Work
20.February 2008 - 00:00
Joint Motion for a Resolution on Timor-Leste
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
pursuant to Rule 115(5) of the Rules of Procedure, by
– José Ribeiro e Castro, Charles Tannock, Bernd Posselt, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Colm Burke and Tunne Kelam, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group
– Pasqualina Napoletano, Ana Maria Gomes, Emanuel Jardim Fernandes and Emilio Menéndez del Valle, on behalf of the PSE Group
– Marco Cappato, Marios Matsakis and Jules Maaten, on behalf of the ALDE Group
– Brian Crowley, Adam Bielan, Konrad Szymański, Wojciech Roszkowski, Marcin Libicki, Ryszard Czarnecki, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski and Ewa Tomaszewska, on behalf of the UEN Group
– Frithjof Schmidt and Raül Romeva i Rueda, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
replacing the motions by the following groups:
– ALDE (B6 0079/2008)
– PSE (B6 0086/2008)
– UEN (B6 0090/2008)
– PPE-DE (B6 0093/2008)
– Verts/ALE (B6 0095/2008)
on Timor-Leste
European Parliament resolution on Timor Leste
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Timor-Leste,
– having regard to the briefing to the Security Council (5432nd meeting) by the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative,
– having regard to the report of the European Parliament Election Observation Mission (EOM) in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste from 27 June to 2 July 2007, led by Ana Gomes,
– having regard to the statement made by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on 5 July 2007 on the legislative elections in Timor-Leste,
– having regard to the statement of 11 February 2008, in which the United Nations Security Council condemns the attack on the President of Timor-Leste,
– having regard to the declaration made by Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the CFSP, on 11 February 2008,
– having regard to Rule115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the dismissal in April 2006 of nearly 600 soldiers in Timor-Leste, as the reaction to their grievances, led to a very serious security crisis in the country, characterised by armed confrontation (between the armed forces and the dismissed troops and also with police forces), police disruption, riots and widespread gang violence, as a result of which dozens of people were killed, many more were wounded and 150 000 people fled their homes, half of them remaining still displaced in camps,
B. whereas that security crisis also entailed the downfall of the government led by Prime Minister Alkatiri in June 2006, and the appointment of a transitional government led by José Ramos Horta,
C. whereas former Prime Minister and Nobel Prize laureate José Ramos Horta was elected President of Timor-Leste on 9 May 2007 and, following the parliamentary elections of 30 June 2007, former President Xanana Gusmão became Prime Minister of the country on 6 August 2007, raising hopes of a definitive stabilisation of the country and due respect for democratic institutions,
D. whereas the political instability in Timor-Leste continued, despite the free and peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections and a stronger engagement by the international community under the auspices of the United Nations, responding to appeals from the Timorese authorities,
E. whereas much of that instability was due to the defiance of the rule of law posed by the leadership of the disaffected soldiers taken by fugitive ex-Major Alfredo Reinado, who had broken out of prison in 2006 and served as an inspiration to violent youth gangs in the capital,
F. whereas, on 11 February 2008, these rebel groups shot and seriously wounded Timor-Leste President José Ramos Horta, who is in a critical condition in an Australian hospital, and opened fire on Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão in separate but coordinated attacks against the leadership of the country and State institutions,
G. whereas a state of emergency has been declared by the Timorese parliament and is still in place; whereas the government has requested reinforcements for the 1 600 international peacekeepers already deployed in Timor-Leste,
H. whereas these violent attacks against the Timorese top State institutions and democratically elected leaders are still a sequel of the April 2006 crisis, making it evident that, despite the efforts of national authorities, UNMIT and international forces, effective national security and the rule of law are not yet functioning in Timor-Leste,
I. whereas qualified observers have drawn attention to the lack of any prompt and adequate response from UNIPOL and other international forces to the 11 February 2008 attacks, with the exception of effective intervention of the Portuguese GNR (Republican National Guard), once it was called to act,
J. whereas the attacks happened after President Ramos Horta had personally engaged in trying to find a negotiated solution with the rebels; whereas the exact sequence of events still remains unclear, and the role of the national and international security forces leaves many questions yet to be answered,
K. whereas the poor state of the East Timor economy, despite the country's oil revenues, with 40% of the country's population living below the poverty line and 60% aged 18 and under, massive unemployment, which hovers around 80%, and high illiteracy rates, is creating very unstable social conditions and increasing the potential for civil unrest,
L. whereas both the European Union and the United Nations are publicly committed to supporting independence, democracy and the rule of law in Timor-Leste, which requires the consolidation of State institutions, good governance, the proper use of State funds to address the fight against poverty and unemployment and to promote development and social justice, and an exemplary behaviour on the part of Timor-Leste's neighbours,
M. whereas Timor-Leste is a full member of the ACP group of States and the EU has, therefore, a particular responsibility to contribute to consolidating its democratic governance, by assisting its institutions in the major effort of capacity building required,
N. having regard to the inalienable sovereign rights of the people of Timor-Leste, in particular over their natural resources,
