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 further developments in East Timor?

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

I thank the honourable member for Solomon for his interest in this issue. I think all of us would agree that we welcome the advice from the Australian Defence Force that they are making significant progress in restoring peace to Dili, in particular, in East Timor. The situation there is obviously getting better. There is still a high level of tension and there are still reports today of confrontation—this time between gangs. So there is work to be done, but I think the Australian Defence Force are showing their characteristic professionalism in doing the job and doing it in the way they know best.

I also note the arrival yesterday of 46 Australian Federal Police officers. Amongst the tasks I hope they will be able to undertake is to assist with the investigation into the atrocious killing of nine unarmed members of the East Timor police force last week. This was an appalling and brutal act. I think if Australia can make a good contribution to the investigation that will be something that all Australians will warmly welcome.

We are also pleased that the Council of State chaired by President Xanana Gusmao has been meeting and dialogue is under way to try to resolve what are clearly political differences between a number of the leaders in East Timor. I am also pleased to note that Ian Martin, who will be well known to quite a few people in this House as the special envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has arrived in Dili and is having discussions with President Gusmao and others. Also, he will be meeting Brigadier Slater, the Australian commander in East Timor, this afternoon.

The restoration of stability is certainly helping to ease the humanitarian situation. The staff of our embassy have visited all the major centres in Dili where internally displaced people are currently located. They have assessed that the people who are internally displaced have access to clean drinking water and food, the conditions are not cramped and medical issues are not a major problem. I want to emphasise that. I think organisations like the Red Cross are doing very well to help those people.

The Australian military has contributed greatly to easing the humanitarian situation in East Timor. Because of the contribution to the restoration of stability by the Australian Defence Force, there is now delivery of food and water to displaced Timorese. Brigadier Slater is doing an outstanding job in East Timor and I think the House should be proud of the work he and his soldiers are doing there. As he said this morning, ‘The sooner we get the guns off the street, the easier it will be for the aid agencies. The humanitarian situation is not that bad. It will get bad if we do not get security sorted out first.’

That sentiment has been pretty much replicated by the Secretary-General’s special representative, Mr Hasegawa, who was reported today as saying, ‘We have been able to step up our efforts to meet the most pressing food and water needs of the people displaced from their homes in Dili. The improved security situation and direct support of the Australian military forces where possible have greatly assisted this process.’ I just want to emphasise that. The humanitarian situation is being addressed. A lot of the problems are not as great as they have been portrayed from time to time. I think the Australian Defence Force is doing a simply outstanding job. I call on all commentators to let our experienced military and hardworking professionals just get on with their jobs.