§ Mr. McGradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the level of violence in Indonesia; and if he will make a statement. [131191]
§ Mr. BattleWe receive regular reports on Indonesia from our Embassy, NGOs and others. We are particularly concerned by the sharp escalation of violence in Maluku, and the extensive loss of life and serious injury. I discussed this with the Indonesian Ambassador on 3 July and the Head of the Diplomatic Service raised our concerns directly with President Wahid on 4 July. There is an urgent need to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis. We are working closely with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to establish mechanisms for managing the international humanitarian response. The UNDP has recently despatched three teams to Maluku to assess current needs.