1. Condemns vehemently the attempted assassination of President Ramos Horta and wishes him a full recovery and a quick return to the leadership of the country;
2. Condemns vehemently the simultaneous attack against Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, who fortunately escaped unhurt, and hopes that the Timorese Government, together with the President of the Republic and the Timorese National Parliament, will be able to overcome these grave threats to Timor-Leste’s stability and cooperate to ensure respect for law and order and the normal functioning of democratic institutions, in accordance with the Constitution;
3. Urges all parties in Timor-Leste to refrain from violence and to engage in dialogue and participate in the democratic process within the legal and constitutional framework, thus contributing to restoring social and political stability;
4. Expresses its concern at the message of impunity and disrespect for the rule of law which may have been conveyed, in an effort to promote national reconciliation, by the ambiguous attitude of the Timorese authorities, UNMIT and international security forces towards people who are summoned to face justice;
5. Condemns anyone in Timor-Leste who will try to take advantage of the fragile situation following the 11 February attacks and urges all parties to respect and cooperate fully with the political bodies that emerged from the 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections;
6. Calls for a thorough inquiry within the RDTL (Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste) constitutional and legal framework, with the necessary international cooperation and support, aimed at clarifying 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 of such attacks; welcomes the opening of a joint investigation into the attacks by the UN and Timor-Leste police;
7. Urges the main political forces in Timor-Leste, both in power and in opposition, to engage in a cross-party effort to reach a national understanding as a matter of urgency on core issues of the functioning of the State, such as the role of the armed forces, the police and the reinforcement of the judiciary system; offers its support for such efforts among the Timor-Leste parliamentary parties;
8. Recalls that the role of the international community, and in particular the UN and its Security Council, is of vital importance to the process of consolidating the State of Timor-Leste and its independence and sovereignty, as well as to strengthening democracy in this young nation;
9. Stresses the importance of the conduct of Timor-Leste's neighbouring countries in respecting and favouring the stability of Timorese society and the consolidation of its national democratic institutions; acknowledges the positive attitude of Indonesia since the recognition of Timor-Leste's independence and the decisions of Australia and others to help;
10. Calls on the Council and the Commission to urge the Timor-Leste authorities and UNMIT to prohibit, disband and disarm any paramilitary groups, armed gangs and armed civilians, and to raise European concerns over security capacity and respect for the rule of law with the UN and the Government of Timor Leste in all official meetings, and at the highest level;
11. Calls on the international institutions to provide broader support to meet Timor-Leste's need for a reform of its fragile and politicised security sector, as is essential for a fully functioning democratic and secure State, through a wide consultation process and a systematic and comprehensive approach, as recommended by UN Security Council Resolution 1704 and subsequent UN reports; calls on the Government of Timor-Leste to give high priority to this task; invites it to take advantage of the expertise in the UN’s Security Sector Support Unit to conduct national consultations on security sector reform; calls on the Council, the Commission and other international donors to establish a mechanism to improve coordination of assistance to the security sector; calls on UNMIT to give the Security Sector Support Unit the resources and staff to assist the consultation process and comprehensive review;
12. Recommends that the decisions and orders of tribunals be promptly respected and fully enforced by the Timorese authorities, with the support, whenever necessary, of the international forces in the country;
13. Calls on Timor Leste State institutions and UNMIT 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;
14. Reaffirms its recognition of Timor-Leste's need for political, technical and financial support in building the infrastructure and administrative structures which are essential to resume the implementation of its development plan, and in invigorating the Timorese economy and the promotion of employment; calls for continued support by the international community to alleviate poverty in Timor-Leste and provide assistance to rebuild the physical and administrative structures necessary for its economic development;
15. Calls on the European Union and the international community, and in particular neighbouring and ASEAN countries, to maintain and step up the support required to consolidate democracy and a democratic culture in Timor-Leste, focusing on multi-party culture, freedom of expression and on institution-building – namely the parliament, the government, the judiciary, security, defence and law enforcement agencies – and to assist in the urgent extension of media coverage to the whole country, as well as in strengthening the education and health networks and infrastructure in housing, sanitation and water supply;
16. Calls on the Commission to speed up and conclude the installation of a fully functioning delegation in Dili;
17. 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;
18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Timor-Leste state authorities (namely the President, the Parliament and the Government), the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the governments of the ACP countries, the parliaments of the EU Member States, the Governments of Australia and Indonesia, the Secretary-General and the Secretariat of ASEAN, the UN Secretary General, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative and the UN Security Council.
