European Parliament resolution on the situation in East Timor
Date: 1999-11-18
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU relations, East Timor, forced migration, human rights, humanitarian aid, multinational force, referendum, self-determination

7.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 189/231

Thursday 18 November 1999

3.
Calls on all governments to instruct the operators of all nuclear or other environment-sensitive plant
not able to verifiably demonstrate their complete Y2K compliance, that such plant must be at least tem-
porarily shut down at the Millennium, and that in any case stand-by electrical power should be available
for up to 60 days at all nuclear plant to operate cooling pumps and safety systems, and longer term back-
up must be provided for spent fuel cooling ponds; suggests that the Council and Commission press all
governments accordingly, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the NIS, and Turkey;

Reaffirms its abovementioned resolution of 25 February 1999, and notes that in the meantime two

4.
particular problems seem to persist:

/ the degree of progress in some Member States is not sufficient, which may lead to consequences in

view of existing cross-border global and sectoral levels of integration;

/ SMEs are more exposed to possible disruption than big international companies and a certain number
of them may be liable to suffer heavy financial consequences if they do not adjust in time, requiring
urgent action by the Commission and national and regional administrations;

Strongly recommends that the Helsinki European Council, to be held just a couple of weeks before
5.
the turn of the century, adopt appropriate measures, and make an awareness statement to European citi-
zens on the precise state of the problem and the potential risks;

Calls on the OECD Members urgently to provide specific resources to Central and Eastern European
6.
countries and the NIS for the purpose of financing alternatives to their nuclear power plants at the Millen-
nium and, in the medium term, to close down those nuclear power plants no longer fulfilling internation-
ally recognised safety standards and to fund alternative sources of energy;

7.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the UN Security
Council, the IAEA and the governments of the Member States, the applicant states and the member states
of the OECD.

7. East Timor

B5-0271, 0273, 0280, 0289, 0299 and 0307/1999

European Parliament resolution on the situation in East Timor

The European Parliament,

/ having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in East Timor,

/ having regard to UN Security Council resolution 1264/99,

/ having regard to the Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union of 21 September

1999,

/ recalling the Agreement between Indonesia and Portugal on the question of East Timor of 5 May
1999 and the Agreements between the United Nations and the Governments of Indonesia and Portu-
gal of the same date regarding the arrangements for consulting the population of East Timor through
a direct ballot, and the security arrangements agreed in connection therewith,

A. whereas the result of the referendum clearly expressed the wish of the Timorese people for indepen-

dence, with 78,5 % voting in favour,

B. whereas Unamet and the international observers, including the European Parliament and Council dele-

gations, recognized the legality and validity of the referendum,

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Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

7.7.2000

Thursday 18 November 1999

C. whereas after the referendum result was announced a campaign of terror and brutality was launched

by the Indonesian police and army, threatening the survival of an entire people,

D. whereas on 12 September 1999 Indonesia recognised the need for the presence of a peace-keeping

force in East Timor,

E. whereas deployment of the international force in East Timor began on 20 September 1999,

F. whereas this deployment demonstrates the will of the international community to halt the massacre of
the civilian population and to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the question of East Timor, based
on the right of its population to self-determination,

G. whereas the humanitarian situation remains very serious in both East and West Timor, and whereas
the UNHCR fears the situation will deteriorate further unless Indonesian officials step in to control
militia activity,

H. whereas according to UNHCR reports an estimated 250 000 refugees still remain in West Timor,

of whom at least 150 000 wish to return,

I. whereas a number of incidents have occurred, apparently aimed at disrupting the UNHCR’s repatria-

tion programme to East Timor,

J.

alarmed by reports that large numbers of refugees have been forcefully relocated to smaller islands,
away from the attention of international media and out of reach of humanitarian agencies,

K. whereas the approaching rainy season may not only make it difficult to preserve evidence of atrocities
but will also delay repatriation of refugees from West Timor and therefore lead to further humanitar-
ian disasters,

L.

expressing its concern at reports indicating that systematic, widespread and flagrant violations of inter-
national humanitarian law and human rights have been committed in East Timor, and stressing that
those committing such violations are, as individuals, personally responsible,

M. whereas once the transition to independence has been achieved, East Timor could become a signatory

to the Lomé Convention, being part of the Pacific group;

Recognises and supports the clear democratic will of the people of East Timor to become indepen-

1.
dent and create a new state;

2. Welcomes the deployment of the international peace force in East Timor;

Praises the contribution of those UN Member States, in particular Australia and ASEAN states, who

3.
have provided troops and material support for the international force;

Calls on the international force to continue to fulfil its mandate, to restore peace and security, facil-

4.
itate humanitarian assistance operations and protect and support Unamet in carrying out its tasks;

5.
Calls on the Indonesian government to cooperate fully with the international force as well as the
humanitarian agencies in fulfilling their respective mandates and to facilitate the rapid containment and
disarmament of any paramilitary elements operating on the border which are disrupting the repatriation
programme as well as humanitarian aid in the refugee camps;

6.
Condemns any forced relocation of refugees and calls on the Indonesian government to provide full
and unconditional access to the relief agencies, to ensure that the refugees’ own wishes are not undermined
by misleading propaganda, and to further assist the safe repatriation of those who wish to return;

7.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 189/233

Thursday 18 November 1999

7.
Fully supports UNHCR efforts to fulfil its programme of repatriating to East Timor those volunteer-
ing to go back and to do so before the approach of the rainy season, when access to the interior becomes
more difficult; calls on the Indonesian authorities to give their full support to all actions aimed at identify-
ing the location of the many refugees still missing;

8.
Utterly condemns the massacres and criminal acts committed against the people of East Timor,
insists that impunity for atrocities cannot be tolerated and urgently calls for a UN international commi-
ssion of inquiry to investigate responsibility for the massacres and all other violations of human rights and
humanitarian law and to set up, as soon as possible, an International Court to deal with the crimes com-
mitted in East Timor;

9.
Calls on the Council to consider providing technical support for the UN authorities in East Timor in
their efforts to preserve any evidence of atrocities committed under the former occupation of the country;

10. Welcomes the creation of the Untaet and calls upon the UN Mission to fulfil its mandate with all
due dispatch as regards the establishment and implementation of the administration of East Timor, and
requests that representatives of the people of East Timor be fully involved in this process, as an earnest of
total respect for their sovereignty;

Urges the Member States of the EU, the ACP-EU Council and the ACP countries to recognise the

11.
state of East Timor and establish diplomatic relations as soon as possible;

Calls on the EU Member States to offer support to those East Timorese refugees in the EU who

12.
volunteered to return to their country in order to help with reconstruction efforts;

13.
Calls on the EU to promote inter alia the reconstruction of civil society in east Timor and calls on
the governments of the Member States and the international community at large, as a matter of urgency,
to step up effective humanitarian aid to the people of East Timor and to provide East Timor with financial
and economic assistance as it rebuilds and prepares for independence;

14.
Calls on the EU to provide adequate budgetary resources for East Timor as a matter of urgency, and
reaffirms its decision to enter an item in the EU 2000 Budget covering aid for the reconstruction process,
economic activity and the constitution of the State of Timor Loro Sae, by creating a specific multiannual
budgetary heading;

Calls on the Commission to start preparations for the rapid accession of East Timor to the Lomé

15.
Convention;

Instructs its President to initiate the setting up of an EP delegation, in collaboration with the rele-
16.
vant EP committees and delegations, to visit the territory of East Timor to assess how the situation there is
developing;

17.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments of
the Member States, the UN Secretary-General, the government of Indonesia, ASEAN, the leader of the
Timorese National Council of Resistance movement, Xanana Gusmão, and the UNHCR.