The East Timor ballot<\/p>\n
Should the referendum in East Timor be delayed or go as
\nscheduled? This controversy, minor though it may seem on the
\nsurface -- after all, what difference does a delay of a mere two
\nweeks make -- could be the first open indication of the disparate
\npositions which Indonesia and the United Nations are taking with
\nregard to the question of granting the people of East Timor their
\nright to self-determination.<\/p>\n
In the view of the UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan, a delay
\nin the ballot is necessary due to continuing violence between
\npro- and anti-independence factions in the former Portuguese
\ncolony, which Indonesia declared its 27th province after it was
\nabandoned in the 1970s by its colonial masters. Despite official
\nassurances from Indonesia that the situation was under control,
\nindependent reports have made a mention of escalating violence in
\nthe territory over the past weeks. According to Amnesty
\nInternational, at least 34 people were killed in East Timor since
\nMay 5.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, on the other hand, believes a delay is unnecessary.
\n\"We don't believe there should be a delay,\" foreign minister Ali
\nAlatas said. \"We believe the security situation is continuously
\nimproving and we are quite sure that by Aug.8 (the planned date
\nof the ballot), or far before it, the security situation will be
\nfully conducive.\" Any delay, he said, should only be because of
\ntechnical reasons affecting the work of the UN Assistance Mission
\nin East Timor (UNAMET). \"If that's the reason for the delay, then
\nwe can be rational about it.\"<\/p>\n
With his comment, the foreign minister makes it seem as though
\nthe main cause of his objection to the proposed delay is the
\nimplied allegation that the Indonesian Police are incapable of
\nmaintaining peace and order in the territory -- or indeed, that
\nthe military is backing the unruly pro-Indonesia militias
\noperating in East Timor in order to influence the outcome in
\nfavor of Indonesia. Official denials notwithstanding, reports of
\ncontinued violence, mostly instigated by the militias, have
\ncontinued to fill the pages of the international media.<\/p>\n
Alatas may have his own reasons for his optimism regarding the
\nsecurity situation. But whatever they may be, as of this day, the
\nsecurity situation in East Timor appears far from settled.
\nIndependent media reports have claimed that between 40,000 and
\n50,000 East Timorese -- or about 5 percent of the half-island's
\npopulation of 800,000 -- have been forced to become refugees and
\nare now living in appalling conditions in camps, many of which
\nare controlled by pro-Indonesia militias.<\/p>\n
Indonesian officials have denied allegations that the military
\nare trying to influence the vote by force. Still, Indonesia
\ncannot and does not take the matter of East Timor lightly. At
\nstake is whether East Timor will remain within Indonesia as an
\nautonomous part, or become an independent nation, free of any
\nimposed ties with its huge neighbor. And while Indonesian
\nofficials have officially insisted they will leave the decision
\nto the people of East Timor, it is obvious that the best solution
\nto the long drawn-out problem would be, as far as they are
\nconcerned, for the East Timorese to opt to stay with Indonesia.
\nAfter all, trillions of rupiah have been spent developing the
\nformer Portuguese colony, not to mention the loss of face the
\ngovernment would suffer by giving up East Timor. No less
\nimportant are the Indonesian soldiers who have given their lives
\nfor what they believe is the just cause of keeping East Timor
\nwithin Indonesia.<\/p>\n
In any case, assuming that all the parties involved --
\nIndonesia, the UN and the East Timorese -- are sincere in their
\nendeavor to hold a free and impartial ballot to determine the
\nfuture of East Timor, then the only way to ensure the necessary
\npeace and order for the process is by inviting an international
\npeace-keeping force to oversee the process. As long as the
\nresponsibility for security in the region is entrusted to the
\nIndonesian government only, it will always be open to allegations
\nof foul play.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-east-timor-ballot-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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