Criticisms mount over Habibie's East Timor decision

Criticisms mount over Habibie's East Timor decision

JAKARTA (JP): Criticism from politicians and political
analysts continued to be leveled at President B.J. Habibie
following the rejection by East Timorese of his offer of autonomy
for the province and the subsequent full-blown conflict in the
territory.

Habibie's strongest presidential contender, Megawati
Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan), said the escalating violence in East Timor was a
result of a double-standard policy exercised by Habibie's
government.

"On the one hand it offered a referendum, but on the other
hand it exerted undercover efforts to maintain East Timor as part
of the Republic of Indonesia through any means," said Megawati,
reading out the party's statement in response to the result of
Aug. 30 self-determination ballot.

Megawati said she would ask for Habibie's accountability for
"all political speculations in regard to the East Timor case
which has inflicted harm to our nation state".

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced on
Friday that more than 78 percent of East Timorese rejected the
Indonesian government's autonomy offer. Violence rapidly
escalated following the announcement, with more than 100 people
feared to have been killed on Saturday and Sunday. Thousands have
fled the province by land, sea and air.

In her long-awaited policy speech late last month, Megawati
accused Habibie of breaching the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) decree which endorses East Timor's integration into the
republic. PDI Perjuangan won 153 House of Representatives seats
in the June 7 polls, boosting Megawati's chances in the
presidential campaign.

Megawati said on Tuesday that Habibie, in his capacity as the
Head of State, Head of Government and Supreme Commander of the
Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police, should also be
held responsible for the violence and massive exodus.

"Habibie's government did not anticipate nor seriously prepare
various facilities for the thousands of refugees who would leave
East Timor by the time the referendum's result was announced,"
Megawati said.

She urged the military and police to refrain from adding to
Indonesia's tainted image in the world community by acting in
favor of certain ambitious individuals.

"Learning from our experience in handling East Timor, I appeal
to Indonesian people not to let this nation be overwhelmed any
longer by anxiety which stems from some policies taken by
government figureheads who tend to put their political ambitions
before national interests."

Megawati was close to tears when she spoke of widows and
children of the thousands of servicemen killed to defend
Indonesia's sovereignty over East Timor.

Earlier in the day, Sarwono Kusumaatmadja of the National
Movement for Justice and Unity called on Habibie to immediately
step down for his handling of the former Portuguese colony.

Sarwono accused Habibie of exploiting nationalism to conceal
his failure to cope with the country's internal problems.

"I'm afraid that later Habibie will give Aceh a similar option
without thorough consideration, or even Karet Tengsin (a Central
Jakarta district), to separate from Indonesia," the former
Cabinet minister said.

Sarwono said that from the very beginning the option awarded
to East Timorese demonstrated Habibie's inability to work on
crucial issues affecting his administration.

He said the government had reduced East Timor into a problem
of security and had failed to accord the territory an appropriate
approach.

"I cannot blame the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because
they've done their best. It's our wrong stance on human rights
that has sparked high tension among East Timorese."

He demanded the government stop developing policies which
involved national interests and instead follow the New York
agreement between Indonesia, Portugal and the UN on the future of
East Timor.

"Now that East Timorese say they don't want to be part of
Indonesia, the best actions we can take are to revoke the MPR
decree on the status of the territory and immediately call for an
international peacekeeping force to maintain peace and security
there."

He suggested the withdrawal of military troops before
November's MPR General Session. "Their presence will only add
more victims."

In Semarang, political observer Riswandha Imawan warned the
nation of "independence fever" in other problematic provinces as
a result of East Timor's rejection of Jakarta's wide-ranging
autonomy offer.

"The best way for us now is to reflect and realize the
importance of nationalism. The domino impact of the East Timor
case must be avoided," Riswandha of Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada
University said on Sunday after a seminar.

Riswandha said the likely separation of East Timor from
Indonesia was a big mistake committed by the current
administration.

"This (separation) also proves that Habibie's government
cannot be trusted anymore.

"The President's chief duty is to maintain the unity of the
whole nation, but Habibie fails to do so. Therefore, there are no
reasons for him to be nominated as the country's next president."

Riswandha also urged the ruling party Golkar to drop Habibie's
presidential nomination.

A group calling itself the National Forum in Defense of the
Integration Right of East Timor (Credible) demanded on Sunday the
revocation of Habibie's autonomy offer to East Timor and the
result of the Aug. 30 vote.

In a statement signed by chairman Hamdhany Wiryono and
executive secretary Yanuar Ikbar, the Bandung-based organization
said Habibie's decision was illegal because it was taken without
consulting the House of Representatives. (06/emf/har/edt)