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)