Abdurrahman speaks about non-interference

Abdurrahman speaks about non-interference

By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat

BATAM, Riau (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid, addressing the
inaugural ASEAN People's Assembly, lauded the application of the
principle of non-interference in the region.

To a gathering of some 300 representatives of the 10 member
states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the
President pointed out on Saturday that in his official capacity
he has to strictly abide by this principle which has served the
group in good stead for so many years.

While acknowledging the growing demands to review the
principle and the greater role of the non-state actors in the
region, Abdurrahman argued that different conditions in the
respective member states sometimes did not permit ideals held by
one member country to foster in another.

Abdurrahman recounted that he was "very close" with jailed
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. However, ASEAN
agreements do not permit interference in the internal affairs of
member countries.

"I'm very close with Anwar Ibrahim, but when I became
president I told Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad: 'I will not
interfere in the matters of Malaysia'," he said.

"So when Anwar Ibrahim's wife came to Jakarta and requested to
have breakfast with me, I did that but afterwards I told the
Malaysian Ambassador that the breakfast was impossible for me to
avoid but I would not take any action to interfere".

"Sometimes it should also be remembered that progress, or
let's say reconciliation, in one part of ASEAN cannot be executed
in another part."

ASEAN -- comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam -- has in recent years been under pressure to review or
altogether drop its non-interference policy given the alleged
human rights violations occurring in member states.

Among the most often cited examples by activists of political
repression is the jailing of Anwar Ibrahim and Myanmar opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Such issues were among the talking points of the three-day
ASEAN People's Assembly.

Organized by the ASEAN Institute for Strategic and
International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS), the Assembly, which began on
Friday, aims to provide an avenue where people of the region can
express their aspirations in an organization known to be a
fraternity of government officials.

Abdurrahman remarked that he had personally informed the
leader of Myanmar, Than Shwe, that he would not agree to Suu
Kyi's call to boycott the country as that would probably do more
direct damage than good.

Abdurrahman defended his stance by saying that different
societies have not "developed" at the same pace.

"So this policy of non-interference should be followed because
we have to understand the position in other societies ... this is
important for people in ASEAN to know."

"We have our principles, but we have to adapt those principles
to the development of each country as well as the development
throughout ASEAN," the President said.

"Sometimes we can aide our friends, but sometimes we have to
bear with the situation".

While voicing his official position as President, Abdurrahman
also expressed some personal feelings. It was evident in the talk
that he was somewhat torn on the matter, as he kept citing
"friends" in several ASEAN countries who were being oppressed for
their activities.

"Of course, as a democratic man I have to give sympathy to
those who work for human rights ... Its a long way to have a
truly democratic society," he said while citing a Chinese proverb
that "a journey of a thousand paces begins with one step".

Nevertheless, he stressed that any societal change within a
country must be launched and acted upon by the citizens of that
country.

"As an individual I have my own views about Malaysia which I
won't present here as it would only wreck the relations between
Indonesia and Malaysia." (mds)