Chairman's Statement on East Timor
UNCHR 52nd session, April 1996
Following consultations, I would like to make a statement announcing what has been agreed by consensus by the Commission on the situation of human rights in East Timor.
1. The Commission on Human Rights discussed the human rights situation in East Timor.
2. The Commission continues to follow with deep concern the reports on violations of human rights in East Timor.
3. The Commission recalls the undertakings by the Government of Indonesia to promote human rights in East Timor and those contained in Chairman's Statement at previous sessions on the matter. The Commission stressed the need to take further steps towards their implementation, including the early release of East Timorese detained or convicted and the further clarification of the circumstances surrounding the Dili incident of 1991.
4. The Commission notes with satisfaction the greater access recently granted by the Indonesian authorities to international media and humanitarian organisations and trusts that it will be expanded further to human rights organisations.
5. The Commission welcomes the visit to East Timor of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Jose Ayala Lasso, on 6 December 1995, and stressed the importance of this visit in the context of last year's Chairman's Statement. The Commission notes with satisfaction the understanding reached between the Indonesian authorities and the High Commissioner concerning the upgrading of the current MOI (Memorandum of Intention) on the technical cooperation in the field of human rights, signed in Jakarta on 26 October 1994, into an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding). In this context, it was also provisionally agreed to look into the possibility of the High Commissioner assigning a programme officer within the office of UNDP (UN Development Programme) in Jakarta in order to follow-up the implementation of the technical cooperation agreement. This officer would also have regular access to East Timor.
6. The Commission welcomes the intention of the Government of Indonesia to continue to cooperate with the Commission on Human Rights and its mechanisms as well as its intention to invite a thematic rapporteur in 1997.
7. The Commission welcomes the result of the seventh round of the tripartie dialogue between the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia and Portugal under the auspices of the United National Secretary-General on the question of East Timor, held in London on 16 January 1996 and encourages the Secretary-General to continue his good offices for achieving a just, comprehensive and internationally acceptable solution to the question of East Timor.
8. The Commission welcomes the informal bilateral meeting between President Soeharto and Prime Minister Guterres during the ASEM in Bangkok on 29 February 1996 and expresses the hope that it will contribute positively to the ongoing tripartite dialogue. The Commission also welcomes the holding of the all-Inclusive intra-East Timorese dialogue in Burg Schaining, Austraia, from 19 to 22 March 1996.
9. The Commission requests the Secretary-General to keep it informed on the situation of human rights in East Timor and will consider it at its fifty-third session.