§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with(a) the Indonesian Government and (b) the UN regarding the return of East Timorese people held in camps in West Timor. [95241]
§ Mr. BattleWe are deeply anxious at the plight of the many thousands of East Timorese refugees in West Timor and elsewhere in Indonesia. Those wishing to return should be free to do so at the earliest opportunity. We have made it clear to the Indonesian Government that we 915W expect them to ensure the safety and security of the refugees. I raised this with former President Habibie on 8 September. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this with the then Indonesian Foreign Minister Alatas in New York on 22 September. And my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister wrote to the then President Habibie to reinforce our concerns. We welcome the news that several hundred returnees per day are being repatriated from West to East Timor by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). But there is an urgency to get the refugees moving in much larger numbers. To this end, we are providing financial support and working closely with UNHCR who have established an office in West Timor. We continue to assist the United Nations with this urgent task.
§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in East Timor. [95432]
§ Mr. BattleWe welcomed Indonesia's decision on 20 October to reverse its claim on East Timor and look forward to welcoming East Timor as the newest member of the community of democratic nations. In the meantime we remain deeply anxious at the plight of the many thousands of East Timorese refugees in West Timor and elsewhere in Indonesia. We have made it clear to the Indonesian Government that we expect them to ensure the safety and security of the refugees. I raised this with the then President Habibie on 8 September. Over 18,000 East Timorese have so far been repatriated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but there is an urgency to get the refugees moving in much larger numbers. To this end, we are providing financial support and working closely with UNHCR who have established an office in West Timor. We have also fully supported international efforts to ensure that those guilty of human rights abuses in East Timor are brought to justice. We co-sponsored the resolution adopted on 27 September at the Special Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights which called for an International Commission of Enquiry to be set up. The Commission is to provide the UN with its conclusions by 31 December.