WRITTEN QUESTION E-1819/02 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Indonesia.
Date: 2002-06-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, Indonesia, Moluccas, Papua New Guinea, Sulawesi, autonomous movement, financial aid, human rights, humanitarian aid, public safety, religious conflict

C 192 E/22

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

14.8.2003

It confirms that it is aware of the case mentioned by the Honourable Member concerning the book of
Mr Asan on the ‘Pontus Culture’. According to the information available to the Commission, Mr Asan has
been prosecuted by an Istanbul State Security Court on charges of separatist propaganda. In light of the
Copenhagen political criteria and more specifically freedom of expression, this case is of serious concern.

Further details on the Commission’s assessment of freedom of expression in Turkey is given in the regular
reports on Turkey’s progress towards accession. The Commission has raised the exercise of freedom of
expression in Turkey on various occasions including the Community-Turkey Association Council and
Association Committee meetings and during high-level meetings including the visit of the Member of the
Commission in charge of Enlargement to Turkey on 14/15 February 2002.

(1) OJ C 52 E, 6.3.2003, p. 8.

(2003/C 192 E/021)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1819/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(27 June 2002)

Subject: Indonesia

Would the Commission outline what action the EU is taking to encourage the Indonesian authorities to
urgently:

1.

expel all Laskar Jihad (cid:1) and other non-local (cid:1) fighters from the Moluccas, Sulawesi and West Papua;

2.

3.

4.

ensure that Jafar Umar Thalib,
accused of committing, including the recent massacre at Soya, Ambon;

leader of the Laskar Jihad, is prosecuted for the crimes that he is

ensure that the Indonesian military and police act fairly and responsibly in their efforts to keep the
peace in the Moluccas, Sulawesi and West Papua;

ensure that the 3 000 Moluccan Christians on the Halmehera, Bacan, Buru and Seram islands who
have been forced to convert to Islam by Muslim militants are urgently evacuated to a place of safety.

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2002)

The Commission’s Delegation in Jakarta, together with the diplomatic missions of the Member States,
closely follows the security and related human rights developments throughout Indonesia and participates
in all Union démarches to draw attention to concerns regarding human rights issues in Indonesia. The
Commission shares the stated position of the Union, firmly supporting Indonesia’s territorial
integrity,
while encouraging the Government to make urgent efforts to address and resolve peacefully Indonesia’s
internal conflicts, whether separatist or sectarian in character. Like the majority of the international
community, the Commission considers that these internal conflicts are primarily the responsibility of
Indonesia, and should be addressed first and foremost by the Indonesian Government, and by civil society
organisations, the religious communities and other institutions in peaceful dialogue, within the rule of law,
and respecting human rights without favour to any particular group.

Ongoing violence in the Moluccas as well as in the provinces of Aceh, Sulawesi and Papua is a matter of
continuing concern. The investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators of human rights abuses in East
Timor, up to and including September 1999, is still unresolved, although the Indonesian authorities have
appointed in January 2002 an ad hoc Human Rights tribunal to investigate these abuses.

14.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 192 E/23

Following the Indonesian Parliament’s approval in November 2001 of regional autonomy laws for Aceh
and Irian Jaya (to be called thereafter ‘Papua’), and of decentralisation laws for all the other provinces, their
implementation could make a significant contribution to reducing the difficulties. To support this process
in the longer term, the Commission envisages (cid:1) within its draft country strategy for assistance to
Indonesia (cid:1) to focus on encouraging good governance and the rule of law in the framework of the
Government’s decentralisation and regional autonomy policies.

The Government of Indonesia led by President Megawati is, the Commission believes, making a real effort
to balance the internal tensions and to encourage the settlement of disputes peacefully with respect for
human rights. Their role in the brokering of the recent Malino peace accords between the Christian and
Moslem communities in the Moluccas and the rival groups in Sulawesi are examples.

The Commission is appreciative of the efforts of the Government of Indonesia to co-operate with the
international alliance against terrorism. It has noted that the leader of the Laskar Jihad movement, Mr Jafar
Umar Thalib, has been arrested in the Moluccas and is now held in custody in Jakarta. It encourages the
Government of Indonesia to apply thoroughly the due processes of law as appropriate in this and other
cases.

The Commission is providing humanitarian assistance for the victims of disputes, as well as financial
assistance to help resolve disputes and to improve the human rights situation in Indonesia. The Moluccas
have been a particular focus of Commission actions in this regard. Already since 1999 the Commission
has provided EUR 4 600 000 in emergency aid to assist the victims, both Christian and Moslem, of the
violence in the Moluccas (cid:1) particularly Internally Displaced Persons. For the future, Indonesia is a focus
country for the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights 2002-2004. Already, in 2000 and
2001, four actions for a total value of EUR 1 862 880 have been funded under this Initiative through non-
governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. And an
indicative amount of EUR 2 500 000 is programmed for further European Initiative for Democracy and
Human Rights (EIDHR) actions to be financed during 2002.

(2003/C 192 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1850/02

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(28 June 2002)

Subject: Lack of consistency and coherence in EU fisheries legislation

The Commission’s recent
inconsistent with the existing Community legislation and are, besides, internally inconsistent.

legislative proposals COM(2001) 764 and COM(2002) 108, are seriously

In the titles of the documents, the Commission, instead of using the straightforward term ‘deep-sea species’,
speaks of ‘deep-sea [fish] stocks’; the references to the ICES and CECAF geographical areas are inconsistent
with those in the earlier legislation; and even in their listing of species eligible for quotas and the
corresponding amounts, and their non-inclusion of key species such as wreckfish,
these legislative
proposals are marred by serious defects which could have extremely adverse consequences for the Azores.

Does the Commission not consider it necessary to take proper account (meaning more than a pro forma
consultation) of the views of the political and economic agents involved, before drawing up proposals
whose implementation will, as in this case, be of major significance for a given region?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(2 August 2002)

It is a major concern to assure the sustainable exploitation of deep-water species, and the Commission has
proposed measures consistent with scientific advice about the state of these species and the fisheries that
they can sustain. This is the case for all sea areas concerned, including the Azores. However, there is no