Amien Rais 'forced' to talk on East Timor
Amien Rais 'forced' to talk on East Timor
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Antara): Moslem scholar Amien Rais has expressed disappointment that the Human Rights Caucus "forced" him to talk on the issue of East Timor before a formal forum without sufficient preparation.
"I am disappointed they did not inform me earlier (that they wanted me) to talk on the issue of East Timor," said Amien, chairman of Indonesia's second largest Moslem organization, Muhammadiyah, after attending the Caucus meeting here Thursday.
The Human Rights Caucus is a group of human rights observers based in Washington D.C.
Amien also said the U.S. National Council of Churches (NCC), which organized his visit here, told him he was to talk about the Wolf/Specter Bill at the Caucus. If passed, the legislation could open the way to the United States imposing economic sanctions on Indonesia for its allegedly poor human rights record.
According to Amien, who was accompanied by executives of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) J.M. Pattiasina and S.A.E Nababan: "I had not expected to be asked to brief them on the issue of East Timor this morning. It would be different if they had informed me first."
Pattiasina and Nababan agreed with Amien, saying they were not well-informed on the latest development in East Timor.
"We are not the right people to talk about the matter, especially without being informed ahead of time," Pattiasina explained.
The Caucus presented two speakers from East Timor Action Network and Amnesty International to speak on East Timor.
The event was attended by Senator Joseph R. Pitts (R- Pennsylvania) and Patrick Kennedy (D-Rhode Island), both of whom are known for their anti-Indonesian stance on the East Timor issue.
Kennedy once opposed U.S. military assistance to Indonesia. During the meeting, Kennedy announced his plan to issue a formal statement on East Timor along with Senator Howard Burman (D- California).
In response, Amien Rais, Pattiasina and Nababan underscored that Indonesia considers the problem "finished" since East Timor was formally integrated into Indonesia in 1976.
AP reported that Amien also urged the United States to exert pressure on Indonesia to introduce democratic reform.
"I don't want any (U.S.) intervention. I don't want any interference," Amien said after testifying before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.
"But I hope that the United States does not escape from its global responsibilities. ...Giving strong signals ...to Indonesia to open up the democratization process is the best way," he added.
Amien said he has reversed his initial opposition to linking badly needed economic aid with progress on the human rights front because the "nature of my government is so anti-progress, antidemocratic, you need external pressure to change (its) heart."