Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-09-15-Speech-3-079"
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"en.19990915.8.3-079"2
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"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, since the process began the European Union has supported Portugal’s and Indonesia’s attempts to attain a lasting solution for East Timor, under the protection of the UN, one that was acceptable to the international community, and one that would be based on the right to self-determination on the part of the East Timorese nation. The Union continues in its determination to achieve this aim. As a result of a decision taken in the General Affairs Council in April 1999 we have asked the Commission to draft economic and social programmes to improve facilities for the establishment of institutions for East Timor.
For my own part, I would like to say that I have also personally tried to contact Member States on the telephone, especially Portugal, and also Indonesia via our representation there, and Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the UN. I hope there will be better opportunities for close co-operation among us in the future.
I would now like to speak of a serious matter, which is the climate of fear and deeds of terror that are gripping East Timor at present. Indonesia has failed to commit to guarantees of order and security in the region. In the opinion of many, it has not entirely wished to do so either. Tyranny has prevailed in the area. There has been evidence that the Indonesian army and the police have taken part in acts of terror in East Timor. According to humanitarian workers from the international community, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and human rights organisations were forced to leave areas so that crimes could be committed in the absence of foreign witnesses. The day before yesterday the Council expressed its deepest anger regarding this state of affairs and the attacks on East Timorese, humanitarian workers, church representatives and advocates of human rights. We in the Council have given our support to convening a special meeting of the Commission on Human Rights with regard to the situation in East Timor. We shall also work towards sending an investigatory commission to the area as quickly as possible to collect evidence relating to the responsibility for deeds of terror that were committed in the wake of the referendum.
The General Affairs Council the day before yesterday approved the conclusions reached on Union action and took a decision on a common position to make them more effective, by imposing a comprehensive export ban on weapons, munitions and other tools of internal repression and terror to Indonesia. At the same time too, bilateral military co-operation between the Member States and Indonesia was discontinued. This common position will be in force for four months and will be renewed if need be.
While we work towards bringing about the right to self-determination of East Timor and its people, we must concern ourselves also with Indonesia’s future development. The General Affairs Council emphasised the Union’s desire to see a strong, democratic and united Indonesia. Democracy, a respect for human rights and the principles of the rule of law are the foundations on which Indonesian society can also build. Conduct in the international community that reflects a democratic society will have the support of us all.
The eagerness to vote shown by the East Timorese awoke interest, as we know. The General Affairs Council stated on Monday that the East Timorese also deserve all our support in the future. We will be ready to recognise East Timor when a decision has been made on the independence process, which is under the guidance of the UN.
In this connection, I would like once again to thank the UN’s UNAMET operation for its staff’s tireless work in bringing about the referendum in especially difficult circumstances. At the same time I would like to say that I am grateful to Ireland’s Foreign Minister, Mr Andrews, who acted as the President’s personal representative in overseeing the election in East Timor, and Great Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Mr Cook, who represented the President at the APEC meeting. We would have liked the Council of Ministers to be present at these events also, although the President could not be present at them owing to the obligations that a whole week’s part-session in Parliament presented. I also wish to thank the delegation of observers from the European Parliament and everyone else that took part in the observation process: the importance of an international presence was vital for the success of the voting operation. I believe they were responsible for the safe atmosphere that prevailed while voting itself was going on.
We all feared unrest. When voting was over, however, the terror that started came as a shock in terms of its violence. During the whole crisis the Union has been putting pressure on the Indonesian government to meet its obligations to guarantee safety and keep the situation in East Timor under control.
I believe that we are on the right track, but the road is long. Alleviating a humanitarian disaster and putting together an international peacekeeping force are now urgent priorities. The faster a peacekeeping force is got there, the better. Consequently, the European Union will continue to exert its own pressure to bring that about. Another very urgent matter is getting humanitarian aid there quickly. At present those in the most difficult situation are people who have fled their homes for the mountains, and East Timorese that have been forced to enter West Timor, where some have been accommodated in camps. According to various estimates there are from 200,000 to 400,000 refugees. This also shows that assessments made regarding the situation are very vague. We have no exact information on events for the very reason that foreign representatives of the international community cannot reach the area.
These people are in need of immediate humanitarian aid. Intergovernmental organisations and NGOs are to participate in the programme of assistance co-ordinated by the UN. The Indonesian authorities have announced an open-door policy with regard to international aid, but they cannot guarantee the safety of humanitarian workers. A comprehensive aid operation can only begin when the humanitarian organisations have unhindered and safe access to the region. This will ultimately come about obviously only with the arrival of an international peacekeeping force, but we have already called once again for humanitarian aid to be delivered to the region immediately.
Various countries have been prepared to participate in the delivery of relief aid. Supplies are being planned and deliveries organised at this very moment. The Union has a total of EUR 8 million at its disposal in respect of humanitarian assistance in East Timor, making it already the largest single contributor of aid. Representatives of the European Community’s Humanitarian Organisation have taken part in an assessment of the size of the aid package needed together with the Indonesian authorities and international organisations. I hope that the Commission can tell us of its plans in greater detail.
Humanitarian aid might begin with operations in which essential goods such as food, medicines and other goods such as blankets and cooking utensils are dropped from the air in areas where refugees are known to be. Experts say that, for reasons of safety, the drops must be made during the initial phase from Hercules transport planes from a height of one and a half kilometres, which may affect its chances of getting to the right place. Nevertheless, we have to do all we can to ensure that there is adequate aid getting through at this stage.
The situation with regard to security will improve in the region only when the international peacekeeping forces have arrived. The Union has the whole time stressed and demanded that Indonesia take responsibility for order and security, but as we have seen, the Indonesian authorities have unfortunately ignored the obligations they have agreed to in this respect. Indonesia has now agreed to the arrival in the region of international peacekeeping forces and I have just heard that the UN Security Council has taken a unanimous decision to send a peacekeeping force to East Timor. We require Indonesia to work in close co-operation with the Security Council in the future also. We shall work towards getting the forces to the region as soon as possible."@en1
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