Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 April 2005
70 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions to which he was party at international or European level regarding the ongoing persecution and murder of the indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, including the Kankuamo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13590/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have not been directly involved in such discussions. However, the Government is aware of the human rights abuses suffered by the indigenous communities in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia. While we do not maintain a resident embassy in Colombia, the embassies of our EU partners in Bogota co-operate closely with the local offices of the UN system in monitoring the situation of these communities and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the government of Colombia. In August 2004, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights strongly condemned the killing of a leader of the Kankuamo, Freddy Arias.
Representatives of the Kankuamo indigenous group, who are one of the indigenous groups residing in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, met with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin on 20 April 2005. They spoke about the human rights violations committed against members of their community during the course of the current conflict in Colombia. They have brought this situation to the attention of the government of Colombia, the Organization of American States and the United Nations.
The Kankuamo representatives also pointed out that the government of Colombia is currently developing a number of large scale projects in the area where the Kankuamo live, such as dams and a large tourist infrastructure project. They stated that these projects are also leading to displacement of Kankuamo people without the Columbian Government engaging in prior consultation or negotiation with them. The Kankuamo representatives urged Ireland and the EU to consider the effects on indigenous people if the question of financial assistance to such projects is raised and to press for consultations between the government and the Kankuamo people.
At the 61st session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which concluded last week in Geneva, Ireland supported two resolutions on human rights and indigenous issues. Ireland also worked actively for the inclusion of strong language on the situation of indigenous groups in Colombia in the chair's statement on the situation of human rights in Colombia adopted by the commission. The final statement deplored the continuing violence against indigenous groups and violations of their economic, social and cultural rights.
Furthermore, the statement encouraged the Colombian Government to take special and urgent measures to avoid the forced displacement of indigenous communities. It also appealed to the illegal armed groups to respect the identity and integrity of the indigenous communities. This appeal is particularly relevant to the situation of the Kankuamo, as in recent months they appear to have suffered particularly at the hands of the right wing paramilitary group AUC which purports to be committed to peace negotiations with the government of Colombia.
71 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the violent attacks made by Turkish riot police on a number of Turkish women and their supporters gathered to mark International Women’s Day on 6 March 2005; if he has made any representations to the Turkish authorities on this matter; his views on whether such treatment of its citizens is appropriate for a country seeking membership of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13555/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraI strongly condemn the level of force used by Turkish police against women and young people demonstrating in Istanbul on 6 March to mark International Women's Day. The violence used by the police was unacceptable and it was immediately condemned by the European Union.
At the EU-Turkey Troika ministerial meeting which was held in Ankara the following day, Foreign Minister Asselborn of Luxembourg, representing the EU Presidency, raised the matter directly with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. He asked that the Turkish authorities carry out an investigation into the handling of the policing of the demonstration to ensure that there is no recurrence of this type of police behaviour. The matter was also raised by the EU this week at a meeting of the EC-Turkey Association Council in Luxembourg on 26 April. I welcome the commitment of the Turkish Government to the completion of an inquiry into the events in Istanbul and I understand that a number of police officers have been suspended pending the outcome.
Turkey has made progress in legislating for human rights reforms in recent years, including legislation to protect women's rights, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. The December 2004 European Council decided that Turkey sufficiently fulfilled the Copenhagen political criteria to enable the opening of accession negotiations on 3 October 2005. The pace of these negotiations will depend in large part on progress in the implementation of Turkey's wide ranging reform programme.
In all contacts with the Turkish Government, Ireland and our partners in the EU will continue to emphasise the importance of active implementation of the reforms which have been legislated for. The EU will continue to highlight the need for further work in a number of areas, including women's rights, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion.
72 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the representations made by him to the Spanish Government over the continued banning of democratic Basque political parties, including Batasuna and Aurkera Gustiak, intended to prevent them from contesting the recent regional elections in the Basque country. [13627/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have made no representations to the Spanish Government on this matter. EU member states unanimously decided on 5 June 2003 to include Batasuna, and its aliases Herri Batasuna andEuskal Herritarrok, on the EU list of terrorist organisations. In taking this decision, the Council was satisfied that Batasuna was a terrorist organisation and that it was an alias of ETA, which itself has been on the EU list of designated terrorist organisations since 27 December 2001. As I understand it, ETA remains engaged in a campaign of violence and neither ETA nor Batasuna has committed itself to peaceful and democratic means of pursuing its objectives.
The list of designated terrorist organisations is reviewed by member states regularly to ensure that the grounds for an organisation's inclusion remain valid. I can assure the Deputy that the relevant bodies within the Council have considered the status of Batasuna carefully, taking into account all available information, and are satisfied that there is a sufficient basis to conclude that the organisation meets the criteria for designation.
Before its designation by the EU, Batasuna was proscribed in Spain following a vote of the Spanish Parliament on 26 August 2002 and a decision of the Spanish Supreme Court on 17 March 2003. As a proscribed organisation, it was not permitted to participate in the regional elections which were held in the Basque country on 17 April 2005.
The Spanish courts also banned Eukera Guztiak from participating in the elections on grounds of clear connections with Batasuna. However, a newly formed party, EHAK, which was endorsed by Batasuna, was permitted to campaign and won nine seats in the regional parliament.
