Rights issue get greater attention at APEC meeting<\/p>\n
By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat and Ati Nurbaiti<\/p>\n
VANCOUVER, Canada (JP): Social issues such as human rights
\nprotection are gaining unprecedented prominence, albeit still on
\nthe fringes, as leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
\n(APEC) members prepare for the start of their annual summit here
\ntoday.<\/p>\n
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien said during a meeting
\nwith APEC top business executives Friday morning that human
\nrights promotion is a common goal which members of the forum must
\nstrive for.<\/p>\n
\"Our common objectives must be a strong economy, strong social
\nprograms, a healthy environment and respect for human rights,\"
\nChretien said.<\/p>\n
Later that evening, in their Joint Statement, APEC ministers
\nreferred to role of youth and gender issues.<\/p>\n
They applauded the involvement of young people in APEC
\nactivities and noted the attention paid to gender issues, which
\nwill culminate in a meeting on women to be held in Manila next
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Reference to such issues signifies a marked departure for the
\n18-member forum which usually only focuses on trade and economic
\nissues.<\/p>\n
It was Canada, as the current APEC chair, who put these social
\nissues on the forum's agenda.<\/p>\n
The Canadian government has also been sponsoring a People's
\nSummit which has run in conjunction with the formal APEC
\nmeetings. Concluded yesterday, the gathering brought together
\nactivists and non-governmental organizations from APEC members to
\naddress various social issues.<\/p>\n
Indonesia had been a target of criticism at the People's
\nSummit, singled out for having a poor human rights record.
\nParticipating non-governmental organizations staged a mock
\ntribunal on Indonesia's policy toward its 27th province, the
\nformer Portuguese colony of East Timor.<\/p>\n
These criticisms gained much media spotlight.<\/p>\n
On Saturday The Vancouver Sun quoted an Indonesian embassy
\nofficial as saying that Indonesian participants protesting a
\nstatement of Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas had
\n\"misunderstood\" the minister.<\/p>\n
Alatas, who was quoted as saying that \"action\" would be taken
\nagainst Indonesians joining antigovernment protests, had been
\nreferring to those joining \"violent\" demonstrations, the official
\nwas quoted by the daily as saying.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the Indonesian Embassy maintained that Jakarta
\nplaces \"a great value on the role that non-governmental
\norganizations have played in Indonesia's development.\"<\/p>\n
\"But we do not see the value in the politicizing of the
\ndevelopment process. Many of the issues of concern to those
\nparticipating in the People's Summit are matters that the
\ngovernment of Indonesia continues to address on a daily basis,\"
\nthe statement said.<\/p>\n
The Canadian federal government has so far steered away from
\nany direct criticism of Indonesia's human rights record during
\nthe meetings. However, the provincial government of British
\nColumbia has been more sympathetic toward Indonesia's critics.<\/p>\n
British Columbia Premier Glen Clark called Friday for the
\nrelease of jailed East Timorese separatist leader Jose Alexandre
\n\"Xanana\" Gusmao and labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan.<\/p>\n
\"I join with those calling on Mr. Soeharto to release Muchtar
\nPakpahan and Xanana Gusmao from prison,\" Clark said during a
\nluncheon.<\/p>\n
In addition to the daily media criticism disparaging Jakarta's
\nhuman rights record, the Indonesian delegation here is bracing
\nfor a possible demonstration when the APEC forum leaders convene
\nat the University of British Columbia campus today.<\/p>\n
Chinese President Jiang Zemin and President Soeharto are
\nthought to be the targets of the protest.<\/p>\n
But police yesterday evening began to move tents set up on the
\ncampus grounds used to coordinate the anti-APEC coalition.
\nSeveral students refused to go by themselves and had to be
\ndragged away.<\/p>",
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