Motion for referendum in Aceh wins debate contest
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)