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Diego Garcia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for how long the lease of Diego Garcia to the US runs; and what arrangements he expects will be put in place for Diego Garcia when the lease expires. [3656]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: There is no lease of Diego Garcia to the United States. Under the Exchange of Notes between the United Kingdom and United States concerning the Availability for Defence Purposes of the British Indian Ocean Territory of 30 December 1966, the whole Territory is to remain available to meet the possible defence needs of the two countries for an initial period of 50 years from 1966, and thereafter for a further period of 20 years unless either party has given prior notice to terminate it within the two years immediately before the end of the initial period. No plans have been made regarding what will happen in 2016 when the initial period of the agreement has expired.

East Timor

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of whether British citizens
 
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Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters, who died at Balibo, East Timor, on 16 October 1975, were murdered; and if he will make a statement. [4497]

Ian Pearson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is unable to make an assessment about whether these two British citizens were murdered. The author of a report commissioned by the Australian Government in 1999 (the Sherman Report) concluded that he had

... never reached the stage of concluding that the Balibo 5 [of which Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie were two] were murdered ... "

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has met the relatives of Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters to inquire into the security of the United Nations' police files on their case; and if he will make a statement. [4498]

Ian Pearson: The former Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) met relatives of Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters in September 2003 and March 2004. We have since made representations to both the UN and to the Government of Timor Leste (East Timor) about the future security of these and other files.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the security of the police files of East Timor's Serious Crimes Unit; and if he will make a statement. [4499]

Ian Pearson: We have not made an assessment of the security of the files held by the Serious Crimes Unit in Dili, East Timor. We understand that the UN will be advising how it believes the case documents should be handled in future. We have recently made clear to the UN in East Timor and to the Government of Timor Leste (East Timor) the importance we attach to the security of this information.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what correspondence he has had with Indonesia's (a) Foreign Minister and (b) ambassador regarding the case of Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters; and if he will make a statement. [4500]

Ian Pearson: This case was raised in 2004 by the former Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien), with both Indonesia's Foreign Minister and the then Indonesian ambassador.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the British police regarding their involvement in the case of British citizens Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters; and if he will make a statement. [4501]

Ian Pearson: The British police have not been involved in this case, although we understand a British police officer was at one time a temporary member of the UN civilian police detachment in East Timor.
 
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Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in persuading the Indonesian authorities to bring to trial in Indonesia or to extradite to East Timor those Indonesian military officers from Indonesia's Battalion 745 who have been indicted by East Timor's Serious Crime Unit for the murder of Financial Times journalist Sander Thoenes; and if he will make a statement. [4502]

Ian Pearson: The death of Sander Thoenes, a Dutch journalist working for the Financial Times killed in East Timor in 1999, fell within the remit of the Serious Crimes Unit in Dili, East Timor, and has been investigated by them. We understand that no further progress has been made in bringing anyone to trial.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in persuading Indonesian authorities to investigate crimes committed by the Indonesian Army's Battalion 745 (a) on 21 September 1999, including the attack on Sunday Times journalist Jon Swain and his three companions and (b) during other stages of the Battalion's withdrawal from East Timor in 1999; and if he will make a statement. [4503]

Ian Pearson: Human rights violations committed in 1999 in East Timor have been investigated by both the Serious Crimes Unit in Dili and the ad hoc tribunal in Jakarta. Further information may result from the work of the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation established by Indonesia and East Timor and due to start work by August 2005.

Electoral Reform (Africa)

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government have made to the Tanzanian Government in relation to ensuring peaceful, fair and transparent elections to both Tanzanian assemblies in October. [4349]

Ian Pearson: We are in regular touch with the Governments of Tanzania and Zanzibar, and the opposition, on the importance of peaceful, fair and transparent elections. The UK co-chairs, along with the National Electoral Commission, a Steering Committee which is supporting the electoral process on the mainland, and to which we have contributed approximately £800,000. We are also funding implementation of the Muafaka Agreement, aimed at promoting reconciliation between the two main political parties on Zanzibar and working towards peaceful and credible elections there.

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government have made to the Government in Cote D'Ivoire in relation to (a) respecting its commitments fully to implement the provisions of the Pretoria Agreement and (b) ensuring the elections in October are free from intimidation, fair and transparent. [4350]

Ian Pearson: We welcomed and supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 1603, passed unanimously on 3 June 2005, demanding that all signatories to the Pretoria agreement and all the Ivorian parties concerned implement it fully and without delay,
 
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and demanding that all the Ivorian parties take all necessary steps to ensure that the forthcoming general elections are free, fair and transparent.

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo concerning (a) the constitutional reform process, (b) the next phase of the transition arrangements and (c) ensuring that the forthcoming referendum, presidential and legislative elections are transparent, free and fair. [4351]

Ian Pearson: We and international partners worked closely with members of the Congolese Government and Parliament on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)'s new constitution before its adoption on 16 May 2005. We continue to press the DRC Government and Independent Electoral Commission to establish soon a realistic electoral calendar and begin voter registration. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, made these points to the President of the Congolese Parliament on 25 May 2005. We have contributed £5 million to the United Nations Trust Fund supporting elections, as part of a wider package. We are discussing with partners how best to ensure the security and integrity of these elections.

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Uganda concerning (a) the proposed constitutional reforms dealing with removing limits on multi-party politics and presidential terms and (b) ensuring that the forthcoming referendum, presidential and legislative elections are transparent, free and fair. [4352]

Ian Pearson: We have repeatedly underlined our support for a return to multiparty politics, and for a free and fair referendum and elections. We hold regular meetings with Ugandan Ministers to discuss the political situation, including the transition, the forthcoming referendum and the elections due next March. The high commissioner has also raised these issues directly with President Museveni, and last did so when they met on 28 May 2005.

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