Contact: Charles A. Scheiner, 1-914-428-7299

The International Federation for East Timor (IFET) today urged the World  Bank to postpone the upcoming meeting of the Consultative Group on  Indonesia (CGI). In a letter to James D. Wolfensohn, President of the bank,  IFET said the meeting should be postponed until Indonesia has "restored  peace and order to West Timor, and established the conditions necessary for  the East Timorese refugees who have been trapped there for more than a year  to return home."

IFET wrote "Indonesia is not entitled to benefit from the largesse of  international funding until it conforms to international norms of  diplomacy, justice and law."

The letter praises Wolfensohn's efforts on behalf of East Timor. Following  the murder of three UN humanitarian workers in West Timor by Indonesian  military-backed militia, Wolfensohn wrote to Indonesia's President Wahid  warning that his actions on West Timor are being "watched closely by the  international community."

In September 1999, Wolfensohn wrote then-President Habibie urging  Indonesian government to abide by the pro-independence vote in East Timor,  withdraw its troops, and allow the U.N.- sanctioned InterFET force to enter the territory. Within a week, Indonesia  acted, but not until 70% of East Timor's buildings had been destroyed and three-fourths of its  population displaced. More than 100,000 East Timorese remain in West Timor.

The CGI, chaired by the World Bank, is next scheduled to meet in  mid-October in Tokyo. Members of the CGI include the Asian Development  Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and bilateral donors including the  United States, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Germany, France, Spain, Italy,  New Zealand, Denmark and Australia. More than $5 billion is expected to be  pledged at this year's meeting.

For a copy of the letter click here.

In the months leading up to last year's August 30 vote in East Timor, the  International Federation for East Timor sent 140 non-partisan observers to  East Timor to observe the U.N.-administered consultation process. IFET was  formed in 1991 to support the self-determination process for East Timor at  the United Nations. It now has 39 member groups from 23 countries.