Serbia: International Sanctions (Hansard, 30 June 1993)

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)
My Lords, sanctions are having a dramatic effect on the Serbian economy. At the Copenhagen European Council, European Community leaders reaffirmed the importance of sanctions as one means of pressure on Serbia, and their determination to ensure rigorous enforcement of the various UN Security Council resolutions.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for her reply. In view of today's report of a fierce offensive by the Bosnian Serbs, what 806 pressure is being brought to bear internationally upon the regime in Belgrade to stop them providing assistance?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, it has already received a good deal of pressure from the whole community not to supply arms to the Bosnian Serbs. One of the major problems is that already there are vast quantities of arms in the hands of the Bosnian Serbs within the Bosnian border.
There is also no doubt in my mind that further supplies are getting over the border from those who do not adhere to any instruction which might be given from Belgrade. But we shall continue, with the noble Lord, Lord Owen, to do our best to stop that and to get the warfare stopped altogether.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the whole status of the United Nations is crumbling? People look at what is happening in Bosnia, with hundreds of people being slaughtered and thousands being made homeless—world opinion is aghast—and they feel that nothing practical is being done about it and that there is nothing like the immediate action which was taken as regards Kuwait. Is it possible for our Government to raise the matter with the United Nations and if the only answer is world force, then so be it?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, I have to say to the noble Lord, Lord Molloy, that the UN is not crumbling. It has worked better over recent years than ever before. We may not like all that comes up in the UN but the nations are working better together than ever before. When the noble Lord says that nothing practical is being done, he should tell that to my 115 staff working in Bosnia to get help through, and to the 2,500 British troops working alongside the Spanish, Belgian and French. He should also realise that we do not stop, either in the UN or among our partners, trying to find a resolution to this terrible problem.

§ Baroness Williams of Crosby
My Lords, in view of the recent decision by the United Nations Security Council not to allow arms to be sent to the Bosnian Moslem Government—a view which many of us share —will the Minister agree that it becomes all the more important to show that we are not in any way biased against one particular community?
In the light of that fact and the reports that there are still a great many weapons crossing the Drina River even now, will the noble Baroness tell us what steps may be taken to stop that source of supply to the Bosnian Serb army?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, I am grateful for that question. It enables me to inform the noble Baroness that we have increased our contribution in terms of the number of customs officers working on sanctions assistance missions to 15. Others are doing likewise. We are doing all we can and the United Kingdom has played a leading role in the efforts to tighten the enforcement of the passage of banned goods into Bosnia.
807 Another point that we must realise is that, even with the provision of equipment which we have given to Serbia's neighbours to try to help them, and even with the enhanced communications networks that we have provided, there is no way that we or any of our partners in the UN who are trying to stop this terrible slaughter will succeed in preventing it until the people themselves decide to stop the slaughter. However, we shall go on trying.

§ Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone
My Lords, on another aspect of the matter, would it not be well to carry in our minds the suggestion that the Germans and the Japanese might alter their constitutions to provide military help in these cases?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, my noble and learned friend is right. I believe that this is under active consideration in both countries. However, when and how they decide to do so must be a matter for them. What they could help with—and in some ways I believe they have already done so—is the provision of equipment, which does not involve men of their armed forces.

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, as the Minister claimed that the enforcement of sanctions continues, could she give the House some indication of precisely how many UN monitors are being employed in the work? Could she also give an indication of the quantity of goods actually seized in the pursuit of the enforcement of sanctions against Serbia?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, I am sorry that at this moment I cannot, from the Dispatch Box, give the noble Baroness the exact figures and I do not wish to inform her incorrectly. I shall write to her and put the letter in the Library. Our 15 officers are accompanied by similar numbers from other countries and the whole effort has greatly increased over the past two months. That I know to be a fact, but I shall write to the noble Baroness with the details.

§ The Earl of Lauderdale
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that one of the difficulties with which we are faced is that throughout Bosnia—whether in the Serb, Croatian or Moslem areas—both military and civil authority is crumbling and fragmenting? We face a situation with warlords all over the place, even spreading into Serbia itself.

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, my noble friend is right, authority is crumbling. There is also a rejection of instructions given by the headquarters. Over recent days we have watched, noting the situation in Sarajevo, where although it is vital to maintain the political process, there has obviously been a breakdown in the authority and cohesion of the Bosnians.
While authority may be breaking down, other people are still trying with great difficulty to work for peace in many of the areas and we should do our best to help them. That is why we go on, as we have done, saving hundreds of thousands of lives by our actions.

§ The Earl of Lauderdale
My Lords. is my noble friend aware that Milosevic is now presenting himself as a man of peace? There is no end to the lying that goes on.

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, he may now present himself as a man of peace, but I think that in all our memories that was not so a few weeks ago.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, can my noble friend confirm recent reports that despite the talks in Geneva and Sarajevo, Serb and Croat Bosnian forces are combining, if only temporarily, to attack Moslem held areas?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, I have heard similar reports to those of which my noble friend speaks, but we all know that sometimes the forces combine one week, only to fight one another by the end of the same week.