§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the situation in the Moluccas; [10684]
(2) if he will take steps to clarify the approach of the United Nations towards the Moluccas. [10685]
§ Mr. BradshawThere have been some optimistic signs in Maluku in recent months. However, we continue to monitor events in the province closely. The United Nations has made several assessment visits to Maluku since 1999. It has found concrete evidence of only a small number of conversions, including the most highly reported case in Kasiui and Tior. Many of the Christians evacuated from the province in January are now reported to be voluntarily returning to their homes. Also, many 437W Muslims and Christians who fled their villages to escape the violence are returning and Muslim leaders in some villages have asked for help in encouraging Christians to return.
The Department for International Development (DFID) has pledged more than £4 million to help establish the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Conflict Prevention and Recovery Unit in Jakarta. The unit will build capacity in conflict reduction and recovery in the provinces torn apart by ethnic conflict, particularly in north Maluku. These new initiatives will complement DFID-supported humanitarian relief programmes by addressing the causes underlying conflict—abuse of power, alienation and loss of access to and control of resources essential for every day life. We will continue to work with the Indonesian authorities and UNDP to promote a reconciliation, begin wider reconstruction work and to offer practical assistance where appropriate.
The UK's message to the Indonesian Government has been consistently clear: a long-term solution to regional conflicts can be achieved only through political negotiation and consultation with the people. I raised these issues with Hamzah Haz, the Indonesian Vice President when we met in Jakarta on 27 August.