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
pursuant to Rule 115(5) of the Rules of Procedure, by
– José Ribeiro e Castro, Charles Tannock, Bernd Posselt, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Colm Burke and Tunne Kelam, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group
– Pasqualina Napoletano, Ana Maria Gomes, Emanuel Jardim Fernandes and Emilio Menéndez del Valle, on behalf of the PSE Group
– Marco Cappato, Marios Matsakis and Jules Maaten, on behalf of the ALDE Group
– Brian Crowley, Adam Bielan, Konrad Szymański, Wojciech Roszkowski, Marcin Libicki, Ryszard Czarnecki, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski and Ewa Tomaszewska, on behalf of the UEN Group
– Frithjof Schmidt and Raül Romeva i Rueda, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
replacing the motions by the following groups:
– ALDE (B6 0079/2008)
– PSE (B6 0086/2008)
– UEN (B6 0090/2008)
– PPE-DE (B6 0093/2008)
– Verts/ALE (B6 0095/2008)
on Timor-Leste
European Parliament resolution on Timor Leste
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Timor-Leste,
– having regard to the briefing to the Security Council (5432nd meeting) by the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative,
– having regard to the report of the European Parliament Election Observation Mission (EOM) in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste from 27 June to 2 July 2007, led by Ana Gomes,
– having regard to the statement made by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on 5 July 2007 on the legislative elections in Timor-Leste,
– having regard to the statement of 11 February 2008, in which the United Nations Security Council condemns the attack on the President of Timor-Leste,
– having regard to the declaration made by Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the CFSP, on 11 February 2008,
– having regard to Rule115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the dismissal in April 2006 of nearly 600 soldiers in Timor-Leste, as the reaction to their grievances, led to a very serious security crisis in the country, characterised by armed confrontation (between the armed forces and the dismissed troops and also with police forces), police disruption, riots and widespread gang violence, as a result of which dozens of people were killed, many more were wounded and 150 000 people fled their homes, half of them remaining still displaced in camps,
B. whereas that security crisis also entailed the downfall of the government led by Prime Minister Alkatiri in June 2006, and the appointment of a transitional government led by José Ramos Horta,
C. whereas former Prime Minister and Nobel Prize laureate José Ramos Horta was elected President of Timor-Leste on 9 May 2007 and, following the parliamentary elections of 30 June 2007, former President Xanana Gusmão became Prime Minister of the country on 6 August 2007, raising hopes of a definitive stabilisation of the country and due respect for democratic institutions,
D. whereas the political instability in Timor-Leste continued, despite the free and peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections and a stronger engagement by the international community under the auspices of the United Nations, responding to appeals from the Timorese authorities,
E. whereas much of that instability was due to the defiance of the rule of law posed by the leadership of the disaffected soldiers taken by fugitive ex-Major Alfredo Reinado, who had broken out of prison in 2006 and served as an inspiration to violent youth gangs in the capital,
F. whereas, on 11 February 2008, these rebel groups shot and seriously wounded Timor-Leste President José Ramos Horta, who is in a critical condition in an Australian hospital, and opened fire on Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão in separate but coordinated attacks against the leadership of the country and State institutions,
G. whereas a state of emergency has been declared by the Timorese parliament and is still in place; whereas the government has requested reinforcements for the 1 600 international peacekeepers already deployed in Timor-Leste,
H. whereas these violent attacks against the Timorese top State institutions and democratically elected leaders are still a sequel of the April 2006 crisis, making it evident that, despite the efforts of national authorities, UNMIT and international forces, effective national security and the rule of law are not yet functioning in Timor-Leste,
I. whereas qualified observers have drawn attention to the lack of any prompt and adequate response from UNIPOL and other international forces to the 11 February 2008 attacks, with the exception of effective intervention of the Portuguese GNR (Republican National Guard), once it was called to act,
J. whereas the attacks happened after President Ramos Horta had personally engaged in trying to find a negotiated solution with the rebels; whereas the exact sequence of events still remains unclear, and the role of the national and international security forces leaves many questions yet to be answered,
K. whereas the poor state of the East Timor economy, despite the country's oil revenues, with 40% of the country's population living below the poverty line and 60% aged 18 and under, massive unemployment, which hovers around 80%, and high illiteracy rates, is creating very unstable social conditions and increasing the potential for civil unrest,
L. whereas both the European Union and the United Nations are publicly committed to supporting independence, democracy and the rule of law in Timor-Leste, which requires the consolidation of State institutions, good governance, the proper use of State funds to address the fight against poverty and unemployment and to promote development and social justice, and an exemplary behaviour on the part of Timor-Leste's neighbours,
M. whereas Timor-Leste is a full member of the ACP group of States and the EU has, therefore, a particular responsibility to contribute to consolidating its democratic governance, by assisting its institutions in the major effort of capacity building required,
N. having regard to the inalienable sovereign rights of the people of Timor-Leste, in particular over their natural resources,
