Legislators back RI's proposal for peace in Bosnia

Legislators back RI's proposal for peace in Bosnia

By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat

JAKARTA (JP): Legislators and experts here are backing Indonesia's recent move to facilitate a peaceful end to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, despite an undertone of pessimism and doubts about the likelihood of success.

Overall, news of the initiative has been welcomed warmly as a valid and legitimate proposal which should be taken seriously.

"This is a proposal for a new mechanism," legislator Theo Sambuaga told The Jakarta Post.

Over the past four years, he pointed out, various United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization peace efforts have born little fruit.

According to Theo, Indonesia's proposal adds a fresh new dimension and thus warrants an international response.

President Soeharto expressed Indonesia's readiness to facilitate peace negotiations in the war-torn country. He proposed a two-stage approach to have the ex-Yugoslavian republics sit down together and seek a common solution. An international conference would then follow.

Soeharto argued that this approach contained the ingredients for success, based on the premise that it seeks a comprehensive rather than a partial solution to the problem.

"We have the experience from helping in Cambodia," Theo said, while pointing out similarities between the Bosnian proposal and former peace negotiations in Cambodia.

Jakarta facilitated the Cambodia peace negotiations by convening the Jakarta Informal Meeting in 1988, which brought the warring factions together. The meeting was later followed up with an international conference.

Before breaking into six separate republics in the early 1990s, the former Yugoslavia was a founding member and leader of NAM.

Abu Hasan Sazili, a fellow legislator and member of the House of Representative's Commission I on foreign affairs, noted that as chair of the 111-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Indonesia's proposal could hasten the peace process.

Soeharto revealed his plan while flying back to Indonesia, proposing a peaceful solution through the creation of a confederation.

Despite the positive responses, doubts remain as to whether the initiative will result in a concrete solution.

"I'm pessimistic," said a researcher from the Center for Strategic and International Studies who has been studying the conflict.

Kustanto Anggoro recognized that Indonesia was following the same pattern as it did with Cambodia, but noted that in this case it was difficult to bring the warring factions together under a single umbrella.

He was skeptical given the opposing factions and their lack of political will to be unified. "I doubt they have any intention of being united again," he said.

At present, Soeharto's proposal remains vague on the final form it will take, be it a federation, confederation or even a common regional organization.

A return to the old Yugoslavia is impossible, Kustanto remarked.

Because numerous peace proposals have been devised and because they all have failed, he asked why Indonesia should be more successful.

Apart from the underlying questions regarding the shape of ex-Yugoslavia, there are questions as to why Indonesia is only asserting its role as a facilitator and not as a mediator.

Minister Alatas said that as a facilitator Indonesia would provide the facilities and, if asked, host the negotiations.

"Personally I would support us being mediators," Kustanto said, though he admitted that he did not really understand Jakarta's reason for taking such a position.

Theo said Indonesia realizes that other countries or organizations could play a more suitable and involved role as a mediator. "We are not part of that region and there is the UN to act as a mediator."

Because of this, he stressed that Indonesia's efforts needed the support and participation of the major countries in the area such as Germany, France and Russia.

Kustanto said NATO and the UN are better equipped to resolve the conflict. But because Indonesia has stated its intent to help, he said he would rather see Jakarta take a more pronounced role than just being a mere facilitator.