§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what communications he has had with the Indonesian authorities concerning the situation of Christians in the Moluccas; [158484]
(2) what representations he has received concerning the situation of Christians in the Moluccas; [158483]
(3) what measures he has taken to end violence in the Moluccas. [158485]
§ Mr. BattleWe have been and continue to be very concerned about events in Indonesia, and especially in Maluku. The second anniversary on 19 January of the outbreak of intercommunal unrest was marked by renewed violence in Ambon: at least 14 people died in clashes between Muslims and the security forces. This illustrated the fragility of the situation in Ambon at a time126W when there had been some recent improvements; the Muslim and Christian holidays in December passed without serious incident.
Both the Secretary of State for International Development and I visited Indonesia in October 2000 and discussed the situation in Maluku with President Wahid and senior Ministers. We urged tolerance and restraint and made clear to them the Indonesian Government's responsibility to maintain law and order and take immediate steps to bring the perpetrators of the violence to justice. I also discussed events with Alwi Shihab, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, in the margins of the EU-ASEAN meeting in Vientiane on 12 December. I further discussed the situation in Indonesia with the Indonesian Ambassador in London on 4 April.
Our Ambassador to Indonesia has visited the Moluccas twice this year. The visits provided an opportunity to assess the situation at first hand. Together with other international partners, we are working with the Indonesian authorities and UNDP to promote reconciliation and begin wider reconstruction work.
We welcome the commitment of the Indonesian Government to resolve the country's regional conflicts through dialogue and reconciliation. The challenge for Indonesia is to build on the foundations laid by the recent democratic process and to deliver human rights that benefit everybody. We will play a full part in helping towards that goal.