WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2556/98 by Johanna MAIJ-WEGGEN to the Commission. The deteriorating situation in West Papua (now Indonesian province of Irian Jaya)
29. 4. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 118/95 (1999/C 118/117) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2556/98 by Johanna Maij-Weggen (PPE) to the Commission (1 September 1998) Subject: The deteriorating situation in West Papua (now Indonesian province of Irian Jaya) Is the Council fully informed about the situation in Irian Jaya (Indonesia), where seven persons have been killed by Indonesian forces since 1 July 1998 and scores of seriously wounded people taken to local hospitals in Biak and Sorong in particular, for no other reason than having demonstrated in favour of more autonomy and greater independence for their region? Will the Commission ask the Indonesian government to clarify these acts of violence and report to the European Parliament? Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (23 September 1998) The Commission is, through reports from the Commission delegation to Indonesia, well aware of the unrest in Irian Jaya, which has resulted in the tragic loss of lives and many injuries. Within the limits of its competences, the Commission will continue to raise the issues of human rights with the Indonesian government, in bilateral contacts as well as in international fora. In addition, the Commission has recently taken the decision to support, together with the United Kingdom, a human rights workshop, scheduled to take place in Jakarta at the end of October 1998. (1999/C 118/118) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2562/98 by Maren Günther (PPE) to the Commission (1 September 1998) Subject: Use of landmines in Kosovo What information does the Commission have about the recent laying of landmines, and, in particular, of anti-personnel mines, in the disputed area of Kosovo? What measures is the Commission seeking with a view to ensuring that the laying of landmines is halted? Does the Commission intend to participate in mine-clearance programmes, once the political situation allows it to do so? Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (14 September 1998) The Commission has no specific information on the use of anti-personnel landmines (APL) in Kosovo although the use of such weapons would be a very unfortunate characteristic of the situation. The Union, at the Cardiff European Council and at subsequent meetings of the General Affairs Council, has expressed its condemnation of the violence in Kosovo, and confirmed a range of economic measures aimed at ameliorating the situation. In relation to the humanitarian aspects, the Commission has been active on the ground in Kosovo and in neighbouring states, in co-operation which other international organisations. Neither the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia nor Albania are signatories of the Ottawa Convention to ban APL and, as a general rule (there are exceptions) this is a precondition for Community assistance in demining. In any case, the Commission would not support mine actions in an on-going conflict situation