Canada won't link coop to rights issues

JAKARTA (JP): Canada's Ambassador to Indonesia Gary J. Smith claimed that Ottawa would not link human rights issues as a precondition to economic cooperation between the two countries.

"No, we won't link human rights matters with economic cooperation," Smith told journalists yesterday after the closing of a three-day meeting entitled Indonesia-Canada Human Rights Colloquium.

He maintained that Canada highly regards its ties with Indonesia.

"We have very active and long-standing cooperation arrangements and we also cooperate actively on a political basis internationally and regionally," Smith added.

Smith's remark is somewhat of a departure from Ottawa's stance which has usually been stern regarding human rights issues with Indonesia, particularly concerning East Timor. Canada is known as one of the strongest critics of Indonesia's policy on East Timor.

Ottawa has not recognized the integration of the former Portuguese colony as Indonesia's 27th province.

A strong East Timor anti-integration lobby is also active in Canada.

In 1991, Canada was one of the first countries to take tough measures following the Nov. 12 bloody clash in Dili, East Timor, in which around 50 local people died. Ottawa suspended approximately US$27.5 million worth in aid to Indonesia in protest over Indonesia's handling of the incident.

A mild diplomatic rift also erupted early last year resulting in an exchange of diplomatic notes between the two governments over an incident in East Timor.

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy issued a diplomatic note protesting the visit by Indonesia's then ambassador to Ottawa Benjamin Parwoto to the mother of a Timorese dissident on Jan. 20, 1996, in Dili.

Axworthy said Parwoto's visit had intimidated Theresa Galhos and put pressure on her daughter, Isabel, to stop her anti- Indonesian activities in Canada.

Indonesia replied by expressing deep regret over Ottawa's actions.

Jakarta warned that it was concerned with the activities of "certain parties" in Canada which could disrupt relations between the two countries.

Despite the sometimes harsh exchanges, ties have generally been sound. President Soeharto is due to visit Vancouver, Canada, in a few weeks for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

During the three-day meeting which ended yesterday, officials and human rights advocates gathered to exchange views on human rights issues.

Participants agreed that human rights is universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated.

They also agreed that independent organizations should play a key role in ensuring the promotion, protection and realization of human rights.

In his written address yesterday, Ambassador Smith said independent non-governmental organizations could be a valuable bridge between the people and governments in an effort to promote and protect human rights.

Another important tool would be the use national human rights commissions.

"We already have the two human rights commissions in our respective countries working together and this was at the request of the Indonesian side," Smith said.

Currently, the Canadian Human Rights Commission is assisting the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights with the development of its systems and procedures, documentation and human rights education.

The two commissions will hold their first joint seminar on human rights in December in Jakarta, the foreign ministry's former director for International Organizations Hassan Wirajuda said. (10)