East Timor's independence<\/p>\n
If the East Timorese independence leaders based their
\nstrategies to achieve independence on Jim Aubrey's approach to
\nand understanding of Indonesia (see TNI: The people's Army or the
\npeople's tyrant in The Jakarta Post, Oct. 6) one can understand
\nwhy the East Timorese have had to pay such a terribly high price
\nfor freedom.<\/p>\n
Jim Aubrey, the editor of Free East Timor (Vintage 1998) and
\nspokesman for Australians for a Free East Timor, makes so many
\ngeneralized statements in his article one wonders whether
\naccuracy as opposed to simplification is of concern to him.
\nPerhaps he is more concerned about blowing his own trumpet,
\nalbeit in rather a perverse way. He, after all, had a role in
\nbringing to an end what he boasts as being one of the \"most
\ninfamous crimes against humanity in the 20th century\" and
\nsupporting one of the \"greatest struggles for freedom of all
\ntime\".<\/p>\n
Without condoning or playing down the atrocities committed by
\nthe Indonesian Military (TNI), to write that the TNI is \"more of
\na tyrant than the Dutch ever were to the people of the Dutch East
\nIndies\" indicates a complete failure to understand the crimes
\nperpetrated against Indonesians during the colonial era.
\nFurthermore, one wonders what is the meaning and pertinence of
\nthese rather strange sentences: \"Indonesia's problems are so
\nprofound that self-denial is the only way the contempt of the
\ncivilized world is comprehended. However, self-denial will not
\nfeed the people\". I understand self-denial to mean forbearance of
\ndesire or going without. Thus, to translate, Jim Aubrey is
\ntelling us that Indonesia can only understand civilized, foreign
\ncontempt by going without, but going without will not feed its
\npeople. This is nothing short of drivel.<\/p>\n
Jim Aubrey belittles \"the degree of political sophistication
\nin Jakarta\"; but his own naive and populist approach is testimony
\nto his own severe lack of depth and sophistication. If Jim Aubrey
\nis genuinely concerned about the people of East Timor and
\nIndonesia, he would do well to ask whether his outburst of
\nindignation coupled with his rather superficial approach do any
\nmore than exacerbate the situation.<\/p>\n
Now that East Timor has been devastated and crimes against
\nhumanity have been committed there, taking a purely practical
\nretrospective view, we need to ask whether the East Timorese
\nquest for independence could have been handled better by the
\nUnited Nations, Australia and organizations like Jim Aubrey's.<\/p>\n
Most of the parameters were known in advance. The goals and
\nmethods of the TNI have changed little over the years. Why then
\ndid this particular bid for freedom end in such a pyrrhic
\nvictory? It needs to be acknowledged that many of the pundits,
\nactivists, UN staff and the East Timorese leaders themselves
\nbadly miscalculated through lack of understanding. Unfortunately,
\nJim Aubrey, ignorance and the emotive simplification of issues in
\nsuch situations can and has cost lives.<\/p>\n
FRANK RICHARDSON<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timors-independence-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }