , due to the lack of festation of years of Mexican history. immunodeficiency virus (HIV); and progress in the peace process; and It is for the Mexican people to resolve. novel interventions to treat childhood Whereas the summary expulsions of United But despite its complexities, there is asthma. States citizens and human rights monitors no doubt that the indigenous people of from Mexico raise concerns about the com- Chiapas have been the victims of cen- However, despite significant mitment of the Government of Mexico to turies of injustice. Most do not own progress, infectious diseases remain freedom of movement, association and ex- any land and they live—as their par- the world’s leading cause of death, and pression. Now, therefore, be it ents and grandparents did—in abject the third leading cause of death in the Resolved by the Senate (the House of Rep- resentatives concurring), That it is the sense poverty. The Zapatista uprising was a United States, and immune-mediated reflection of that injustice and despair, diseases continue to exact a consider- of Congress that the Secretary of State should— and the political tension and violence able toll. NIAID-supported research (1) take effective measures to ensure that of recent years has only exacerbated will continue to provide the necessary United States assistance and exports of their plight. tools to develop diagnostic tests, new equipment to Mexican security forces— To his credit, President Zedillo has and improved treatments, vaccines, (A) are used primarily for counter-narcot- called for a resumption of negotiations and other means to combat the micro- ics purposes; and (B) do not contribute to human rights vio- and has visited Chiapas several times. bial threats of today and those of the Recently, his government invited Mary future, and to address diseases of the lations; (2) encourage the Government of Mexico to Robinson, the U.N. High Commissioner immune system. reduce political tension and violence in for Human Rights, to visit Mexico to I am submitting this resolution Chiapas by disarming paramilitary groups discuss the Chiapas situation. I wel- today to demonstrate the support of and decreasing its military presence there; come that. But there remains a deep the United States Senate for the (3) commend the Government of Mexico for distrust between the two sides, and no inviting the United Nations High Commis- NIAID, the NIH and all of the dedicated sioner for Human Rights to visit Mexico to sign that the government’s strategy is professionals who have devoted their discuss the ; working. This resolution calls on our lives to improving the quality of the (4) encourage the Government of Mexico Secretary of State to encourage the nation’s health.∑ and the Zapatista National Liberation Army Mexican Government and the October 9, 1998 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S12185

Zapatistas to support negotiations that miserable conditions as their parents, LIEBERMAN, and Mr. GRAMS) submitted address the underlying causes of the their parents’ parents, and their grand- the following resolution; which was re- conflict, to achieve lasting peace. parents’ grandparents, and they deeply ferred to the Committee on Foreign Mr. President, this resolution is not distrust the government. Relations: meant to embarrass or interfere. It is Mr. President, the United States and S. RES. 294 to convey our concern about the people Mexico share many interests. We have of Chiapas, and the urgent need for worked together to address concerns on Whereas on September 2, 1998, Malaysia’s concrete progress to resolve a conflict both sides of the border. I have no Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad dis- that has cost many innocent lives and doubt that the government and the missed Deputy Prim Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim; which threatens the economic and po- Zapatistas can solve this problem, if litical development of our southern they want to. But we must also recog- Whereas over the past year, Dato Seri nize that violence and instability in Anwar has advocated adopting meaningful neighbor. economic structural reforms to combat an Many Senators may not know the Mexico directly affect United States increasingly deteriorating economy—a view history of the Chiapas conflict. After economic and security interests, and which runs counter to those of Dr. Mahathir; human rights abuses, wherever and the 1994 uprising, the Zapatistas and Whereas after being dismissed, Dato Seri the government tried to resolve the however they occur, deserve our atten- Anwar began touring the country and pub- conflict peacefully. Those negotiations tion. licly criticizing Dr. Mahathir and the poli- collapsed in 1996 when the Mexican This Resolution reflects a balanced cies of the ruling United Malays Organiza- Government walked away from a par- approach. Neither side in the conflict is tion Baru (UMNO) party; tial agreement which would have given blameless. To resolve it peacefully, Whereas in apparent reaction to this criti- the inhabitants of Chiapas greater both must want peace and be willing to cism Dato Seri Anwar was arrested on Sep- rights. take steps to create the conditions tember 20, 1998, and held under the provi- Since then the situation has gotten that make it possible for good faith ne- sions of the Malaysian Internal Security Act worse. Last December, Mexican para- gotiations to succeed, and then sit (ISA); military forces killed 45 unarmed civil- down at the table together. Whereas the ISA removes arrested individ- ians in the village of Acteal. In June, The Resolution urges the Secretary uals from the protections afforded criminal two police officers and eight villagers of State to ensure that the United defendants under