Europees Parlement neemt resoluties aan over Oost-Timor, Wit-Rusland en Congo (en)

In three human rights resolutions adopted at the end of this week's plenary session, the European Parliament condemned the assassination attempt on the president and prime minister of Timor-Leste (East Timor), drew attention once more to the lack of democracy and human rights in Belarus and highlighted the appalling violence in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Assassination attempts in Timor-Leste

Today's resolution on Timor-Leste (East Timor) condemns the recent attacks on President José Ramos Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, calls for a proper inquiry and urges long-term international support for the country.

According to the resolution, the shootings by rebel groups on 11 February 2008 of Timor-Leste's president and prime minister amounted to "separate but coordinated attacks against the leadership of the country and State institutions".

The EP notes that "a state of emergency has been declared by the Timorese parliament" and that "the government has requested reinforcements for the 1,600 international peacekeepers already deployed in Timor-Leste". It also points out that both the European Union and the United Nations are "publicly committed to supporting independence, democracy and the rule of law in Timor-Leste".  

Condemnation of assassination attempt and call for thorough inquiry

Parliament "condemns vehemently" the attempted assassination of the president and the simultaneous attack against the prime minister. It hopes the Timorese authorities will be able to overcome these threats to the country's stability and "cooperate to ensure respect for law and order and the normal functioning of democratic institutions, in accordance with the Constitution". All parties in Timor-Leste are urged to refrain from violence and to engage in dialogue.  

The EP calls for a thorough inquiry to clarify every detail of the apparent coup d'état attempt and "the failure of the security system in the country to bring to justice the perpetrators". Meanwhile, it welcomes the opening of a joint investigation into the attacks by the UN and Timor-Leste police. 

It also "stresses the importance of the conduct of Timor-Leste's neighbouring countries" in respecting the stability of Timorese society and the consolidation of its national democratic institutions but "acknowledges the positive attitude of Indonesia since the recognition of Timor-Leste's independence and the decisions of Australia and others to help".

Tackling Timor-Leste's fundamental problems: international aid essential

The country will also need political, technical and financial support in building infrastructure and administrative structures, invigorating its economy, boosting employment, alleviating poverty and consolidating democracy. 

The Timor-Leste state institutions and the UN mission (UNMIT) are urged "to uphold the rule of law, combat impunity of crimes and ensure compliance with international human rights standards by all in Timor-Leste, especially the police and armed forces".  

Lastly, the resolution asks the Commission to open up swiftly a fully functioning delegation in Dili and "recommends sending an ad hoc parliamentary delegation to Timor-Leste to reassess the political situation, express solidarity to democratic forces and institutions and renew the offer of EP assistance to the democratic functioning of the National Parliament". 

Democracy in Belarus

In a resolution on Belarus, MEPs voice concern at the lack of democracy and human rights, express support for opposition figures and urge the Belarus authorities to introduce democratic reforms.

According to the resolution, "the situation of democracy, human rights and the rule of law is not improving in Belarus". The continuing arbitrary arrests of members of civil society and opposition activists and a clampdown on independent media "contradict the recent rhetoric of the Belarusian Government concerning their wish to improve relations with the European Union".

The EP urges the Belarus authorities to "stop using intimidation, harassment, targeted arrests and politically motivated prosecutions against the activists of the democratic opposition and civil society in Belarus" and "condemns the fact that Belarus is the last country in Europe which still practises the death penalty". 

Belarus must comply with EU's conditions in exchange for closer ties

Recent moves on establishing the Commission's delegation in Minsk are welcomed as a step towards renewing dialogue with the European Union. However, the EP recalls that in November 2006 the EU declared its readiness to renew its relationship with Belarus under the European Neighbourhood Policy "as soon as the Belarusian Government demonstrates respect for democratic values and for the basic rights of the Belarusian people". 

Belarus must thus accept certain conditions, including "the release of all political prisoners, abolition of the death penalty, the assurance of free media and freedom of expression, the independence of the judiciary and respect for democratic values and for the basic rights of the Belarusian people". The resolution also urges Belarus to implement OSCE standards in organising the parliamentary elections scheduled for 28 September 2008.

Easier access to visas, support for civil society

MEPs want the Commission and Council to take further steps to liberalise visa procedures for Belarusian citizens, so as to facilitate people-to-people contacts. At the same time they deplore the decision of the Belarus authorities to repeatedly refuse entrance visas to MEPs and national parliamentarians in the last couple of years.

They also call "on the Commission and Council and the international community as a whole to extend more support to the civil society of Belarus and, in particular, to increase financial aid to the independent media, to non-governmental organisations and to Belarusian students studying abroad".

Solidarity with Milinkevich and all Belarusian democrats

The EP has made numerous efforts to highlight the situation in Belarus in recent years, twice awarding its Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to citizens of that country: to the Belarus Association of Journalists in 2004 and to opposition leader Aleksander Milinkevich in 2006.

In today's resolution, MEPs express "solidarity with the united democratic opposition of Belarus and the leader of the democratic movement, Aleksander Milinkevich, and all Belarusian citizens who strive for an independent, open and democratic Belarus based on the rule of law".

Atrocities in North Kivu (Congo)

In a resolution on North Kivu, adopted unanimously, MEPs draw attention to the dreadful human rights abuses being perpetrated against the population and urge the UN and EU to take action.

According to the resolution, the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed the lives of 5,400,000 people since 1998 and continues to be the direct or indirect cause of 1500 deaths each day. In the last 18 months there have been massacres, rapes, forced recruitment of civilians and child soldiers, and other acts of violence in the Eastern DRC, by Laurent Nkunda's rebel troops, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the Congolese army itself. 

Since the end of 2006 the conflict has also forced some 400,000 people to flee their homes and there is now a total of 800,000 displaced persons in the province of North Kivu.   Malnutrition is also a growing problem.  

MEPs voice outrage, call on UN and EU to act

In its resolution Parliament expresses "deep outrage at the massacres and crimes against humanity" in North Kivu. It calls on the national and international authorities "to bring the perpetrators to justice" and on the UN Security Council "to take all measures capable of genuinely preventing any further attacks on the civilian populations of North Kivu".  

In particular, MEPs call for zero tolerance of sexual violence against girls and women and demand "severe criminal penalties against the perpetrators of these crimes".  

The EP calls on the Council and Commission to see if the recent strengthening of the under-resourced UN mission in Congo (MONUC) leads to a significant improvement in the human rights situation and, should this not occur, to press the Security Council to give MONUC the resources it needs.  

It welcomes the holding of the peace conference in Goma in January 2008. However, the undertakings given at Goma concerning gradual demobilisation have still to be worked out in detail through a joint technical peace and security commission. The EP therefore calls for this commission to be set up swiftly so as to finalise demobilisation issues. 

EU aid

Parliament in any case wants the Council and Commission "to release emergency funds, in view of the extreme gravity of the humanitarian situation faced by the populations of North Kivu, not only because of the conflicts which continue to affect that region, but also as a result of the earthquake of 3 February 2007".

The Council and Commission are also urged "to implement large-scale medical assistance programmes for the civilian populations in Eastern DRC with immediate effect, in order to meet immediate needs and in anticipation of the reconstruction which will be required".  In addition, the Council and every EU Member State are asked "to provide special aid to the populations of Eastern DRC".  

MEPs also propose the creation of monitoring mechanisms, such as the Kimberley process for the certification of the origin of natural resources imported into the EU market.   Lastly, the EP instructs the EU mission to North Kivu scheduled for March 2008 to report back to it.