APEC meeting not the place to discuss human rights: Barry
JAKARTA (JP): The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum must maintain its function as an economic-oriented body and avoid being saturated with issues, such as labor and human rights, United States Ambassador to Jakarta, Robert L. Barry, said yesterday.
During a luncheon held by the International Forum Indonesian here yesterday, the ambassador asserted that APEC would not delve into issues which strayed from economic development.
"There's no need to take all these issues into an area which makes the forum that's been developed less useful for the primary purpose that it is designed for," said Barry.
APEC comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.
Next week, Indonesia will host a series of high level meetings starting with an APEC Ministerial Meeting here on Nov. 11 and Nov.12 and an economic leaders meeting at the Bogor Presidential Palace, some 60 kilometers south of Jakarta, on Nov. 15.
Ambassador Barry's comments yesterday were attributed to the recent pressure from various non-governmental organizations (NGO) demanding that Jakarta's alleged abuses of human rights and neglect of workers' rights become a focus of the leaders meeting.
Groups such as Amnesty International launched an aggressive campaign last month, when they met with a number of APEC leaders, such as Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, in a bid to highlight such issues.
Their efforts have by far gone unheeded, with APEC leaders refusing to let rights issues stain the discussion on trade liberalization among forum members.
"We don't think it ought to evolve into a forum of discussing human rights," Barry said, while insisting that human rights belongs to a different forum.
He noted that the most appropriate channel of dealing with such issues was either bilaterally or through United Nations agencies.
Prospects
Speaking on the prospects of the coming meetings, Barry expressed faith in the leaders meeting in Bogor.
"I wish to underline the fact that there is no difference along developed and developing country lines about where APEC ought to be headed," he said.
Two separate groups of the forum, the Eminent Persons Group and the Pacific Business Forum, recently handed in their reports calling for the adoption of a timetable for trade liberalization by 2010 and 2020 respectively.
It was also reported that as host, Indonesia will put forth a proposal calling for the adoption of a deadline for free trade in the upcoming meeting.
There is no difference in substance between Indonesia and the United States about where Indonesia is taking APEC under its chairmanship, Barry noted.
On the same occasion, Prof. Bintoro Tjokroamidjojo, special assistant on APEC affairs to President Soeharto, refused to confirm reports on Indonesia's proposal for a 2020 timetable for free trade in the region.
"Wait until November 15 ..," Bintoro said as he scurried off into his chauffeured car. (mds)