1. Condemns vehemently the attempted assassination of President Ramos Horta and wishes him a full recovery and a quick return to the leadership of the country;
2. Condemns vehemently the simultaneous attack against Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, who fortunately escaped unhurt, and hopes that the Timorese Government, together with the President of the Republic and the Timorese National Parliament, will be able to overcome these grave threats to Timor-Leste’s stability and cooperate to ensure respect for law and order and the normal functioning of democratic institutions, in accordance with the Constitution;
3. Urges all parties in Timor-Leste to refrain from violence and to engage in dialogue and participate in the democratic process within the legal and constitutional framework, thus contributing to restoring social and political stability;
4. Expresses its concern at the message of impunity and disrespect for the rule of law which may have been conveyed, in an effort to promote national reconciliation, by the ambiguous attitude of the Timorese authorities, UNMIT and international security forces towards people who are summoned to face justice;
5. Condemns anyone in Timor-Leste who will try to take advantage of the fragile situation following the 11 February attacks and urges all parties to respect and cooperate fully with the political bodies that emerged from the 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections;
6. Calls for a thorough inquiry within the RDTL (Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste) constitutional and legal framework, with the necessary international cooperation and support, aimed at clarifying 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 of such attacks; welcomes the opening of a joint investigation into the attacks by the UN and Timor-Leste police;
7. Urges the main political forces in Timor-Leste, both in power and in opposition, to engage in a cross-party effort to reach a national understanding as a matter of urgency on core issues of the functioning of the State, such as the role of the armed forces, the police and the reinforcement of the judiciary system; offers its support for such efforts among the Timor-Leste parliamentary parties;
8. Recalls that the role of the international community, and in particular the UN and its Security Council, is of vital importance to the process of consolidating the State of Timor-Leste and its independence and sovereignty, as well as to strengthening democracy in this young nation;
9. Stresses the importance of the conduct of Timor-Leste's neighbouring countries in respecting and favouring the stability of Timorese society and the consolidation of its national democratic institutions; acknowledges the positive attitude of Indonesia since the recognition of Timor-Leste's independence and the decisions of Australia and others to help;
10. Calls on the Council and the Commission to urge the Timor-Leste authorities and UNMIT to prohibit, disband and disarm any paramilitary groups, armed gangs and armed civilians, and to raise European concerns over security capacity and respect for the rule of law with the UN and the Government of Timor Leste in all official meetings, and at the highest level;
11. Calls on the international institutions to provide broader support to meet Timor-Leste's need for a reform of its fragile and politicised security sector, as is essential for a fully functioning democratic and secure State, through a wide consultation process and a systematic and comprehensive approach, as recommended by UN Security Council Resolution 1704 and subsequent UN reports; calls on the Government of Timor-Leste to give high priority to this task; invites it to take advantage of the expertise in the UN’s Security Sector Support Unit to conduct national consultations on security sector reform; calls on the Council, the Commission and other international donors to establish a mechanism to improve coordination of assistance to the security sector; calls on UNMIT to give the Security Sector Support Unit the resources and staff to assist the consultation process and comprehensive review;
12. Recommends that the decisions and orders of tribunals be promptly respected and fully enforced by the Timorese authorities, with the support, whenever necessary, of the international forces in the country;
13. Calls on Timor Leste State institutions and UNMIT 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;
14. Reaffirms its recognition of Timor-Leste's need for political, technical and financial support in building the infrastructure and administrative structures which are essential to resume the implementation of its development plan, and in invigorating the Timorese economy and the promotion of employment; calls for continued support by the international community to alleviate poverty in Timor-Leste and provide assistance to rebuild the physical and administrative structures necessary for its economic development;
15. Calls on the European Union and the international community, and in particular neighbouring and ASEAN countries, to maintain and step up the support required to consolidate democracy and a democratic culture in Timor-Leste, focusing on multi-party culture, freedom of expression and on institution-building – namely the parliament, the government, the judiciary, security, defence and law enforcement agencies – and to assist in the urgent extension of media coverage to the whole country, as well as in strengthening the education and health networks and infrastructure in housing, sanitation and water supply;
16. Calls on the Commission to speed up and conclude the installation of a fully functioning delegation in Dili;
17. 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;
18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Timor-Leste state authorities (namely the President, the Parliament and the Government), the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the governments of the ACP countries, the parliaments of the EU Member States, the Governments of Australia and Indonesia, the Secretary-General and the Secretariat of ASEAN, the UN Secretary General, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative and the UN Security Council.