By Jon Land
At the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) in Geneva, the British government — backed by the Australian and other governments — has been manoeuvring to prevent a strong resolution on East Timor from being adopted.
On April 21, representatives of the East Timorese resistance and diplomatic sources in Geneva alerted human rights groups and East Timor solidarity organisations of the deals being done to ensure that there was no harsh criticism of Indonesia during the current political crisis of the Suharto regime.
The East Timor International Support Centre (ETISC) reported that the British delegation, on behalf of the European Union, was holding negotiations with Indonesia so that a weaker "chairman's statement" would be presented at the conclusion of the UNHRC session instead of the commission adopting a proposed resolution.
The negotiations were carried out without the knowledge of Portugal, a key force behind the EU's adoption of the "Common Position on East Timor" in 1996.
"It appears that the Tony Blair government is not even demanding any specific commitments from Jakarta, such as a clear commitment to invite a special rapporteur, at a clearly specified time, to investigate the human rights abuses in East Timor", ETISC stated.
The "chairman's statement", released on April 24, is significantly milder than the proposed EU resolution. Indonesian foreign affairs minister Ali Alatas smugly welcomed the statement, stating that the proposed resolution was "filled with all kinds of criticisms and baseless allegations".
East Timorese resistance representative Jose Ramos Horta condemned Britain's support for Suharto. In a message sent to British foreign secretary Robin Cook, Horta said: "My experience this year in observing the way your delegation is conducting itself in regard to the issue of East Timor throws into doubt your public promises and pronouncements".
The Blair government made much fanfare last year about the centrality of human rights in Labour's foreign policy.
Indonesia has been strongly rebuked at several previous sessions of the UNHRC over its failure to improve human rights in East Timor, especially since the 1991 Dili massacre.
Last year, the UNHRC passed a resolution calling for the release of all East Timorese political prisoners; for information on the whereabouts of those detained or "disappeared" during the Dili massacre to be provided; and for those in detention to be treated humanely. Indonesia has yet to comply with these and other demands.
Ironically, while Britain was pushing for a softer statement on human rights abuses in East Timor, four East Timorese fearing for their lives entered the British embassy in Jakarta to seek political asylum.