Soeharto, Clinton discuss rights issue<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto and U.S. President Bill
\nClinton engaged in extended talks yesterday discussing human
\nrights issues and East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"He (Clinton) raised the issue of human rights in Indonesia
\nand the problem of East Timor,\" said Minister\/State Secretary
\nMoerdiono on the bilateral discussions between the two presidents
\nat the Merdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono revealed that the discussions on East Timor were
\nrelated to the issue of integration, the presence of the Armed
\nForces (ABRI)there, the Nov. 12 Dili incident and autonomy.<\/p>\n
Questions were also raised on the human rights and on freedom
\nof expression, with reference to the recent banning of three
\nlocal news publications.<\/p>\n
So intensive were the discussions that the originally
\nscheduled 30-minute meeting stretched to one-and-a-half hours.<\/p>\n
Clinton, who attended the historic APEC meeting in Bogor on
\nTuesday, yesterday extended his stay in Indonesia for an official
\nstate visit.<\/p>\n
\"Soeharto gave an elaborate explanation to Clinton about the
\nintegration process of East Timor,\" Moerdiono said, adding that
\nSoeharto further stressed that the integration was in respect to
\nthe rights of the East Timorese who wished to join with
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Soeharto told Clinton that the Dili incident of Nov. 12, 1991,
\nwhich caused the death of around 50 civilians was caused by
\nunnecessary provocation.<\/p>\n
\"It was really an act of provocation by those who opposed
\nintegration and we were caught in that provocation,\" Moerdiono
\nsaid quoting Soeharto's explanation.<\/p>\n
Armed Forces<\/p>\n
On the Armed Forces' presence in East Timor, Moerdiono said
\nSoeharto had informed the American president that they were there
\nto help develop and \"build it together with the people\".<\/p>\n
He further said that Soeharto had explicitly stated that East
\nTimor would not be given any special autonomy different from that
\nof the other 26 provinces in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Although the talks centered on highly sensitive issues, they
\nwere conducted in a frank and amiable manner.<\/p>\n
Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher
\ndisclosed that his president had applied a fair amount of
\npressure raising the matter in \"firm and forceful terms\".<\/p>\n
\"The relationship between the United States and Indonesia can
\nnever reach its highest level if the people of the United States
\ndon't have confidence that there is an effort here to respect the
\nhuman rights of all the citizens,\" Christopher said.<\/p>\n
On the issue of freedom of expression, Moerdiono said Clinton
\nspecifically raised questions on the banning of three
\npublications.<\/p>\n
Two weeklies, Tempo, Editor, and a tabloid, Detik,
\nhad their publishing licenses revoked by the government on
\neditorial and administrative grounds on June 21.<\/p>\n
Soeharto explained that what was being revoked was not the
\nright of speech, but the licenses, and that this was done based
\non the law, Moerdiono said.<\/p>\n
On labor issues, Soeharto told Clinton that the government was
\nnot clamping down on workers, but on perpetrators hiding behind
\nthe workers with the intention of creating strife.<\/p>\n
Economics<\/p>\n
Later on during a speech at the Jakarta Convention Center,
\nClinton defended his administration's policy against detractors
\ncritical of Washington's commitment to human rights.<\/p>\n
\"Even though we will continue to promote human rights with
\nconviction and without excuse, we reject the notion that
\nincreasing economic ties undermines our human rights agenda,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"In every private meeting I have with leaders ... we talk
\nabout human rights issues,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
In defense of his policy, Clinton expressed his belief that it
\nwas through economic cooperation and the betterment of economic
\ndevelopment that human rights could be forwarded.<\/p>\n
Witnessed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown, several
\nU.S. firms an hour earlier signed contracts worth some US$40
\nbillion with a group of Indonesian companies.<\/p>\n
\"We remain convinced that strengthening the ties of trade
\namong nations can help to break down the chains of repression,\"
\nClinton asserted.<\/p>\n
Pointing out Japan, South Korea and Taiwan as examples,
\nClinton argued that commercial relations have a tendency to open
\nup closed societies, noting that the freer people are, the more
\nproductive and creative they can be.<\/p>\n
\"These aspirations are part of human nature,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Clinton was quick to point out that his concern over these
\nissues should not be interpreted as the encroachment of U.S.
\nvalues on others.<\/p>\n
\"We do not seek to impose our vision of the world on others,
\nindeed we continue to struggle with our own inequalities,\" he
\nremarked.<\/p>\n
Acknowledging the differing cultural values and stages of
\ndevelopment, he said that there was no single perfect model for
\norganizing a society. (mds)<\/p>\n
Rights -- Page 2<\/p>\n
Timor -- Page 3<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soeharto-clinton-discuss-rights-issue-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }