East Timor issue<\/p>\n
The colonial leaders of Portugal during the 1970s created the
\nEast Timor problem. But the new leaders in Lisbon can solve this
\nissue, if there is a will. In 1962, India -- the so-called
\n"largest democracy" -- did not care about world opinion, the
\nUnited Nations or human rights when it invaded the Portuguese
\ncolony of Goa and forcibly annexed it. Is Portugal doing anything
\nabout it?<\/p>\n
Indonesia could have done exactly as Nehru did in Goa, but
\nPresident Soeharto showed great patience, hoping that Portugal
\nwould peacefully transfer the territory of East Timor to
\nIndonesia. Instead, Portugal played a cunning game of instigating
\nthe local East Timorese to rise and fight in the Portuguese
\nbattle with Indonesia, thus creating the tragedy of East Timor.
\nIndonesia was in a strange fix over what to do, because this was
\nthe time when Saigon had fallen to the communists, and there was
\nwidespread concern that communists would infiltrate the most
\nvulnerable area of Indonesia, which was East Timor, causing
\nserious problems for the country.<\/p>\n
Shortly before Indonesia took military action in East Timor,
\npresident Ford, who had the uncomfortable job of leading America
\nin a recovery process following the tragedy of the Vietnam War,
\nmet with President Soeharto in Jakarta. It is reasonable to
\nassume that Soeharto must have told the American president about
\nthe danger his country of over 17,000 islands faced from possible
\ncommunist infiltration of East Timor, and that it could be
\nnecessary for Indonesia to take military action.<\/p>\n
It is also reasonable to speculate that president Ford might
\nhave given support to any action that Indonesia chose to take to
\nstop the spread of communism in East Timor. In my opinion,
\nIndonesia's military action in East Timor was correct and timely.
\nEveryone regrets the loss of life on both sides, but the blame
\nfor this tragedy must be solely placed on the Portuguese, who
\ninstigated the East Timorese before leaving the colony abruptly.<\/p>\n
If the current Portuguese leaders in Lisbon have guts and
\nvision, they should do now what they should have done much
\nearlier to end this tragic episode, simply by officially
\nreturning the colonial administration of East Timor to its
\nrightful owner, Indonesia. Timor was not Portuguese or Dutch, but
\nIndonesian land. It does not matter if the colonial
\nadministration of East Timor was in the hands of Portuguese and
\nWest Timor was administered by the colonial Dutch. It is an
\nestablished fact that Christians and Chinese, like any other
\nhard-working and capable Indonesians, have an equal opportunity
\nto become prosperous and reach higher positions in the Indonesian
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
East Timorese are smart people and they will have similar
\nopportunities in Indonesia if the Portuguese will leave them
\nalone. The question is whether the Portuguese leaders in Lisbon
\nare bold enough to make the courageous decision, as suggested
\nabove, to bring a final end to their colonial aspiration of
\nhanging on to East Timor.<\/p>\n
M. KHALIQ QURESHI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timor-issue-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }