EAST TIMOR

Early day motion 227, tabled 21 December 1999 by Lembit Öpik (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 72 members.

That this House calls upon the Government to assist in the rebuilding of East Timor; encourages the UN and other NGOs to negotiate with the National Council for Timorese Resistance to ensure local knowledge is used when distributing aid to the most needy; further notes that the rainy season started this month leaving people in the hills with very little shelter; calls upon the Government not to lift the arms embargo against Indonesia until all the people from East Timor are allowed to return home in safety, especially those who were forced into West Timor and are living in concentration camp conditions while still facing intimidation from the army and milita; and calls upon the Government to offer help to the Timorese exiles living in the UK wishing to return to their homeland, and also to offer financial assistance to the exiles who wish to remain in the UK to continue their interrupted education, as their skills will be desperately needed to re-establish civil order.

Signatures by party: Labour 38, Liberal Democrat 25, Labour/Co-operative 4, Plaid Cymru 2, Conservative 1, Scottish National Party 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.