'Let Timorese decide their own fate'

The wind of reform has prompted the government to offer special status to East Timor, the former Portuguese colony that became an Indonesian province in 1976. Political scientist Arbi Sanit of the University of Indonesia thinks that the East Timorese should have more say in their own administration.

Question: Do you think that the special status offered by President B.J. Habibie to the East Timorese is adequate?

Arbi: The offer, according to most Indonesians outside East Timor, is more than adequate. However, I think, the East Timorese will not be satisfied if the offered status is similar to that already given to Yogyakarta and Aceh because they feel that they should not be under Indonesian rule.

Their demand is actually more psychological than material in nature. The government has thus far provided great privileges for the East Timorese so that their prosperity has been improving steadily. With a great deal of financial assistance from the central government, East Timor has been enjoying "luxury" budgets even though its contribution to its own spending is very small.

But because their political rights have been under pressure for decades, the East Timorese now want greater power and more freedom from the central government. They want a greater say in determining policies within their own boundaries with very limited intervention from the central government.

That means that they want most administrative positions in the territory, not only the governorship, to be controlled by East Timorese and not by representatives from Jakarta. The Armed Forces (ABRI) should also reduce its presence in East Timor.

Q: What will the consequences be for the East Timorese if they are given greater autonomy?

A: As soon as they obtain greater autonomy, they must finance the majority of their economic needs from their own locally generated revenue. The East Timorese will not act fairly and democratically toward their colleagues in other parts of the country, who have made big sacrifices for the country's independence, if they are given greater freedom from the central government but remain financially dependent on it.

Q: What is your view on demands for a referendum in East Timor?

A: Such demands indicate that some East Timorese, including members of the former parties that proclaimed the integration of their territory into Indonesia (in 1976), are not satisfied with their treatment by the central government, while their political aspirations were too high.

They were under the illusion that as soon as they integrated into Indonesia, they should have obtained greater rights from the central government than their colleagues in other parts of the country. Because they have such political pride, they refuse intervention from the central government and ABRI.

I think we'd do better by giving the East Timorese a chance to decide their own fate. If the East Timorese want independence, what is wrong with that? Why do we force them (to be part of Indonesia). If they are just a thorn in our flesh by demanding more money than other provinces while giving us nothing. They are just disturbing us.

Q: Have such demands been encouraged by ABRI's violations against human rights?

A: ABRI has violated human rights not only in East Timor but also in other parts of the country. So the human rights problem is not merely faced by East Timorese because human rights violations have been ABRI's "defect" in its political role.

Doesn't this mean that Fretilin (the anti-integration movement) has gained greater support?

It should not necessarily mean so. Political aspirations in East Timor are developing and changing. Those who used to support integration might want freedom now.

The political background is that the (New Order) government has put too much pressure on the political rights, particularly the rights of democracy, of the people, including those in East Timor, even though it offered greater welfare in return.

As a result, the citizens rejected the (authoritarian) power of former president Soeharto and the East Timorese want greater freedom.

Q: Do you think that the international community will support the independence of East Timor?

A: I don't think so. The international community, including the United Nations, the United States and Australia, will be very cautious about the East Timor issue because they have commitments with Indonesia. Even some countries which used to support Portugal against Indonesia in international forums have now become more neutral on the issue.

So the international community will continue supporting Indonesia's position of keeping East Timor in its territorial administration as long as it does not make serious humanitarian violations against the East Timorese.

Q: What do you think about ABRI's stance?

A: ABRI will surely oppose a referendum in East Timor, which might result in the province's independence and the disintegration of Indonesia.

If East Timor were given independence, other provinces, particularly Irian Jaya, could also demand independence.

For ABRI, the issue of East Timor's integration has been finalized. What has not been finalized is the equal distribution of the economy in the province.

If ABRI is asked to reduce its presence in East Timor, its leaders might consider it as soon as security is seen to be improving. (riz)