Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-11-20-Speech-4-166"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20031120.8.4-166"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, the conflict in the province of Atjeh (Aceh) has been going on for 27 years and has already resulted in thousands of deaths. The situation deteriorated even further after the breakdown in May of the fragile Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, the establishment of a state of emergency by the Indonesian Government and the closure of the province.
The imposition of martial law led this House to adopt, in June, an initial resolution, in which we denounced the lack of freedom for the people and of freedom of the press. We expressed our concern regarding the fresh upsurge of violence, the daily murders and the increase in the number of arrests and disappearances.
This condemnation was not sufficient, as martial law has just been extended for six months. We regard this decision as unacceptable. Our main concern, however, relates to the closing-off of the region and the fact that it is impossible to gain access to the people, and particularly the victims of the conflict, because when there is a state of emergency the military governs the region and distributes the humanitarian aid. We call on the Indonesian Government to respect international military law and to allow humanitarian organisations access to the area so that they can provide assistance to the refugees, displaced persons and prisoners.
We are also concerned about the radicalisation of the conflict and the marginalisation of civil society campaigners at a time when moderate critical voices are needed to move towards peace and reconstruction.
With the hope of re-establishing dialogue, on behalf of the human rights group of the Committee on Development and Cooperation, I organised, in October, a discussion on the critical situation in Atjeh and Papua. Unfortunately, the Indonesian Government’s failure to face the separatist movements and civil society representatives prevented us from making any progress in achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Sadly, it is all too clear that the fall of the Suharto dictatorship and the return to democracy in Indonesia have not been accompanied by a significant improvement in human rights. In reality, the army is still in power. Civil liberties, trade union freedom and the freedom of expression continue to be scorned. The tragedy in East Timor does not appear to have served as an example for the Government in view of the demands for autonomy that are coming from Borneo, the Moluccas, Atjeh and Papua. There is no doubt that the rise in fundamentalism and in the number of terrorist attacks that are in the headlines of the international press are of grave concern, but it is in the name of national unity and the fight against terrorism where, far from the view of the media, freedoms are treated with contempt every day and a savage repression rages, not only in Atjeh but also in Papua.
Even though we do not support the armed rebellions, we call on the Indonesian Government to engage in dialogue with the fighters in order to build peace, and we call on the European Union to promote the reconciliation process."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples