Is RI still independent?

In The Jakarta Post of June 24, 1999, I read with surprise the article titled RI surprised by delay of East Timor ballot.

Foreign minister Ali Alatas said was he surprised that Kofi Annan announced the postponement while personal representative on East Timor Jamsheed Marker was still in the country to gather information about the latest developments in East Timor. Alatas has not received any official announcement from Annan's office.

Even the UN ignored Indonesia as a sovereign and independent country and I think that this is our own fault, because we showed our weakness and incapability to take care of our own affairs.

To secure a smooth, fair and honest general election, we needed foreign forces to watch and observe the elections, because Indonesians respect foreigners more than their own people.

East Timor is officially the 27th province of Indonesia and as such a legal part of the republic of Indonesia. If from the very beginning we were not sure that we could maintain a foothold in East Timor as part of Indonesia, then why did we invade East Timor in 1976? What were the motives of marching into this ex- Portuguese territory? What is so special about East Timor? Why must a Timorese rebel -- I forget his name -- who clearly has violated Indonesian law and as such was sentenced, receive special treatment, get his own house outside prison, get his own lawyers and special guards, which cost extra money that belongs to Indonesian taxpayers. What East Timor will be in the future is another matter, but until this very moment East Timor is still part of the republic of Indonesia. Whether the sentenced rebel will become president of a future East Timor republic is something of the future. We have here so many future presidents of Indonesia, like Habibie, Megawati, Abdurrahman Wahid, Amien Rais, but they do not get any special treatment. They are considered normal citizens still.

Due to this show of weakness, foreign observers are arriving in the 27th province of Indonesia, and foreign police to secure law and order during the ballot, as if the Indonesian Police are impotent and not capable of doing their duty.

As an Indonesian I feel insulted by the step the UN secretary- general has taken and his ignoring of the fact that he is dealing with a free and independent country.

I appeal to all Indonesians, show your strength by forging unity. Everything you do, you do for the best of Indonesia as a whole and not for the benefit of one political party or your own profit.

Once again, let us be united and become strong, so foreigners will show respect to us.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta