WRITTEN QUESTION E-2545/01 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. Threat to Christian Community in Indonesia.
Date: 2001-09-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, Indonesia, Moluccas, fact-finding mission, human rights, religious discrimination

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/155

In this context, it is noted that in addition to two Directors General and four Deputy Directors General,
two Heads of Services at A2 level are currently Italian nationals. Furthermore, the Commission has recently
nominated an Italian national as Deputy Director General (who has not yet taken up the new function, this
date is to be fixed).

(2002/C 93 E/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2545/01

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 September 2001)

Subject: Threat to Christian Community in Indonesia

Is the Commission aware of the plight of 28 000 internally displaced Christians in the town of Tentena in
the Moluccas?

Will the EU bring pressure to bear on the Indonesian Government to use its forces to prevent violence
against these people by Muslim Jihad fighters?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2001)

The Commission assures the Honourable Member that it remains very concerned about the continuing
human rights problems in the Moluccas, and indeed elsewhere in Indonesia, and is monitoring the
situation in the archipelago closely and raising the problem actively within the framework of its relations
with Indonesia. The Commission continues to encourage the Indonesian authorities to bring to justice
those individuals responsible for these abuses. There is an important role for quiet diplomacy in this
context 5 including demarches at the highest level (1). It is encouraging that one of the first actions of
Mrs Megawati Sukarnoputri, the new President of Indonesia, has been to acknowledge and apologise for
the past human rights abuses by the Indonesian authorities.

Like the majority of the international community, the Commission considers that the conflict in the
Moluccas is primarily an internal matter for Indonesia, and that it should be addressed first and foremost
by the Indonesian government, and by civil society organisations, the religious communities and other
institutions. A number of religious leaders have begun a process of social reconciliation.

The Commission continues to follow this question as closely as possible. While it has not been asked by
the Indonesian government to provide an investigative team to report on the causes of the conflict, still the
Commission has participated in two fact-finding missions (in late 2000 and early 2001) to the area. The
population of the Moluccas is suffering very heavily from the present situation. While it is very difficult to
assess the exact extent of violence in the Moluccas, as any verification of sources, however credible, is
difficult, it is, unfortunately safe to assume that the losses of life, injuries and displacements are very grave.
Since March 1999 €4 600 000 has been spent in the Moluccas to alleviate the effects of these events (2).

(1) The Union has taken the opportunity of its political dialogue with Indonesia to voice its concerns, and has
encouraged the Indonesian authorities to continue their efforts to restore security, prevent further violence and find
solutions to regional disputes through dialogue rather than by force. Indonesia has been encouraged to do so by the
Union Presidency statements of 28 November 2000 and 8 March 2001, reinforced by the formal Conclusions of
the full General Affairs Council of 14/15 May 2001.
From the outset of the conflict, only humanitarian assistance has been permitted from outside Indonesia. Since
1999, the European Community’s Humanitarian Office (ECHO) has intervened in the Moluccas, in so far as the
precarious security situation has permitted, to ease the humanitarian tragedy. Assistance has been provided through
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to the victims of the conflict,
including internally displaced persons.
Between March 1999 and July 2001 €4 600 000 has been spent on these actions.

(2)