§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning the numbers of East Timorese(a) killed, (b) tortured, (c) missing feared killed or imprisoned and (d) arrested by the Indonesian security forces, since the occupation.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAccurate figures are very difficult to obtain. We believe a figure of 100,000 killed or died of starvation is credible. We have no credible figures of the number tortured, missing or arrested.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government have taken following the Santa Cruz massacre in East Timor; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe have made representations to the Indonesians on several occasions here in London and in Jakarta. Our position has also been clearly set out in EC and Council of Europe declarations and in the EC presidency statement to the third committee of the UN General Assembly.
We are also in close touch with our partners with the aim of supporting the efforts of the UN Secretary-General in this area.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Parliamentary Human Rights Group concerning the Santa Cruz massacre in East Timor.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe have received the report of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group on the recent shooting incident in East Timor. Members of the group have also raised with us their concern about the events in Dili.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the reasons for the United Kingdom's abstention on United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning the invasion of East Timor since 1975.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe United Kingdom, along with most other European Community partners, abstained on all resolutions passed in debate in the United Nations General Assembly between 1976 and 1982. We took the view that by so doing, in the company of other countries, we could help the process of reconciliation and the search for a diplomatic solution between Indonesia and Portugal. We continue to hold this view.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his(a) Portuguese and (b) Dutch counterparts concerning East Timor.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydMy right hon. Friend has held several discussions with his EC counterparts on East Timor, before and after the events in Dili in November.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Department has taken regarding those East Timorese missing after the Santa Cruz massacre.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe Indonesians are well aware of our concerns about those reported missing after shootings. We look to the Indonesian Government to investigate the fate of the missing fully and promptly, as they have promised to do. A further commission has been set up partly for this purpose.