Pádraic McCormack
Ceist:46 Mr. McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the action, if any, he proposes to take at UN level regarding human rights violations in East Timor. [1392/94]
Written Answers. - East Timor Human Rights Violations.
Charles Flanagan
Ceist:47 Mr. Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will put pressure on Indonesia, both unilaterally and through the EU, to enable Amnesty International to visit and report on East Timor. [1397/94]
Michael Lowry
Ceist:63 Mr. Lowry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the action, if any, he proposes to take at UN level regarding human rights violations in East Timor. [1394/94]
Michael Ring
Ceist:68 Mr. Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will put pressure both unilaterally and through the EU on Indonesia to enable Amnesty International to visit and report on East Timor. [1396/94]
Paul Bradford
Ceist:69 Mr. Bradford asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the action, if any, he proposes to take at UN level regarding human rights violations in East Timor. [1395/94]
Seán Barrett
Ceist:100 Mr. Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the action, if any, he proposes to take at UN level regarding human rights violations in East Timor. [1393/94]
Nora Owen
Ceist:125 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will put pressure on Indonesia both unilaterally and through the EU to enable Amnesty International to visit and report on East Timor. - [1480/94]
Nora Owen
Ceist:126 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the action, if any, he proposes to take at UN level regarding human rights violations in East Timor. [1481/94]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 46, 47, 63, 68, 69, 100, 125 and 126 together.
The concerns of the Government at the human rights situation in East Timor and at the actions of the Indonesian authorities there are well known and have been expressed in this House on many occasions in the recent past. Since I last spoke on the matter the Government has continued to take an active interest in the plight of the East Timorese people and has highlighted its concern at recent bilateral and international meetings:
—in my address to the United Nations General Assembly on 29 September I pointed to human rights abuses in East Timor as an issue requiring international action;
—at the recent Conference of European Union and ASEAN Ministers in Karlsruhe, Germany, Minister of State, Deputy Tom Kitt, raised the concerns of the Irish Government and people directly with the Indonesian Foreign Minister Mr. Ali Alatas;
—and during his visit to Australia last month the Taoiseach discussed the issue with Prime Minister Keating.
In addition, with Ireland's strong support, the issue of East Timor was covered in the memorandum submitted by the European Union to the United Nations for the 49th session of the General Assembly, and was raised by the German Presidency of the EU at the EU/ASEAN Conference in Karlsruhe.
The Government will continue to raise this issue at every appropriate opportunity. At the meeting of the Indonesian and Portuguese Foreign Ministers which took place in May of this year under the auspices of the UN Secretary General, it was agreed that access to East Timor for the United Nations and human rights organisations should be continued and expanded.
I strongly supported the statement issued by the EU in July, which reaffirmed once again the need for observance of human rights in East Timor and for free access to the territory for international organisations. Ireland will continue to press for full and free access to East Timor for human rights organisations, including Amnesty International.
I continue to support the dialogue between Portugal and Indonesia under the auspices of the United Nations as the best means of achieving respect for human rights and a lasting solution to the question of East Timor.