§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from(a) the Indonesian Government and (b) representatives of the Christian community in Indonesia concerning the conflict in the Molluccan islands; and what response he has given. [133147]
§ Mr. BattleThe information is as follows:
- (a) I discussed the situation in Maluku with the Indonesian Ambassador on 3 July. The Indonesian Foreign Minister also briefed our Ambassador in Jakarta on developments on 10 July. The Head of the Diplomatic Service and our Ambassador in Jakarta have also discussed very recently the situation with President Wahid.
- (b) A delegation of Christian clergy from Maluku called on officials of the South East Asia Department on 18 July. They gave a first hand account of the situation there.
We continue to keep up diplomatic pressure on the Indonesian Government to take effective action against extremists in Maluku and to guarantee safe access for humanitarian agencies.