Malaysia’s States is not contributing to the politi- and statutes, and consequently Dato Seri died when Mexican soldiers and police Anwar was held in an undisclosed location clashed with Zapatista supporters. cal violence, by reaffirming current law which limits assistance and ex- without any formal charges being lodged There are now tens of thousands of against him; Mexican soldiers who patrol the roads ports of equipment only to Mexican se- curity forces who are primarily in- Whereas on September 29, 1998, Dato Seri in and out of Chiapas in armored vehi- Anwar was formally charged with nine cles. They patrol the skies in low fly- volved in counter-narcotics activities counts of and sexual misconduct, ing helicopters. They surround the im- and who do not commit human rights including four sodomy counts, to which an- poverished communities of Zapatista abuses. other count was later added; It calls on the Mexican Government supporters, who, not surprisingly, see Whereas the vague nature of the charges, to respect the rights of American citi- the government as their enemy. On top as well as the fact that two of the govern- zens and human rights monitors in of that, there are armed paramilitary ment’s ‘‘witnesses’’ have already recanted, Mexico. groups who have been responsible for could reasonably lead to a conclusion that Mr. President, some may ask why we the charges were manufactured by the gov- some of the worst atrocities. are submitting this Resolution today, ernment for maximum shock value to dis- The dissolution of the National Medi- when this conflict has been simmering credit Dato Seri Anwar and silence him; ation Commission after the resignation for years. One reason is that after all Whereas when Dato Seri Anwar appeared of its President, Bishop Samuel Ruiz, this time the problem is no closer to at his arraignment, he had been beaten by has further impeded efforts to resolve being solved. It has gotten worse, not police while in custody; and told the judge the conflict peacefully. better. The recent flooding has caused that on his first night of detention, while I regularly receive reports of violence an urgent, humanitarian crisis among handcuffed and blindfolded, that he was ‘‘boxed very hard on my head and lower jaw or harassment directed against human displaced people in Chiapas who are rights monitors, including American and left eye . . . I was then slapped very hard, struggling to survive. And last week’s left and right, until blood came out from my citizens, who have been summarily ex- elections showed, not surprisingly, pelled from Mexico for activities that nose and my lips cracked. Because of this I that fully half the people in Chiapas could not walk or see properly’’; amount to nothing more than criticiz- have no faith in the political process. ing the policies of the Mexican Govern- Whereas to substantiate his claims, Dato In short, the status quo is unaccept- Seri Anwar showed the court a large bruise ment. able. The violence is unacceptable. The on his arm; his swollen black eye was evi- One case I have followed closely in- lack of any meaningful peace process is dent to everyone in the courtroom; volves an American priest who lived in unacceptable. There is no reason why Whereas Dr. Mahathir suggested that Dato Chiapas for some 19 years. He was ar- so many civilians have died. There is Seri Anwar inflicted the injuries to himself rested, driven to the airport, accused of no reason why the causes of the con- in order to gain public sympathy; engaging in illegal political activity on flict cannot be openly discussed and ef- Whereas since its independence Malaysia the basis of anonymous, unsubstan- fectively addressed. has been transformed from a divided multi- tiated allegations, and summarily ex- This Resolution sends a message to racial developing nation into a modern, cos- pelled. Efforts by myself, the American the Mexican Government, the mopolitan, economically sophisticated coun- Ambassador, and the Department of Zapatistas, our own administration try; and State to correct this injustice have and the international community that Whereas the government’s actions in case been entirely unsuccessful. The Mexi- an intensified effort is needed urgently of Dato Seri Anwar seriously damage the can Government has consistently mis- to resolve the conflict peacefully. reputation of Malaysia in the eyes of the rest represented the facts in his case. Mr. President, I want to thank the of the world; Now therefore be it Despite President Zedillo’s repeated other Senators who have cosponsored Resolved by the Senate, That it is the sense calls for renewed dialogue with the this resolution of the Senate that— Zapatistas and their supporters, and f (1) the Malaysian government should take despite the fact that the Zapatistas do every step to safeguard the rights of Dato not pose a credible threat to the Mexi- SENATE RESOLUTION 294 EX- Seri Anwar, ensure that any charges brought can Government, the Mexican Govern- PRESSING THE SENSE OF THE against him are not spurious, afford him a fair and open trial, and fully investigate and ment’s actions have not improved the SENATE WITH RESPECT TO DE- VELOPMENTS IN MALAYSIA AND prosecute those responsible for his mistreat- situation. The government seems to be- ment while in detention; and that lieve that it can solve the problem by THE ARREST OF DATO SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM (2) all Malaysians should be permitted to simultaneously threatening and hold- express their political views in a peaceful ing out promises to Zapatista support- Mr. THOMAS (for himself, Mr. and orderly fashion without fear of arrest or ers, even though they live in the same KERRY, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, Mr. intimidation.