Analysts say no to Australian forces

Analysts say no to Australian forces

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Political observers have recommended against
the inclusion of Australian forces in a peacekeeping contingent
for East Timor, but conceded that the government lacks power to
reject their participation.

They urged that a peacekeeping force be comprised
predominantly of Asian and African countries, along with
"neutral" European states such as Sweden and Norway.

They said that given the emotionally charged sentiment
prevailing across the country, it would be unwise to include
forces from countries such as Australia and the United States.

M. Najib Azca of Gadjah Mada University's Center for Peace and
Security Studies said it would be difficult for Indonesia to
accept Australia, given questions raised about its neutrality.

"Sentiments against Australia in Indonesia are at a high,
because it concerns pride... even though that can be debated,"
he said here on Tuesday.

International relations researcher M. Imran Hanafie of
Hasanuddin University said that given the current climate the
government must lobby the United Nations and not "blindly" accept
the force's composition.

"I'm afraid the presence of forces from Australia and the
United States under the UN flag will only create new
complications with prointegration forces," he said.

Imran, who is head of the international relations department
at the university, told The Jakarta Post that countries such as
Sweden, Norway and Malaysia would be more acceptable.

He said there were strong suspicions that Australia and the
United States had ulterior motives in participating in the
peacekeeping force.

Lambang Trijono of the Center for Peace and Security Studies
in Yogyakarta also suggested that "Western" countries had a
strong interest in seeing Australia included, because it was
viewed as a "doorway" into Asia and East Timor.

However he conceded it would be difficult for Minister of
Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas to set conditions for the peacekeeping
force, given Jakarta's weak bargaining position.

"Minister of Foreign Affairs Alatas will face tough
negotiations in New York, because he faces the interest of
European and Australian interests in East Timor," Lambang told
the Post here on Tuesday.

He said the most that Indonesia could do was to block
Portugal's inclusion.

"It's even going to be hard to stop an Australian or American
from heading the force."

Lambang urged Indonesia to seek support from fellow Asian
states, and in particular China, using the cause of a common
Asian interest.

"Indonesia has to ensure that the peacekeeping force is
comprised as much as possible of Asian countries, especially
China," he said, noting that China has a veto right in the UN
Security Council.

Gadjah Mada University political lecturer Praktino said
Indonesia should demand to have some say in the formation of the
peacekeeping force, given that technically East Timor was still
part of Indonesia.

"Based on the UN resolution, until the General Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly is held, East Timor is still the
responsibility of Indonesia. Thus Indonesia is still the host of
the UN forces," he said.

The Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and
Victims of Violence (Kontras), Munir, while supporting the
presence of international peacekeepers, said if the UN completely
neglected Indonesia's appeals then it could face trouble in
adapting to conditions in East Timor.

"Let them come in. They'll find out for themselves the
complexities of dealing with the situation in East Timor," he
said.

"Personally, I'd like to see neutral countries like those from
Africa and fellow ASEAN states who are not involved in East
Timor." (23/27/44/emf/prb)