B4-1491, 1492, 1495, 1506, 1515 and 1536/95

Resolution on the situation in East Timor and the 20th anniversary of the Indonesian invasion

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in East Timor, in particular those of 21 November 1991 on the massacre in East Timor ((OJ C 326, 16.12.1991, p. 182.)) and 21 September 1995 on human rights violations in East Timor and Indonesia ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 9(b).)),

A. whereas 20 years have passed since the Indonesian army invaded East Timor on 7 December 1975, which led to the annexation of the territory in 1976,

B. whereas the people of East Timor have been resisting the occupation of their territory since that date,

C. whereas, to consolidate their hold on power, the Indonesian authorities have perpetrated nothing short of genocide, leading to the death of at least a third of the territory's population; whereas four years after the Santa Cruz massacre in Dili, a climate of arbitrary violence still reigns in East Timor,

D. having regard to Indonesia's refusal to comply with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, which still considers East Timor to be a non-autonomous territory under Portuguese administration and demands respect for human rights and self-determination for East Timor,

E. whereas, on the one hand, the Indonesian authorities are continuing to pursue a policy of colonisation from other Indonesian islands with the aim of breaking up the cultural fabric which unites the people of East Timor; whereas, on the other hand, young Timorese are fleeing the territory;

F. whereas hundreds of political prisoners are still being detained in East Timor and in Indonesia, most notably Xanana Gusmão, leader of the resistance to the occupying forces,

G. whereas negotiations between Portugal and Indonesia are taking place under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General; whereas Timorese of all shades of opinion are holding meetings,

H. whereas since 24 September 1995, 43 young East Timorese have sought political asylum at foreign embassies in Jakarta; whereas on 7 December 1995 the embassies of Russia and the Netherlands were peacefully occupied by 112 Timorese and Indonesians protesting against the occupation of East Timor,

I. deploring the violent pro-Indonesian counter-demonstrations which have been organized since then against the embassies of the Netherlands and Australia,

J. whereas José Ayala Lasso, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has just visited Indonesia and East Timor,

K. whereas, however, the Indonesian authorities are taking an obstructive attitude towards several journalists, distinguished independent personalities and other humanitarian organizations which wish to visit East Timor; whereas in particular the European Parliament is encountering difficulties in organizing its mission there,

L. whereas the EU Member States need to maintain an attitude of critical vigilance with the immediate aim of reducing human rights violations in East Timor, which are currently being brought to bear with particular force on the young,

1. Reaffirms its solidarity with the people of East Timor in their struggle for self-determination and renews its condemnation of the illegal occupation of East Timor and the repressive action of the Indonesian armed forces;

2. Roundly condemns the Indonesian military repression in East Timor, and in particular the arbitrary arrests allegedly undertaken in connection with 'police operations' but in fact constituting persecution, inspired by discrimination against the territory's native population and in particular against adherents of the Catholic faith, by means of forced Islamization;

3. Condemns the attempted colonization of East Timor by Indonesia, which is continuing to send thousands of families from various regions of Indonesia into the territory, with the goal of changing the make-up of the population and thus neutralizing the Timorese in their struggle for self-determination;

4. Calls for the release of all political prisoners, including Xanana Gusmão;

5. Believes that the negotiations between Indonesia and Portugal must continue under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General and that representatives of the East Timorese people should be involved; considers, however, that there must be no restrictions on the subjects of negotiation that would serve to exclude, for example, the political status of East Timor;

6. Calls again on the governments of the Member States to cease all military assistance and arms sales to Indonesia and renews its call for the European Union to suspend every form of economic cooperation with the Indonesian Government while the illegal occupation and the repression persist;

7. Reiterates the decision first set out in its aforementioned resolution of 21 November 1991 and restated on 21 September 1995, namely to send a delegation to East Timor to investigate the situation on the spot; urges the Jakarta Government to refrain from obstructing such a mission and instead to afford it freedom of movement;

8. Calls on the Commission to send a human rights monitoring unit to East Timor;

9. Supports the appeals by José Ayala Lasso for Indonesia to set up a new committee of inquiry to investigate the 1991 massacre in Dili and ratify various international texts relating to human rights;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments of the Member States, the Government of Indonesia, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.