§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the United Kingdom's vote 242W has been exercised on each occasion that the issue of East Timor's right to national self-determination has come before the United Nations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LuardUnder United Kingdom chairmanship the Security Council on 22nd December 1975 approved a resolution upholding the right of the East Timorese to self-determination. We voted similarly on 22nd April 1976. We abstained in the General Assembly on 1st December 1976 and on 28th November 1977, because the resolutions were unconstructive.