Who says Aceh is integral to RI?<\/p>\n
By M. Yusuf Daud<\/p>\n
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (JP): The struggle of the oppressed peoples
\nof the world for their right to self-determination has often been
\novershadowed by the notion of so-called "territorial integrity"
\nand the principle of noninterference in the "internal affairs" of
\na sovereign state.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
\nin Europe (OSCE) read out a statement during the recent summit in
\nIstanbul, Turkey, expressing deep concern about the terrible
\nsituation in Chechnya, but at the same time strongly supporting
\nthe "territorial integrity" of the Russian Federation.<\/p>\n
In response to Acehnese demands for a referendum to determine
\ntheir own future, many Indonesian ministers and top politicians
\nhave bluntly echoed the importance of preserving the "territorial
\nintegrity" of Indonesia through any means.<\/p>\n
Is territorial integrity so sacrosanct it legitimizes the use
\nof force against innocent civilians in order to prevent a
\nterritory from breaking away?<\/p>\n
The territorial integrity of a state is recognized by
\ninternational law. But human rights, including the right to self-
\ndetermination, are also an integral part of international law and
\nby definition must be the legitimate concern of the international
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
It is also a cardinal principle of international law that the
\nlegitimacy of a state's control over a territory depends on how
\nit acquired that territory. In the case of Aceh, the territory
\nwas unlawfully occupied by the Dutch and then handed over to the
\nnewly created Republic of Indonesia after World War II without
\ndue process of international law and the laws on decolonization.<\/p>\n
A member of the International Court of Justice, Dillard, has
\nsaid: "It is the population who decides the destiny of the
\nterritory and not the opposite."<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the concept of the "territorial integrity" of
\nIndonesia arose during the era of colonialism as a means to
\nprevent the artificial boundaries of conquered territories from
\nbecoming separate independent states. Therefore, the very concept
\nof the "territorial integrity" of Indonesia is by no means
\nsacrosanct or absolute.<\/p>\n
In the past months, the people of Aceh, non-governmental
\norganizations and human rights groups have repeatedly warned the
\nIndonesian government and international organizations, including
\nthe United Nations, of the extreme danger of the Indonesian
\nMilitary's approach to solving the political conflict in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Despite that, the Indonesian Military is now planning to
\nimpose martial law in the area -- meaning more blood of innocent
\nAcehnese will be spilled -- and the UN and western democracies
\nstill consider the Aceh conflict an "internal affair" of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Here again, the notion of "internal affairs" is going to be
\nused by the regime as a license to kill more Acehnese and prevent
\noutside intervention.<\/p>\n
This irresponsible attitude of the international community is
\nalso a betrayal of the very principle of the Acehnese's right to
\nself-determination to decide their own future through a fair and
\nfree referendum.<\/p>\n
The decades of flagrant violations of human and political
\nrights by Indonesia in Aceh is neither an internal affair nor
\ndoes it fall under the domestic jurisdiction of any state. It is
\nan international concern that cannot be resolved without
\ninternational intervention.<\/p>\n
Even if Indonesia succeeds in occupying Aceh militarily, and
\nthis will certainly result in many more deaths and casualties,
\nthe war will continue unabated.<\/p>\n
History shows that it took Dutch colonialists almost a century
\nto understand the Acehnese cannot be defeated in war. It also
\ntook Indonesian colonialists 54 years to learn how resilient
\nAcehnese are in struggling for their freedom.<\/p>\n
And a peaceful pro-referendum rally in Banda Aceh on Nov. 8,
\n1999, in which a quarter of Aceh's population (1.5 million
\npeople) from all walks of life participated, is further proof to
\nthe international community that the Acehnese are united and
\nprepared to sacrifice everything they possess when their
\nintegrity, dignity and honor are downtrodden.<\/p>\n
Two decades have passed and tens of thousands of innocent
\nAcehnese have either been killed or disappeared without a trace.
\nHow long will the international community wait before taking
\naction to save those lives that can still be saved, or must there
\nbe many more bloodbaths before the international community will
\nact. Help prove this is not the case.<\/p>\n
Given the tragic fact that the Acehnese have been subjected to
\ncenturies of oppression by Dutch, Japanese and Indonesian
\ncolonialists, it is not difficult to understand why an
\noverwhelming majority -- if not 100 percent -- of Acehnese
\nbelieve that independence is the only way forward and a
\nreferendum is the most democratic way to solve the Aceh conflict.<\/p>\n
Therefore it is the responsibility of the international
\ncommunity, including the UN, to support and uphold the right of
\nthe Acehnese to determine their own future through a free
\nreferendum or plebiscite.<\/p>\n
And it is also the duty of the UN to prevent the political and
\nhuman rights of the Acehnese from being usurped by Indonesia on
\nthe grounds of "territorial integrity" and the "internal affairs"
\nof the Republic of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The writer is the secretary-general of the Free Aceh Movement
\nin Europe.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/who-says-aceh-is-integral-to-ri-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}