| Subject: Horta: EU arms
embargo must continue after 17 January STATEMENT
OF JOSE 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 September 16th of 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 of 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 25,000) - all militia are disarmed and - Indonesia
cooperates with the commission of investigation established by the UN Commission on Human
Rights.
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, - to take all necessary steps to make sure
that as many as possible other member states participate in bilateral arms export
restrictions.
Yours sincerely,
Jose Ramos-Horta, Vice-President CNRT
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