HL Deb 01 March 1990 vol 516 c960WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What information they have received about the execution of four persons, who had been in detention for over 24 years in Jakarta on February 17th; whether they have noted the proposal of the Dutch Minister for Development Aid, who is also chairman of the Inter-Government Group on Indonesia, that Holland should reduce her bilateral aid by 27 million guilders in the year to June 1991 to mark Holland's concern at this violiation of human rights; and what steps they will take, with the Twelve, to bring home to Indonesia the unacceptability of imposing the death sentence 20 years after it was passed, on individuals who had already served a life sentence.

Lord Brabazon of Tara

The Indonesian Army confirm that four persons were executed on 16th February (Suryanto, Surono, Soleiman and Rohayan). There are unconfirmed reports of two others. On 21st February, the Twelve expressed their regret in the Presidency address to the UN Commission on Human Rights that these executions were carried out so long after conviction. We understand that negotiations on bilateral aid are to continue during the Dutch Minister's visit to Indonesia in April.