Keep criticisms indoors: Ginandjar

Keep criticisms indoors: Ginandjar

JAKARTA (JP): Shortcomings in national development should not
be covered up. However, neither should they be used to tarnish
the government's image abroad, said Minister of National
Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita.

Any problems in development should be discussed first with the
authorities in order to work towards a gradual improvement of
policies, Ginandjar said.

The minister made the remarks in a closed-door meeting with
activists from local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on
Monday, which was held in the wake of his recent charges that
NGOs had disseminated lies in the U.S.

Ginandjar said local NGOs have fabricated the stories of how
coercion was used against women in the family planning and
transmigration programs.

The main points discussed in the closed meeting were listed by
one of the attending NGOs, the Network for Forest Conservation in
Indonesia (SKEPHI), and sent to the press yesterday.

The minister was not available for further comment yesterday.

Ginandjar had criticized the NGOs on the basis of a taped
interview of a radio talk show with New York-based NGOs.

According to SKEPHI spokesman S. Indro Tjahjono, some NGO
members told Ginandjar in the meeting that he had blemished his
own public image.

Ginandjar had campaigned a few months ago for more public
debate over government policies. He expressed this view, much to
the public's delight, when receiving his doctorate degree from a
state-owned university.

"One person even asked Ginandjar what his interest in smearing
NGOs was," Indro told The Jakarta Post.

"But Ginandjar insisted he was only expressing his concern."

The NGO members, around 30 of them, who attended the talks
listened to the contents of the taped interview.

The NGO members, including Patricia Armstrong of the Lawyers'
Committee for Human Rights, stressed the need of the World Bank
and the Consultative Group on Indonesia, two international
funding institutions, to consider Indonesia's record on human
rights and environmental protection in their assistance programs.

"The important point about the talk show was that 90 percent
of the data was not from Indonesian NGOs," said Indro.

Ginandjar had said local NGOs spread lies to foreign NGOs to
lobby international funding groups to reduce aid to Indonesia.

"The talk show just raised issues which are similar to public
concerns...such as assistance from international funding agencies
which are not ecologically and socially sound," said Indro.

Quoting Ginandjar, Indro said "telling the world" of
Indonesia's shortcomings has been "counter-productive." It has
resulted in the erosion of trust towards government institutions,
the minister said.

Ginandjar cited the withdrawal of the insurance of PT Freeport
Indonesia by a United States agency, the Overseas Private
Investment Corp. as one of the "unfavorable results" of the NGOs'
constant criticism which the government must face.

The minister said the National Development Planning Board
(Bappenas), which he chairs, acknowledges differences in opinion,
and that he was ready for more talks with NGOs.

Indro regretted that the talks on Monday did not touch on how
the government can look into criticism and act on it if
necessary.

"We left the meeting wondering what he had summoned us for."
he said.(anr)