Motion for referendum in Aceh wins debate contest
JAKARTA (JP): A well structured and presented motion calling for a referendum on self-determination in Aceh gave the University of Indonesia (UI) the first prize in a national debating contest here on Saturday.
The UI team comprising Briliantina, Curie and Adrian, won the contest in the first inter-varsity competitive debate in the Indonesian language organized and hosted by students of International Relations Studies of UI's School of Social and Political Studies.
They beat the all-women team of Sigin Dasa, Luluk M. and Nunuk W.S. from Jember University in East Java in the final round which debated the motion that "foreign intervention is justifiable in the name of democracy."
As the proponent of the motion, the UI team called for United Nations intervention in Aceh to organize a referendum to end the violence in the restive province.
"When all other avenues to peace have been closed, should we turn a blind eye to foreign assistance?" asked Briliantina in her closing argument.
In opposing the motion, the Jember University team doubted that a referendum would stop the violence in Aceh, using as an example the continued infighting among East Timorese since it voted to become independent last year.
Luluk instead argued that the government of President Abdurrahman Wahid should be given a chance to pursue peaceful negotiations to resolve the Aceh problem.
The contest used the Australian parliamentary debate rules whereby each member of each team is given seven minutes to debate his or her points.
Accusations flew, although they were circumspect. The UI team called Jember University a bunch of xenophobics for opposing foreign intervention, and the Jember students called into question the UI team's intellectual capacity and sense of nationalism for proposing such intervention.
The contest follows the highly successful annual English debating competition by universities in Indonesia.
Three other teams taking part in the contest were from Muhammadiyah University in Yogyakarta, and Paramadina University and Budhi Luhur University, both from Jakarta.
UI's English Debating Society, which assisted with the competition, says it is helping to organize the first nationwide English debating competition among senior high schools in Jakarta in November. (emb)