NAM accused of inaction to stop rights violations
NAM accused of inaction to stop rights violations
JAKARTA (JP): International relations expert Dewi Fortuna
Anwar accused the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) of "inaction" in the
face of gross human rights violations by its own member
countries.
The researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences said in
a seminar on the future of the 113-nation movement on Thursday
that NAM must be "firmer" in addressing human rights violations
committed by its members.
She added that NAM's principle of non-interference must not be
used as an excuse when action is called for.
"The Movement is not based on actual power, it is based on
moral power ... We are made up of nations who were oppressed, who
questioned the unfair hierarchy in international relations," she
said.
If the Movement stands idly by on inter-member violations of
human rights, "we will be charged by the West of applying double
standards, just as we charge them," Dewi said.
Regarding violations in Myanmar, she said the Movement must
not be silent, "as if we believe state sovereignty is higher than
people's sovereignty. They should be parallel."
The seminar, organized by the Media Indonesia daily, discussed
the future of NAM after Indonesia ended its three-year
chairmanship and handed it over to Colombia in October.
Dewi was commenting on papers presented earlier by Nana
Sutresna, a senior Indonesian diplomat who was the executive
assistant to President Soeharto when he chaired the movement in
1992-95, and by Juwono Sudarsono, an international relations
expert and deputy governor of the National Resilience Institute.
Nana said earlier that it would be difficult for any NAM
leader "to be too active" on the question of human rights
violations by its members.
"The principle of upholding state sovereignty is sacred among
members, and it is this principle which forms the base of NAM
solidarity," he said.
Dewi said that the movement has yet to live up to all the
principles that were promulgated when it was founded in 1961.
She said NAM needs to be more active in finding solutions to
conflicts among member countries.
"This will lead to stronger solidarity, and a higher
commitment of members to the Movement," she said. "Although we
are now focusing more on economic (cooperation), NAM still is a
moral force."
She underlined that NAM's founding was inspired by the 10
principles laid out by leaders of newly independent countries in
Asia and Africa who met in the West Java city of Bandung in 1955.
NAM has also failed to live up to some of the 10 Bandung
Principles, which, she said, include respect for fundamental
human rights and non-aggression against other countries.
Dewi however recognized that the Movement has been more
relevant to member countries since Indonesia took over the
chairmanship in 1992,
In the wake of the Cold War, Indonesia succeeded in
maintaining the relevance of NAM as a moral force in
international diplomacy, despite the neutral platform on which
the group of Third World countries was founded.
Juwono in his paper focused on Indonesia's leadership of the
Movement, which he said deserves better recognition by the
Indonesian people.
Indonesia's leadership style, patience and hard work has been
highly appreciated by other member countries, he said.
Juwono said that in order to remain effective, NAM should now
be run by "managers" and not by "political builders". (anr)