Time for reconciliation<\/p>\n
Given that it has taken some governments many years or even
\ndecades to publicly acknowledge the wrongs that their countries
\nhave done to others, President Abdurrahman Wahid can be said to
\nhave shown remarkable sensitivity by using his brief visit on
\nTuesday to apologize to the people of East Timor for the
\ntreatment they received during the 25 years that the territory
\nwas part of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"You were oppressed. We also were living under tyranny. But
\npraise God, that past period which was full of hardship and pain,
\nwill end soon. Let us start building a better future for Timor
\nLeste and Indonesia,\" the Indonesian President said to the cheers
\nof thousands of East Timorese gathered to welcome him.<\/p>\n
A public apology from the Indonesian President to the people
\nof East Timor, of course, is fully deserved. Although many of the
\ninjustices and atrocities committed by Indonesians during the era
\nof \"integration\" may come to light only after a full
\ninvestigation and many others will probably forever remain
\nconcealed, even what little is known at present is sufficient to
\nput an indelible blot on Indonesia's contemporary history.<\/p>\n
Undeniable, because of the available testimony of living
\nwitnesses, are the killings, the massive destruction and the
\ndisplacement of innocent East Timorese during the upheavals that
\nfollowed the East Timorese independence vote last year. So are
\nthe killings by Indonesian troops of scores of peaceful
\ndemonstrators during the infamous 1991 Santa Cruz incident.<\/p>\n
True, the territory underwent rapid development under
\nIndonesian administration during \"integration\". New roads were
\nbuilt to lift remote villages out of decades of isolation.
\nSchools were built to provide education for the youths of East
\nTimor. On the other hand, many of the benefits that development
\ncould have brought to the East Timorese went to newcomers from
\nother parts of Indonesia instead.<\/p>\n
No less destructive was the New Order regime's subculture of
\ncorruption that found a foothold and infected the territory. And
\ndespite the numerous development projects undertaken by the
\nIndonesian government, the one factor that most strongly helped
\nsustain the spirit of independence was the injustice, real or
\nperceived, perpetrated by that administration.<\/p>\n
As President Abdurrahman noted, however, all that is water
\nunder the bridge. To continue to dwell on those past mistakes may
\nsatisfy the emotions of some, but will help neither East Timor
\nnor Indonesia to build a future that benefits both. If Indonesia
\nwants to atone for the wrongs it has done in the past, one thing
\nit can do is to assist the East Timorese, as much as it can, in
\nbuilding a prosperous, democratic East Timor.<\/p>\n
This Indonesia can do without too much cost, for example by
\nproviding East Timorese students with the opportunity to continue
\nto study at Indonesian universities and by providing expertise to
\nthe administration of the newly independent Timor Leste. It is
\nfortunate, indeed, that both East Timor and Indonesia are led at
\npresent by people dedicated to the cause of democracy and peace.
\nFor both countries and for the sake of regional stability, it is
\nof vital importance that their leaders continue to do their best
\nto ensure that both can live together and cooperate as befits
\ngood neighbors.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/time-for-reconciliation-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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