Vol. 447 No. 1
88 Miss Flaherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the continuous massacre of children in Rwanda; and the efforts, if any, that are being made to bring an end to these and other human rights abuses. [3186/94]
The Government is appalled at the genocide and mass murder which have taken place in Rwanda and we are particularly horrified by the numerous atrocities which have been committed against children. Ireland has been active at both UN and EU level in pressing for the early establishment of an international tribunal to bring the perpetrators of this terrible violence to justice and to end the cycle of killing with impunity in Rwanda. Against this background, I welcome the decision last week by the UN Security Council to establish an international tribunal for the prosecution both of persons responsible for genocide and other violations of international humanitarian law in Rwanda and of Rwandan citizens responsible for such violations in neighbouring states, over the period 1 January to 31 December 1994.
In addition to the establishment of an international tribunal, there is, as I indicated to the House on 18 October, an obvious need to monitor the human rights situation in Rwanda and to prevent further human rights violations from occurring. On that occasion, I expressed concern that no more than 30 of the 147 human rights monitors recommended by the UN Commission for Human Rights had been put in place. I am pleased to be able to report that the European Commission, with Ireland's support, is currently engaged in organising a contingent of EU human rights monitors within the framework of the overall UNCHR operation and that we intend to contribute to this contingent.
There is also a need to address the security situation in the refugee camps and in particular to deal with the violence and intimidation in these camps. The remit of the International Tribunal for Rwanda extends to acts of violence already committed in the refugee camps but in addition, there is clearly a need for urgent action to prevent further outbreaks of violence. The UN Secretary-General is currently considering the options in this regard and we are following developments closely.
I can assure the Deputy that the Government will continue to press for early progress in addressing the human rights situation in Rwanda, with a view both to bringing to justice the perpetrators of violence and to preventing further violence.
