Dave Tollner (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Would the minister advise the House of the government’s response to the report of the UN Independent Special Commission of Inquiry for East Timor?

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Solomon for his question. I know he has a great deal of interest—given where his electorate is—in East Timor and in the people of East Timor. The report of the United Nations Special Commission of Inquiry was handed to the East Timor government, I understand, yesterday morning and was released more generally during yesterday. It is the Australian government’s view that this is a credible report. It sets out the facts surrounding the destructive events of April and May this year, clarifies the issue of responsibilities and recommends certain action to be taken.

We welcome President Xanana Gusmao’s address to the nation last night. He was accompanied in that address by the Prime Minister, Jose Ramos Horta, and the President of the Parliament of East Timor, Mr Guterres, and he called on all East Timorese to act responsibly and to behave with constraint. I can tell the House that up until lunchtime today the situation has continued to be quiet in East Timor and we obviously hope that will continue.

I know from the discussions we had last week with Prime Minister Ramos Horta and also from the statements that were made in East Timor yesterday that the East Timorese leadership are taking a responsible approach to the commission’s findings. I have no doubt that they are in some respects difficult findings. I encourage the East Timorese to follow their normal legal processes in dealing with the conclusions of the report, which I am sure they will do.

Australia is a major donor to the East Timor law and justice sector, which will assist the East Timorese in their response to the commission’s findings. Our assistance in policing includes support for the UNDP, providing international judges and court staff. Those of you who watched the Lateline program last night—and I thought it was a very good program last night, Prime Minister—will be aware that there was a report of Prime Minister Ramos Horta saying in a speech in Sydney that he did not feel his country had sufficient judicial resources. I make the point that not only is Australia doing what it can to help in that area but also we are providing support for the Prosecutor-General’s office. We will continue to do what we can to help this new nation through this difficult period. I know that the leadership of East Timor will respond to the UN special commission of inquiry’s report responsibly and I hope that the public will treat it with an appropriate degree of calm.