Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel Peace Prize

From Media Indonesia

The conferring of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize on Dili Bishop
Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and East Timor anti-integration
activist Jose Ramos Horta was shocking indeed. In the case of
Belo, it is acceptable. But the choice of a political opportunist
like Horta -- who has been accused by his own anti-integration
circle of expropriating funds -- is very much politically
motivated. The choosing of Horta was possibly due to support from
anti-Indonesia groups abroad.

It must be admitted, however, that such things can happen.
Horta has succeeded in his consistent and continuous campaigns,
while the Indonesian government lacks agility in countering
Horta's offensive.

Another factor is the inadequate information on and the
ignorance of the situation in Indonesia. CNN, for example, shows
its naive ignorance of Indonesia in its reports on the award.

The precious lesson gained from this experience is that
Indonesia should diffuse information and activate its diplomacy
to a greater extent to confront anti-Indonesia campaigns and
propaganda. But this would not be enough. It should be supported
by the improvement of social, economic and political conditions
at home, in order not to offer an occasion for those who, from
the start, did not mean well and did not want to see our country
prosper.

SATRIO ARISMUNANDAR

Jakarta