Pilger's film<\/p>\n
This is rather a belated reply to Melise Van Kamp's Aug. 12,
\n1994 letter entitled \"On John Pilger's film\", concerning East
\nTimor. In it she assails The Jakarta Post contributor Dino Patti
\nDjalal's article, published earlier, which criticized the
\nAustralian filmmaker's methods.<\/p>\n
Ms. Van Kamp accuses Mr. Djalal of giving precious little
\nattention to Pilger's film Death of a Nation: The Timor
\nConspiracy, and of making personal attacks on the producer, but
\nshe herself is guilty of failing to sufficiently discuss the
\nmovie in her letter. Instead, she disparages Djalal's \"low
\nquality of journalism\" and \"inelegant prose.\" She must remember
\nthat watching one movie doesn't make her an ordained expert on
\nthe East Timor problem.<\/p>\n
At this stage I must say that except for persons of a certain
\npolitical hue (or those with a short supply of perspective), East
\nTimor's integration with Indonesia was the best possible
\ngeopolitical solution to the problem. Death of a Nation is a
\nmisnomer: there never was an East Timorese nation (Why isn't West
\nTimor a nation?)<\/p>\n
After the utterly irresponsible Portuguese pullout in 1975,
\nthe Marxist Fretilin declared itself the rightful heir to the
\ncolony's administration. It was not the only grouping in the
\nterritory, but it had the most arms; the departing Portuguese
\nsoldiers made sure of that. Fretilin had a definite political
\nagenda. What would have been next? Cuban troops invited into
\nIndonesia's, and also Australia's backyard? The whole region
\ndestabilized?<\/p>\n
This does not mean that I condone some of the later events
\nthat occurred after the integration of East Timor into Indonesia.
\nThose elements of the Indonesian army who committed mistakes in
\nEast Timor must be punished accordingly . We have also been
\nguilty of poor public relations and clumsy handling of some
\nimportant matters. But some progress has been made, several human
\nrights issues, albeit slowly, have been addressed, and it seems
\nthe government is committed to improvement.<\/p>\n
Now back to John Pilger. Despite his having won press awards,
\nthe best indicator of good journalism are still the ABC's:
\nAccuracy, Balance, and Completeness. By starting out with an
\nobviously anti-Indonesian premise in Death of a Nation, Mr.
\nPilger has violated these principles. Some of Mr. Djalal's points
\nin his articles, in fact, are quite valid. To repeat, it seems to
\nbe controversy-making rather than the whole truth that is a
\nhallmark of Pilger's journalism. But perhaps press judges prefer
\ncontroversy. Sensationalism and dramatization sell newspapers.<\/p>\n
For readers not too familiar with John Pilger, read the
\nBritish magazine New Statesman & Society. Pilger's column is
\nfilled with references to \"capitalist democracies\" and \"Tory
\npropaganda.\" Never \"socialistic propaganda.\" Perhaps Pilger has
\nthe coat of arms of the \"heroic Fretilin nation\" on his wall.
\nWorkers of the world, unite!<\/p>\n
FARID BASKORO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pilgers-film-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }