Vol. 535 No. 5
49 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he favours a United Nations review of the UN's involvement in the transfer of West Papua from Dutch control to Indonesian control, overseen by Secretary General Kofi Annan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12909/01]
I am very concerned at the reports of continuing tensions and violations of human rights in West Papua, or Irian Jaya as it has been known since 1973. Our concerns on the current situation are shared fully by our EU partners.
The territory became the 26th province of Indonesia in 1969 after a consultative process known as the "Act of Free Choice", which was sponsored by the United Nations and which fol lowed the earlier transfer, in 1962, of administrative authority from the Netherlands to Indonesia. The United Nations General Assembly, in 1969, accepted the Secretary General's report on the fulfilment of his mandate, although it is clear there was some disquiet at that time about the circumstances in which the Act of Free Choice was carried out.
Since 1969, the indigenous population, who are of the same ethnic origin as those in the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, have suffered the twin effects of economic exploitation and Indonesia's transmigration programme. The Government-sponsored programme for migrants from Java and Sulawesi – comprising more than 10,000 families every year – could result in the indigenous West Papuan population being reduced to a minority. The widespread appropriation of land for new settlements, forestry concessions, mining projects and farming has led to numerous large scale conflicts between the Indonesian military and the dispossessed tribes people.
As regards the suggestion that the United Nations should now review its own role in the decolonisation process, such a review of decisions by the United Nations would not only be unprecedented but would also have wide-ranging implications, including for other areas of UN activity. However, even if the grounds for such a review were to be satisfactorily established I do not see any prospect of a mandate for it being agreed by the broad UN membership.
The approach supported by the Government, as well as by the EU, is to promote greater decentralisation and autonomy based on dialogue and negotiations between local authorities and the authorities in Jakarta. However, if this approach is to be successful it will need goodwill and a constructive attitude on both sides.
On the one hand, it requires that the Indonesian authorities exercise full and proper control over the security forces to ensure that human rights violations of which they are accused are investigated and the perpetrators prosecuted, and, above all, that such abuses be brought to an end. It also requires that the Indonesian authorities seriously engage with representatives of the local population and not place unnecessary and wilful impediments in their way.
Additional InformationOn the other hand, it requires that the local population build up their capacity to enter into this process in a meaningful and, I hope, agreed way. In this context, I have invited a human rights representative for Irian Jaya to provide us with suggestions about how we could be of assistance in providing training. However, I am concerned at reports of divisions in the local population involving elements ready to use violence to prevent dialogue taking place.
The situation in Irian Jaya must also be viewed against the background of the current serious pol itical and economic problems throughout Indonesia. I am not confident the authorities in Jakarta will either be able or willing to take the decisions necessary for decentralisation and increased regional autonomy. Together with our EU partners, we are following these developments very closely and with great concern.
Has the Government made any representation about those to whom reference was made at the Committee on Foreign Affairs and who are being held in prison in Jakarta? What results have there been following the Government's inquiries, if any were made?
In her reply, the Minister referred to the famous 1962 "Act of Free Choice" whereby 1,025 hand-picked Indonesian delegates voted on the future of West Irian. Would the Minister agree that the consultation was absolutely rigged?
The Minister said such a review of decisions by the United Nations would be unprecedented, unusual and have many implications but, nevertheless, is it not necessary? If the UN Secretary General's representative, Mr. Fernando Orti-Sans, participated in justifying what was effectively a totally rigged consultation with the people of West Irian, does it not behove the Secretary General's office to examine this issue and bring some semblance of justice to the people of West Irian? There are three questions.
I cannot properly say at this point that it was a rigged consultation process or election. That is for observers to say. The Minister, Deputy Cowen, has indicated that we are keeping this matter under close ongoing review and we expect that it will be considered at the General Affairs Council next week. The European Union has established a programme of political dialogue with Indonesia, the next session of which is expected to take place soon. We will make our concerns known bilaterally to the Indonesian authorities at every appropriate opportunity, including when the Minister, Deputy Cowen, meets the Indonesian Foreign Minister at the forthcoming ASEAN meeting.
Human rights violations are certainly going on. I had an opportunity to meet the human rights representative for the area and we have asked him to provide us with suggestions as to how we can be of further assistance in providing training in human rights and capacity building to the indigenous population.
I tabled three questions to which I did not get a reply. For example, I asked about the people in jail in Jakarta. The Dutch Government, on 10 December 1999, decided to conduct a review of the issues I put to the Minister of State. Can I take it the Irish Government will consult the Dutch Government about a joint initiative in reviewing its position on what is something the Minister of State cannot justify? Foreign Affairs Question Time is becoming like a prayer session. Answers are not provided to any questions.
It is a joke.
(Dublin West): Does the Minister of State agree the activities of the Indonesian regime in West Papua are utterly imperialist in terms of the exploitation of natural resources and the oppression of the indigenous peoples?
It is absolutely outrageous.
(Dublin West): Will the Minister of State call for self-determination for the people of West Papua, an end to oppression and the release of political prisoners?
The position in this region must be viewed against the background of the current serious political and economic problems throughout Indonesia. I am not confident that the authorities in Jakarta are able or willing to take the necessary decisions on decentralisation and increased regional autonomy. I hope Deputies will indulge me as the Minister has been dealing with this matter directly and I can go only on the basis of what is in the brief.
We appreciate that but the Minister has not done much.
It is a slim brief.
That is an issue for the Minister to address. I have put on record what is in the brief. I do not have information on political prisoners but I can get back to the Deputy in separate correspondence.
