Vol. 557 No. 2
128 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the request by the people of West Papua for a review of the UN actions in relation to the so-called Act of Free Choice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21445/02]
The Government remains concerned about the situation in West Papua and, in particular, the human rights situation. I am also very aware of the outstanding questions about the circumstances surrounding the 1969 Act of Free Choice in Irian Jaya. As I stated previously, Ireland was not a party to the 1969 Act and it is not within the Governments power to re-examine the outcome of the Act.
The question of a possible UN review of the issue would be a matter for the UN secretariat and for the UN Secretary General. Procedurally, re-opening the issue would require the support of UN member states, and our mission to the UN informs me that, at present, there appears to be no significant support for this. Furthermore, there is concern that such a review might prejudice ongoing efforts to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the Government authorities in Jakarta and would not contribute to the amelioration of the current situation of the West Papuan people. In this respect a primary concern of the Government are the reports of ongoing human rights abuses in Papua and, in particular, allegations of military and police involvement in such violations. The EU is developing a political dialogue with the Indonesian Government. This includes human rights as an important area for discussion. In this regard, a team of EU ambassadors visited Papua in March of this year and, while there, they met with leading human rights groups, representatives of the Catholic and Protestant churches, members of the Papua Presidium Council, tribal leaders, as well as Government representatives and military commanders. We very much hope that this dialogue will grow and develop.
Question No. 129 answered with Question No. 110.
