RI says no to conditioned aid<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas stressed
\nagain yesterday that Indonesia would not accept other countries'
\nattempts to make human rights records a condition for development
\ncooperation.<\/p>\n
The minister said this narrow and one-sided approach was
\ncounterproductive and a blatant denial of people's rights to
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
Indonesia holds that the promotion of human rights should be
\nthe subject of international cooperation, and that countries
\ninvolved in the cooperation should be treated as equals.<\/p>\n
"And in this spirit of cooperation and mutual respect there is
\nno place for the practice that some countries often indulge in,
\nof making peremptory judgments on, or preaching self-righteous
\nsermons to one another," Alatas said while opening the Indonesia-
\nCanada conference on human rights at the Ministry of Foreign
\nAffairs last night.<\/p>\n
The two-day dialog is a follow-up to the two countries'
\nbilateral consultative forum, agreed on by Alatas and Canadian
\nForeign Minister Lloyd Axworthy in Jakarta last July.<\/p>\n
Alatas described the dialog as part of the two countries'
\nefforts to promote more "honest debate" on human rights.<\/p>\n
The meeting will discuss several issues, including national
\napproaches to the implementation of human rights, international
\ntechnical cooperation on the issue, and setting a future agenda.<\/p>\n
The minister said a balance must be maintained between
\nindividual human rights and individual's obligations to their
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
"Freedom without acceptance of responsibility can destroy
\nfreedom... when rights and responsibilities are balanced,
\nfreedom is enhanced," he said.<\/p>\n
The participants are representatives from various institutions
\nof the two countries. Indonesia sends some members of the
\nNational Commission on Human Rights. (prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-says-no-to-conditioned-aid-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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