Vol. 432 No. 2
32 Mr. Gilmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government has made or plans to make any representations to the Indonesian authorities over the trial and life sentence imposed on the East Timor leader, Xanana Gusmao; if the matter was raised with the Portuguese Foreign Minister during his visit to this country in view of the fact that East Timor is a former Portuguese colony; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
64 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has made any representations to the Government of Indonesia in relation to the life sentence imposed on Xanana Gusmao.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 64 together.
I have discussed on several occasions with the Portuguese Foreign Minister the situation in East Timor, including the trial and sentencing of Mr. Xanana Gusmao. Our most recent discussion took place at the General Affairs Council this week. We discussed, inter alia, the representation to be made by the Community and its member states to the Indonesian authorities regarding the life sentence passed on Mr. Xanana Gusmao by the Indonesian courts particularly as the date for an appeal — 4 June — has now passed.
Ireland and our partners in the European Community remain very concerned at continuing reports of human rights abuses in East Timor. Earlier this year Ireland played an active role in this matter at this years session of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva where a resolution on the situation in East Timor was adopted.
I will also convey this concern to the newly appointed Indonesian Ambassador to Ireland whom I will be seeing later this afternoon. I have written to the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Mr. Ali Alatas, expressing the Government's concern at the sentence passed on Mr. Gusmao and asking for a review.
