Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 73: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the aims of the independence movement in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8693/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The historic princely state of Jammu and Kashmir which was never part of British India was partitioned between India and Pakistan after both States became independent in 1947. China occupies two areas of the former State, one ceded by Pakistan, the other- Aksin Chin-taken from India before the 1962 Indo-China war. The political situation on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LOC), in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, is a complex one, ethnically, religiously, linguistically and topographically. Although a majority of the population that live in the State are Muslim, there are those who are Buddhist and Hindu as well as other minorities in different regions such as Leh and Ladah.

In recent years the State has been comparatively quiet apart from 2010 when there was an outbreak of violence in the capital Srinigar and in the Valley area, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 young men and boys.

After the violence in 2010 an All-Party Committee from the Indian Parliament visited the State and the visit resulted in the establishment of a group of interlocutors who reported in October, last year, after interviews with all sectors of the local population. The report noted that the demands of Muslim groups vary from the lifting of emergency powers to greater autonomy for the State within India, to union with Pakistan including independence. In addition to the religious, ethnic and linguistic variations within the State, the differences within the Muslim community contribute to the intractability of the political situation. The report, which was the most comprehensive ever produced on Jammu and Kashmir, made a large number of recommendations which are being considered by the Indian Government.

The political situation in the State and its relations with Delhi are monitored by the Embassy to India. The Ambassador visited the area as part of an EU delegation in May, 2011.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 74: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on any additional sanctions he proposes at EU and UN level towards Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8702/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I have on a number of occasions stated clearly my grave concerns at the deteriorating situation in Syria and condemned the unacceptable violence and repression which is now estimated to have claimed some 7,000 lives since last March. In my address to the Security Council in New York on 9 February, I described the current situation in Syria as completely intolerable and condemned the appalling suffering of the Syrian people at the hands of the Assad regime. I also discussed the situation with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon and US Deputy Secretary of State Burns during the course of my visit to the United States last week. Given the serious implications for regional peace and security, it is deeply regrettable that the Security Council has so far been unable to speak with a single voice on Syria, in failing to pass a Resolution on 4 February which otherwise commanded the full support of the Council. The ramifications of this failure have been made painfully clear in the past week as the violence in Syria, and in particular the appalling attacks on the civilian population in cities such as Homs, Bab Amr and Hama, has increased significantly. There is a desperate need for humanitarian access, including medical assistance, to citizens in these areas.

The international community can no longer continue to ignore the daily escalation of bloodshed and repression as the Assad regime seeks to extinguish the legitimate desire of ordinary Syrians for democracy and renewal. There is a clear onus on the international community to protect the people of Syria from further suffering and to promote a speedy resolution of this conflict through peaceful political dialogue. It is clear that President Assad will not begin this process without additional pressure from the international community.

I welcome the continued strong leadership of the Arab League as well as the UN Secretary General and others in the international community who are striving to end the violence in Syria. The UN General Assembly discussed the situation and received a briefing from High Commissioner for Human Rights Pillay on 13 February. The current appalling human rights situation is also likely to be addressed at the forthcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council later this month.

The EU is also playing its part, not least through the enactment of tough sanctions against Syria which include a ban on oil imports. Syria will also figure heavily on the agenda for the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 27 February which I will attend and where there is likely to be consideration of how to increase even further the already considerable international pressure on the Assad regime to change course. This may include additional restrictive measures.

Arab League Ministers met in Cairo on 12 February and decided to increase sanctions against Syria, to support Syria's non-violent opposition, and to appoint former Jordanian Foreign Minister Al-Khatib as Arab League envoy to Syria. The Arab League plan adopted last November and recently considered by the UN Security Council still represents the most credible basis for resolving the current crisis. All sides need to desist from further violence and to allow the main elements of the Arab League plan, including withdrawal of all military forces to barracks, release of all detainees and the stepping down of President Assad to allow the start of a political transition, to be implemented. In relation to the Arab League's proposal for a joint UN-Arab peace-keeping force to be established, this is a proposal which offers a further opportunity for the UN Security Council to live up to its responsibilities in the area of international peace and security and revisit the current crisis as soon as possible.

Ireland and its EU partners, working with the UN, the Arab League and international partners such as the US and Turkey, are determined to maintain strong and united political pressure on the Syrian regime until it ends the violent repression against its own people and begins a process of transition.