The Nobel decision<\/p>\n
The decision to award this year's Nobel peace prize to East
\nTimor Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and exiled separatist
\nleader Ramos Horta came as something of a shock. Few in Indonesia
\nquestion the selection of Bishop Belo who, in spite of his often
\nscathing criticisms of the government's policy, has tirelessly
\nworked towards the promotion of peace in the territory.<\/p>\n
However, the selection of Horta is controversial and
\nrepresents a major blow to Indonesia. Anyone who knows of his
\npast, even his recent past, would dispute the Nobel committee's
\ndecision. Horta is neither an angel of peace nor a warrior for
\npeace. On the contrary, Horta's actions have often obstructed the
\nUnited Nations' sponsored negotiations between Indonesia and
\nPortugal which are meant to settle the East Timor question. If
\nanything, he has helped to make peace even more elusive for the
\npeople in East Timor. He is a leader of Fretilin, one of the
\nparties involved in the bloody civil war in East Timor in 1975.
\nThe Fretilin's human rights record is hardly commendable enough
\nfor any of its leaders to receive the celebrated peace prize.<\/p>\n
Alas, the Nobel committee has made its decision, either out of
\nignorance, or because it is poorly informed, or politically
\nmotivated. Whichever is the case, there is no need for Indonesia
\nto pursue the matter beyond questioning the motive behind the
\ndecision. It is a fact that Indonesia, particularly the
\ngovernment, will have to live with. From now on, Ramos Horta will
\nbe referred to as a Nobel laureate wherever he goes, whether
\nIndonesia likes it or not.<\/p>\n
Nor is there any need for Indonesia to look for scapegoats.
\nSuffice it to say that Indonesia has problems and failures both
\non home ground and in international fora on the question of East
\nTimor which have contributed to this affair. Instead, Indonesia
\nmust look at the challenges ahead, because this turn of events is
\nbound to put East Timor further in the international limelight.<\/p>\n
The government will have to work even harder toward solving
\nthe various problems existing both in East Timor and at the
\nUnited Nations. The government has repeatedly said that there is
\nno longer any political problem in East Timor and that the
\nproblems that do exist there are mostly economic, particularly
\nthe growing number of unemployed educated young people in the
\nterritory. Yet, we have yet to see any concrete measures to
\nremedy these problems.<\/p>\n
Far too often, perhaps because of pressures from abroad, the
\ngovernment finds itself caught up in its own rhetoric, rehashing
\nthe progress achieved in East Timor since it became part of
\nIndonesia. In international fora, the government has never
\nstopped pointing out the fact that it has succeeded in having the
\nEast Timor debate deferred from discussion at the United Nations
\nGeneral Assembly, year after year. Unfortunately, relying solely
\non such successes would be to take a myopic view of the whole
\nEast Timor problem.<\/p>\n
Indonesia still has a long way to go in making the integration
\nof East Timor complete, before it will be able to convince the
\nworld that the territory is truly part of the republic. The Nobel
\npeace prize controversy should not upset the government's efforts
\non any front, but it should bring the realization that solutions
\nmust be found quickly.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-nobel-decision-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}