Beware of foreign

Beware of foreign
intervention

From Media Indonesia

Foreign intervention will perhaps become increasingly
sophisticated and difficult to avoid as it is one of the main
features of globalization, in which a national issue is also seen
as a global problem. Therefore, it becomes even harder to
identify forms of such intervention, as is now taking place in
Aceh. The Henry Dunant Center (HDC) and the Joint Security
Committee (JSC) certainly regard their tasks as serving a
humanitarian cause.

The humanitarian principles they follow will not distinguish
between the acts done by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the
Indonesian military (TNI). Indonesia's approval of the foreign
organizations' presence also makes national interests difficult
to manifest.

Treating GAM and TNI on the same footing is already favorable
to GAM, which can arouse suspicion among people who "love
Indonesia". In the case of physical reaction shown by the public
at the JSC or HDC headquarters, the position of Indonesia is
further "cornered". In our view, the Aceh issue with the HDC and
JSC as truce monitors and dispute mediators should be closely
examined.

GAM has lately violated the peace agreement with Indonesia by
committing acts of violence, including the burning of public
facilities in Aceh. However, the TNI has had to bear the blame
for GAM's offenses. We should thus watch out for any involvement
of foreign elements in Aceh under the guise of humanitarian aid.

REKSON SILABAN W
Jakarta