EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/495

(2004/C 78 E/0516)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3227/03

by John Bowis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(31 October 2003)

Subject: Indonesia

Will the Commission press the Indonesian Government to ensure access to national and international observers to allow the UN Special Representative of Human Rights Defenders and the Special UN Rapporteur on Torture access to Aceh, to investigate the disappearance of Abdussalam Muhmad Deli, a volunteer of PB-HAM East Aceh (Pos Bantuan Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia, Human Rights and Legal Aid Post) who has been missing since Sunday 11 May 2003, and the killing of Raja Ismail, working in Aceh Tamiang district as a volunteer of PB-HAM East Aceh, and to protect the security of human rights defenders in Aceh and ensure that they can carry out their legitimate and important work free from fear of human rights violations?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(27 November 2003)

The situation in Aceh province is a matter of concern for the Union. In a recent statement, the Union and the Community as ‘Co-Chairs’ of the ‘Tokyo preparatory Conference on Peace and Reconstruction in Aceh’ have expressed their concern for the extension of the state of military emergency in the province, hoping that it will be ended as soon as possible.

The Union position is to encourage the Government during the state of military emergency to carry out its activities with the minimum possible impact on the well-being of the people of Aceh and in an approach that includes humanitarian aid, restoration of civil institutions and upholding the law.

The Commission also hopes that human suffering is minimized and that the transparency of the situation in Aceh is improved. In this regard, the Commission continues to call for access to Aceh by international agencies and relevant non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating for humanitarian purposes.

While the Community reiterates the commitment to the territorial integrity of Indonesia the Commission is also firmly convinced that the conflict in Aceh can only be ended with a political solution.

In the field, the Commission's Delegation in Jakarta is closely monitoring the evolution of the situation in the Aceh province, in co-ordination with the Member State missions in Indonesia, and despite the difficulties to obtain reliable and verifiable information. In this framework, the Commission has received from PB Ham Aceh Timur and from Kontras, information about the disappearance of Abdussalam Muhamad Deli and the killing of Raja Ismail, after his abduction in May 2003.

Unfortunately, a recently planned mission of political counsellors of several embassies to Aceh was postponed at the last moment by the Indonesian authorities.

The Commission expressed its concern both to the Indonesian Foreign Minister and to President Megawati Soekarnoputri on the occasion of recent meetings in Indonesia, insisting on the need to guarantee a proper humanitarian assistance to the civilian population affected by the conflict. The Commission considers the presence of human rights monitors equally important.

The Commission can assure the Honourable Member that it will continue following very closely the situation. It will keep insisting with the Indonesian authorities to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible and, meanwhile, to allow independent humanitarian aid to operate on the ground.