Annex 1
STATEMENT OF JOSÉ RAMOS-HORTA TO DUTCH
PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION
SYDNEY, 5 NOVEMBER
1999
The following statement was sent to Ms de Boer,
chair of the Standing Commission on Foreign Affairs of the Dutch
Parliament.
"The embargo on arms sales and military
co-operation with Indonesia, installed by the European Union on
16 September 1999, is a sign that the Union wants to support a
peaceful settlement for the problems concerning Indonesia and
East Timor. I applaud this EU initiative."
Although the present developments in East Timor
and Indonesia are promising, it is of great importance that the
current embargo—which is in power only until next 17 January—will
be extended.
The destruction and human suffering caused by
24 years of Indonesian military occupation are indescribable.
For the peace in the region and in particular for the future of
East Timor it is crucial the embargo stays in power at least until:
— all East Timorese refugees have returned
safely back to East Timor (currently still around 250,000);
— all militia are disarmed; and
— Indonesia co-operates with the commission
of investigation established by the UNHCR [sic].
Moreover I would like to point to the fact that
the Indonesian armed forces (TNI) play a very controversial role
in the Moluccas, Irian Jaya/West Papua, Aceh and Kalimantan, and
as well in the repression of the opposition within Indonesia.
An embargo is necessary until TNI becomes subordinate to democratic
control.
Therefore I urge the Dutch Parliament and Government
to take all necessary steps to make sure the military embargo
of the European Union will be extended.
In case the European Union does not agree upon
extension, I call upon the Netherlands:
— to use the competence given in the
EU Code of Conduct on arms sales to implement a more severe arms
export policy on a bilateral level and thus extend the arms embargo
in the Netherlands; and
— to take all necessary steps to make
sure that as many as possible other member states participate
in bilateral arms export restrictions.
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