WASHINGTON (September 15, 1999) -- The international community must continue to apply "sustained pressure" on the Indonesian government to ensure that it fulfills its obligations in East Timor, the Chairman of the Bishops' International Policy Committee said in a statement issued today.

"Despite the welcome reversal of Jakarta's policy on the peacekeeping force, the recent history of broken promises warrants a certain skepticism that the violence will be stopped immediately and the people's right to return to their homes will be respected," said Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick of Newark. "Sustained pressure from the international community and especially from the United States ought to characterize all dealings with the Indonesian authorities."

NOTE: The full text of Archbishop McCarrick's statement is attached.

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