Vol. 456 No. 5
55 Mr. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the plans, if any, he has to make further strong representations to the British Government to cease arming the national army of Indonesia which is responsible for so many atrocities in East Timor, following on his recent representations to the Government of Indonesia regarding the oppression of East Timor. [14267/95]
I stated in an article in The Irish Times of 13 July that one of the objectives of the Government's policy concerning the situation in East Timor is to stop the supply to Indonesia of arms that could be used in East Timor. Our partners in the European Union are fully aware of the strength of international opinion with regard to the record of the Indonesian authorities in East Timor and the grave concern that exists about the export of arms to Indonesia for use by the national army in East Timor.
The European Parliament adopted a Resolution on 21 September 1995, calling on the international community and in particular member states to call an immediate halt to arms sales and any kind of military assistance to Indonesia. The international inter-parliamentary conference on East Timor, which took place in Lisbon at the beginning of June, urged the UN and all Governments and Parliaments of countries which have been selling arms to Indonesia to take measures aimed at enforcing an arms embargo.
The Portuguese Foreign Minister, Mr. Durao Barroso, and I have vigorously opposed the supply of arms to Indonesia. Mr. Barroso, in his opening address to the Lisbon interparliamentary conference, said it was immoral to supply military equipment to Indonesia because it is the Indonesian military which has benefited from the occupation and exploitation of East Timor.
I fully endorse his comments and have made clear the view of the Irish Government that it is necessary for countries supplying arms to Indonesia for use in East Timor to reconsider that policy. In this context, Ireland is continuing to promote increased transparency and restraint in arms exports within the framework of the European Union's CFSP, the OSCE and the UN.
