§ 14. Ms Helen Southworth (Warrington, South)If he will make a statement on his Department's support for the international criminal tribunals in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. [61393]
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Tony Lloyd)We strongly support the work of both tribunals and have given substantial assistance to both of them, in addition to our mandatory contributions.
§ Ms SouthworthWhat steps will the Government will take to ensure that President Milosevic complies with the UN resolutions and provides support for the Yugoslav tribunal's investigations into alleged crimes? Will my hon. Friend undertake that the British Government will consistently take a lead in making it clear to those who commit crimes against humanity—such as torture, murder and the taking of hostages—that they will find no hiding place anywhere in the civilised world?
§ Mr. LloydWe deplore the fact that President Milosevic has so far refused to co-operate with the international criminal tribunal on Yugoslavia, particularly with respect to Prosecutor Judge Arbour's desire to investigate recent events in Kosovo. There is no doubt that, under Security Council resolutions, he is as much liable to co-operate with the tribunal as he is to play a constructive role in, for example, political dialogue with the Kosovo Albanians or in humanitarian relief. That is not negotiable. The international community will continue to insist that the tribunal's work should not be interrupted by Milosevic or by any of those acting in his name.
On the more general issue, the clearest signal that we can give of the need for international justice in the modern world is the fact that yesterday the permanent representative of the United Kingdom at the United Nations signed the international criminal court's treaty, which means that Britain has committed itself to the long process of ratification of the treaty and to it becoming an effective instrument against the Milosevics, Pol Pots and Saddam Husseins of the future.
§ Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold)Does the Minister think that, if crimes against humanity are to be dealt with, an international criminal tribunal is the way forward, whether for Yugoslavia or Rwanda? Would that not also be the correct way to view crimes against humanity in Chile? Should not the former President Pinochet be allowed to return to Chile so that the Chilean authorities can prosecute him, if that is their wish? Should there not be a properly constituted international court if such crimes are to be dealt with?
§ Mr. LloydI shall pass over the inconsistency in the hon. Gentleman's comments. Of course we support the internationalisation of the process. That is why, as I told the House, Britain signed the documents relating to the international criminal court yesterday in New York. That is an important step forward in the internationalisation of justice and a strong signal to the Pinochets of the future that their actions will not be tolerated anywhere on this planet. However, the hon. Gentleman knows as well as I do that, at present, responsibility for Mr. Pinochet lies with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, who will make his views known in the fulness of time.