Dick Spring
Ceist:4 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the outcome of the recent Troika mission to East Timor. [16668/98]
Written Answers. - Troika Mission to East Timor.
The Troika of EU Heads of Mission from Jakarta visited East Timor from 27 to 30 June. The purpose of the visit was to demonstrate the EUs continuing concern about the situation in East Timor, to improve the EUs understanding of the issue and to support the efforts being made under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to promote an agreed settlement which will be acceptable to all sides.
A full account of the visit has not yet been received from the EU Presidency but it is our understanding that much of value was achieved during the visit and that several important contacts were established which will be helpful in the search for a negotiated settlement of this long-standing problem.
It was with great dismay, however, that I learnt of the incident which occurred when the Troika of Ambassadors was visiting the Bishop of Baucau, Monsignor Nascimento. It appears that the Indonesian security forces shot dead one demonstrator and wounded several others in the course of disturbances outside Bishop Nascimentos residence while the meeting was taking place inside. There have also been distressing reports of at least one death in Dili during clashes on 27 June between pro-independence and pro-Indonesian demonstrators.
The Government very much regrets these tragic deaths in East Timor over the last week and urges that the utmost restraint be exercised in order to avoid further bloodshed. The EU has asked the authorities to carry out a full investigation into the shooting in Baucau to make sure that those responsible are made accountable. The close involvement of Bishop Nascimento in the investigation has also been requested.
These deaths highlight in a tragic way the underlying problem — namely the repression exercised by the Indonesian security forces and the tension to which this has given rise. They reinforce the importance of resolving the issue in a peaceful manner at the earliest opportunity.
I wish to stress once again the Government's commitment — and that of our EU partners — to achieving a peaceful negotiated settlement of the East Timor problem which will be internationally acceptable and which will fully respect the interests and legitimate aspirations of the Timorese people.