Vol. 373 No. 8
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the plans, if any, he has to protest against the continuing occupation of Afghanistan by the armed forces of the Soviet Union; if he will sponsor a motion at the United Nations denouncing the tyranny and colonisation by the Soviets; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
31.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to allegations relating to the abduction of Afghanistan children for the purposes of being trained in Soviet training camps in techniques of terrorism and subversion; and the action, if any, the Government have taken or will take to demonstrate our repugnance of such practices.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 31 together.
Since the invasion of Afghanistan Ireland has consistently supported resolutions adopted each year on the situation in that country at the UN General Assembly. Likewise we have repeatedly expressed there and elsewhere our concerns on this issue in national and Community statements and will continue to do so.
We welcome and support the mediation efforts of the UN Secretary General and believe that any solution must be based on the principles set out in successive UN resolutions. These principles include withdrawal of Soviet troops, the right of the Afghan people to self-determination and the voluntary return in safety and honour of the refugees.
In their statements of 16 March 1987 the 12 member states of the European Community reiterated their support for the UN Secretary General's efforts in the wake of the latest round of indirect talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Geneva. They expressed the strong hope that, during the next round of talks, these negotiations will result in satisfactory agreement involving the rapid and total withdrawal of Soviet troops on the basis of an irrevocable timetable. In the Twelve's view, such a withdrawal represents the essential precondition if this conflict is to end and if the Afghan people are to be able to exercise their right to self-determination.
I am aware from the report of the special rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights to the UN General Assembly last year that he was told that some Afghan children are sent to the Soviet Union for a short period of time and thereafter used as spies. One 16 year old boy informed the special rapporteur that he had been sent to the Soviet Union against his will, trained for two months in espionage and forced to collect information on the activities of Afghan opposition movements based in Pakistan.
I am deeply concerned about these accounts. Ireland has manifested its concern about human rights in Afghanistan by co-sponsoring resolutions adopted on the matter at the UN Commission on Human Rights and the UN General Assembly. At the UN Commission on Human Rights earlier this year we also supported the extension of the mandate of the special rapporteur for one year and the request that he report to the UN General Assembly later this year on the human rights situation.
Have we made any direct protest to the Russian Government?
Yes; we raise that with them on a regular basis.
The second part of Question No. 7 asks if the Government would be prepared to sponsor a motion at the United Nations condemning the occupation. Will the Minister reply to that?
We always co-operate in any resolution of that kind in the United Nations and have done so up to now in a Community context. The view expressed by the Deputy is the general view of the European Community and is an example of political co-operation in foreign affairs. In areas where there is general Community interest, we co-operate with other Community countries in sponsoring resolutions of that kind at the UN and elsewhere.
Because of our unique position so far as neutrality is concerned is the Minister prepared to advise the Government that we should actually sponsor such a motion because, coming from us, it would have a far greater impact than if it came from the militarily aligned countries of the EC. Would the Minister consider sponsoring such a motion?
I would certainly consider it but, the whole purpose of Title III of the Single European Act is to ensure that there is scope for political co-operation in the sphere of foreign affairs. This is precisely what we mean by "political co-operation" in areas like Afghanistan, South Africa, the Middle East and Central America. Where there is a common European attitude in relation to any of these areas we try to co-operate as a member of the Community in the area of political co-operation. There is no need for any argument or debate about this because this is the way it functions.
Because of the oppression and tyranny in Afghanistan and the lack of information emanating from that country, there is a belief that the matter has been forgotten. That country has been occupied for ten years, I think, and it is important that our protest is kept alive and heard by other countries. Would the Minister consider putting a motion before the United Nations condemning the Russian occupation of that country and asking that it be ended? I appreciate the point the Minister made about the Single European Act and our political co-operation within the Community. Nevertheless, we have always maintained that we have the right as an individual State to make our protest and I am asking the Minister to do that.
I will consider doing that. I realise that we have a certain status within the United Nations. We will co-operate and take a lead in sponsoring any such resolution and this has been done already through the area of European political co-operation. That does not stop us taking our own initiative as a country within the United Nations framework. I will follow up the Deputy's suggestion.
