Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-03-15-Speech-4-179"
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"en.20010315.9.4-179"2
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". – Mr President, I shall start with Zimbabwe. In 1999, the Commission took steps to re-orientate its cooperation with Zimbabwe in favour of social sector actions – health, education and AIDS, democracy and support to civil society. The Commission and the Member States have opted for confidential political dialogue under Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement in order to influence the Zimbabwean government and to seek improvements in respect for the fundamental principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The Commission is closely following the situation and would stand ready to assist if the situation justified it. However, our current assessment is that most of the 50 000 refugees intend to return to their place of origin – Madura – where they have families who will be able to support them.
On Turkmenistan: the Commission is fully aware of the case of Mr Atakov, a Baptist pastor, who was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. It supported the EU démarche in Ashgabat by the EU Presidency and the Member States in February this year, asking for the release of Mr Atakov. The Commission has expressed concerns about the human rights situation in Turkmenistan. It supported the EU presidency démarche earlier this year in order to release Mr Primukuli Tanrykuliev and Mr Nurberdy Nurmamedov. The release of these two prisoners was ordered by President Niyazov later in an amnesty allowing the release of 12 000 prisoners. The Commission fully supports Parliament's resolutions. External pressure has to be maintained to achieve results in the fight for human rights and freedom of religion in Turkmenistan.
In response to Mr Staes’s question about assistance through TACIS, I would add that EU assistance provided through the TACIS programme is mainly oriented towards agricultural development, which directly benefits the population. In addition, the Commission develops TACIS democracy projects mostly through local NGOs in order to enhance civil society. As requested, I will refer this to Mr Nielson and Mr Patten for further action.
Sanctions are not considered appropriate at this stage. The Commission believes that sanctions should be kept as a last resort to discourage major setbacks such as the suspension of the constitution or the cancellation of the 2002 presidential elections. While President Mugabe is closely associated with these undesirable events, his public demonisation is counterproductive since it encourages support for him by dissenting factions in Zimbabwe African National Union/Patriotic Front and by neighbouring states.
Overemphasis on the plight of whites risks encouraging a revival of the independence theme supported by many blacks in Zimbabwe and in southern Africa. It neglects the plight of many very poor black people in Zimbabwe.
Secondly, on trans-nationally abducted children: the Commission shares the concerns expressed by the honourable Members in the case of international child abductions, often by one of the child's parents. Within the Community the Brussels II regulation entered into force on 1 March this year. This regulation sets out rules on jurisdiction, automatic recognition and simplified enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and matters of parental responsibility for children of both spouses. Therefore custodial decisions at the time of divorce taken in the Member States in accordance with Brussels II can now be enforced throughout the Community. Admittedly the regulation does not go far enough in that it is limited to custodial decisions for the children of both spouses taken at the time of divorce.
Later this month, the Commission plans to present a working document on the mutual recognition of decisions on parental responsibility, to be followed by a proposal for a regulation extending the scope of the Brussels II regulation to cover all children and situations.
As far as cases that transcend the borders of the Community are concerned, the Commission also supports the ratification, or the correct application, of the 1980 Hague Convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction, which is indeed a very valuable instrument.
On Cabinda: the Commission agrees and deplores the situation of the eight European citizens who have been kidnapped in Cabinda. The Commission hopes that a solution can be rapidly found to allow them to regain their freedom.
On Kalimantan in Indonesia: the Commission shares the honourable Members' concerns about the conflict in Kalimantan, which resulted in injury and serious loss of life. Clearly several factors have influenced the outbreak of violence and massacre: a decade-old and badly implemented policy of trans-migration, genuine poverty in some parts of the area, misadministration and provocateurs who, for reasons we may only speculate about, create the violence.
To address the poverty in this region, the Commission has in place development projects in southern and eastern Kalimantan, which include support for sustainable management of tropical forests. The Indonesian leadership currently faces some extremely difficult policy choices. They must establish temporary shelter for the refugees in Kalimantan. However, they also need to consider whether to assist those who want to leave Kalimantan permanently and return to Madura. They must also show determination to restore law and order and pursue the perpetrators. Failure to do so would send bad signals about the commitment of the Indonesian leadership to the rule of law."@en1
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