A UN official for East Timor?

The International Commission on Human Rights has adopted a resolution calling for the stationing of a UN human rights official in Jakarta. The official's task will be to observe the implementation of human rights in East Timor.

We would like to know if Western countries in which, as far as we know, human rights are not being respected, a UN human rights official is also being stationed. Is there a human rights official in Australia to defend aborigines, or in the United States to defend American Indians? Why is it always developing countries which are made objects of criticism? Why don't they ever take a look at themselves?

Human rights are often tied to economic aid or other matters. Countries which feel that they are powerful enough often reject such an attitude. A good example is the People's Republic of China.

The National Commission on Human Rights has kept a representative office in East Timor for some time, where it is observing the situation closely, although perhaps not perfectly. Perfection will come through experience and better input. Still, the very fact that the National Commission has an office in East Timor is noteworthy, because no such office exists in any other region of our nation.

-- Republika, Jakarta