§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the outcome of his discussion with the Indonesian Government on issues of the human rights in(a) East Timor and (b) Indonesia. [72232]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 22 February 1999]: During my visits to Jakarta last year I stressed our commitment to the process of political reform and support for the changes that have taken place in Indonesia since 263W May 1998. There have also been other positive developments (progress in the negotiations over East Timor, political prisoner releases, trade union reform and greater freedom of expression), but we remain concerned about the overall human rights situation in Indonesia and East Timor. Last October we arranged a Human Rights Workshop in Jakarta, whose participants included Indonesian Ministers, members of the armed forces, NGOs, academics and human rights activists. We continue to work for practical progress. We are looking at ways in which we can further assist democratic change in Indonesia.