President Habibie makes final plea on East Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie made a final impassioned
\nplea before the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Sunday to
\nratify the results of the Aug. 30 ballot in East Timor which in
\neffect would separate the territory and pave the way for its
\nindependence.<\/p>\n
Seeking the most weighty justification, Habibie cited the 1945
\nConstitution which stipulates that independence is the right of
\nall nations.<\/p>\n
He contended that it would be pointless for the country to
\nstubbornly maintain the integration of East Timor as the
\nintegration was never recognized by the international community.<\/p>\n
East Timorese voted overwhelmingly to reject wide-ranging
\nautonomy under Indonesia on Aug. 30. The results of the ballot
\nmeans that the territory will be returned as a nonself-governing
\nterritory to the United Nations, which will then administratively
\nprepare its independence.<\/p>\n
However, any formal separation from Indonesia has to be
\nconducted through the Assembly which must revoke Decree No.
\nVI\/1978 which legalized the integration of East Timor as the
\ncountry's 27th province.<\/p>\n
Habibie has come under fire from all quarters, including the
\nAssembly, for taking such a rash political decision which would
\nsee state integrity undermined and without prior consultation
\nwith the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Habibie, during his reply to the Assembly's overview of his
\naccountability speech, said on Sunday that the Assembly must
\nhonor the aspirations of the East Timorese.<\/p>\n
\"Although it is very bitter and sorrowful for us to see the
\ndefeat of prointegration in East Timor in the direct ballot,
\nhowever, as a great nation... and in this new era where we are
\ndetermined to advance democracy and human rights in Indonesia, we
\nhave to accept and respect the result of the ballot,\" he said.<\/p>\n
All of the 11 factions in the Assembly, including the
\nIndonesian Military\/National Police faction, blamed Habibie for
\nhis hasty decision.<\/p>\n
But Habibie dismissed these rebukes, including concerns by
\nfactions that the government failed to press the United Nations
\nMission in East Timor (UNAMET), as the organizer of the direct
\nballot, to resolve the allegations of irregularities during the
\nballot process.<\/p>\n
\"It is not true at all that the government is avoiding its
\nresponsibility toward the East Timorese and just handed over
\ntheir fate to UNAMET,\" Habibie remarked.<\/p>\n
He reiterated his justification for allowing a ballot,
\npolitically referred to as a popular consultation, to take place
\nby arguing that Indonesia would not be able to play a major
\ninternational role in the future as long as there was no
\ninternationally acceptable solution to the East Timor issue
\nfound.<\/p>\n
\"We all hope with this policy that the problem of East Timor
\nwhich has become prolonged and caused heavy burdens for
\nIndonesians will eventually be resolved,\" Habibie asserted.<\/p>\n
He also argued that he had fully involved the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) during the policy making process on East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
He maintained that all the policies on the troubled territory
\nwere conducted in a transparent way.<\/p>\n
Habibie noted that foreign minister Ali Alatas held regular
\nhearings with House Commission II for foreign affairs to brief
\nlegislators on the latest developments in the territory.<\/p>\n
\"The whole process of negotiation was undertaken in a
\ntransparent manner,\" the President said.<\/p>\n
The decision to allow a ballot to take place shocked everyone.
\nThe government announced on Jan. 27 that it was reversing its
\ntwo-decade old policy and offering a special autonomy option to
\nEast Timor, which could be accepted or rejected by a ballot.<\/p>\n
\"It (the decision) was fully consulted with the leaders of DPR
\nand the factions,\" the President repeatedly said.<\/p>\n
Most leading Assembly members have said they would agree to
\nrepeal the 1978 decree on East Timor.<\/p>\n
However, the debate remains on how the revocation should take
\nplace. Some have suggested that East Timor's former colonial
\npower, Portugal, should reciprocate the Assembly's move by
\ndeleting reference to East Timor as part of Portugal in its
\nConstitution.<\/p>\n
The Assembly working committee has drafted two alternate
\nproposals: one would immediately revoke the 1978 decree, thereby
\nseparating East Timor from Indonesia, and the other would delay
\nthe revocation until Portugal does the same.<\/p>\n
The Assembly is expected to endorse one of the options on
\nTuesday night. (rei\/prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-habibie-makes-final-plea-on-east-timor-1447893297",
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