Habibie wants 'to be remembered for E. Timor'<\/p>\n
By Kornelius Purba<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie's startling decision to
\nlet East Timor become an independent state by Jan. 1 next year is
\ninfluenced by a desire to prove to the world his statesmanship
\nand courage in handling the province, aides believe.<\/p>\n
His indignation at Australian Prime Minister John Howard's
\n\"lecture\" on a fitting stance and Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe
\nXimenes Belo's refusal to the President a second time were other
\nfactors as he weighed the options, the officials agreed last
\nweek.<\/p>\n
Habibie is convinced his decision is fully backed by a public
\ntired of prolonged problems in the nation's youngest province,
\nthey concurred.<\/p>\n
Habibie considers it vital to restore the nation's confidence,
\nshaken by chronic economic recession and political upheaval.<\/p>\n
A palace official quoted Habibie as saying recently that
\ndespite his likely short term as the country's third president,
\nhe wanted to be remembered by later generations for a historic
\ndecision.<\/p>\n
\"I will prove to the world that I can make a major
\ncontribution to world peace as mandated by our Constitution,\" the
\nofficial recalled him saying.<\/p>\n
Habibie believes that although he may be not reelected for
\nanother term at the end of this year, a successor would not be
\nable to drop or put off the decision.<\/p>\n
\"It will roll like a snowball and no one can stop it,\" Habibie
\ntold his aides.<\/p>\n
Habibie's foreign affairs advisor Dewi Fortuna Anwar said last
\nweek the President wants to be rid of a situation which has
\nbrought the country nothing but a headache and international
\nembarrassment, huge economic costs and the loss of thousands of
\nthe country's soldiers and civilians.<\/p>\n
Dewi said the predominantly Catholic province only contributed
\n7 percent to the country's annual budget, estimated to be at
\nleast Rp 200 billion per year.<\/p>\n
She quickly pointed out that Habibie's decision was unrelated
\nto religion, a fear of many.<\/p>\n
Howard's letter in December, plus Australian foreign minister
\nAlexander Downer's announcement on Jan. 12 that Canberra might
\neventually recognize East Timor as a free country, were
\nconsidered insults, said Dewi.<\/p>\n
In a letter dated Dec. 21, Howard advised Habibie to consider
\nthe settlement worked out for New Caledonia, a former French
\ncolony. The South Pacific island chain is to hold a referendum on
\nself-determination after enjoying special autonomy under France.<\/p>\n
\"Your prime minister's proposal is unacceptable,\" Dewi quoted
\nHabibie as telling Australian Ambassador John McCarthy during a
\nmeeting at Merdeka Palace on Dec. 22.<\/p>\n
Another official speculated that Habibie may not have
\nforgotten Downer's gripe that despite receiving multimillion
\ndollar Australian aid, Indonesia did not support Canberra's
\napplication to join the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in London last
\nApril, which Habibie attended as vice president.<\/p>\n
Two months after Habibie replaced Soeharto last May, Downer
\nmet with the new president in an apparent attempt to clear up the
\nmisunderstanding.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Habibie may still remember the allegation,\" the official
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Newsweek, Dewi said, came close to landing a scoop on
\nHabibie's decision when its journalists interviewed the President
\non Jan. 16 at Merdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
\"Why should we remain a captive of East Timor? Why don't we
\njust let them go if they no longer want to stay with us?\" Habibie
\ntold Dewi before receiving the journalists.<\/p>\n
According to Dewi, Habibie nearly told them about his plan
\nwhen they asked about the province's future.<\/p>\n
The secretary-general of the National Commission on Human
\nRights, Clementino dos Reis Amaral, indicated last Thursday the
\nPresident was disappointed when Belo begged off meeting him in
\nDecember following their first meeting in June.<\/p>\n
\"The President wished to know the reason for the bishop's
\nrejection,\" Amaral said after meeting with Habibie on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Habibie ordered Coordinating Minister for Political and
\nSecurity Affairs Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung to discuss Howard's
\nletter with ministers under his coordination on Jan. 25.<\/p>\n
Alatas<\/p>\n
The President consulted only a few members of his intimate
\ncircle before deciding on the stance.<\/p>\n
They were Minister of Defense and Security\/Armed Forces
\nCommander Gen. Wiranto, Minister of Justice Muladi, Minister of
\nInformation Lt. Gen. Muhammad Yunus, Minister\/State Secretary
\nAkbar Tandjung, Secretary of Development Operation (Sesdalopbang)
\nLt. Gen. (ret) Sintong Panjaitan, and Dewi herself.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas was informed of the
\ndecision only a few days before the official announcement on Jan.
\n27.<\/p>\n
\"All ministers applauded when the President made the
\ndecision,\" Dewi said.<\/p>\n
Although Wiranto strongly supported the plan, he took pains to
\nstate the decision to bring East Timor into the country's fold in
\n1976 was not wrong, Dewi added.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Wiranto's view is very similar to that of Pak Alatas,
\nwhich they presented during the Cabinet meeting,\" Dewi said of
\nthe Jan. 27 gathering.<\/p>\n
Habibie reportedly held the most intensive talks with Sintong,
\nwho advises the President on military affairs.<\/p>\n
Sintong was fired in 1991 as commander of the Udayana Military
\nCommand overseeing East Timor, Bali and West Nusa Tenggara,
\nfollowing the infamous Nov. 12 shooting incident in Dili.<\/p>\n
At least 50 people were killed when soldiers opened fire on
\ndemonstrators at Santa Cruz cemetery. Many East Timorese,
\nincluding Bishop Belo, believe Sintong, whose track record was
\nimpressive, was made a scapegoat for the deaths.<\/p>\n
\"It is the President's own decision,\" Sintong said on
\nWednesday of the dramatic announcement on East Timor.<\/p>\n
He refused to discuss the issue further, saying people would
\neventually know the full story.<\/p>\n
Yunus, whose wife Antonia Jacinta da Costa Richardo is a
\nnative East Timorese, also strongly endorsed Habibie's plan.<\/p>\n
\"As East Timor's best son-in-law, I want to serve as
\nIndonesia's first envoy to East Timor,\" Yunus joked after
\nattending a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"It is a landmark decision,\" Muladi said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/habibie-wants-to-be-remembered-for-e-timor-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }