'Nobel prize a hurdle in East Timor diplomacy'

JAKARTA (JP): East Timor has been described as the pebble in Indonesia's shoe, but the recent Nobel peace prize for separatist leader Jose Ramos Horta may well be the boulder blocking an international settlement on the territory, according to political scientists.

Several political scientists here agreed that while the Nobel committee had presented the award in the hope of facilitating "a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor", it would probably protract the reconciliation process.

"It will make things more difficult," Juwono Sudarsono told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

He said that the contest over East Timor in the international arena had been a "battle of images", thus giving credence to someone like Horta would cause complications to an already sluggish process.

International affairs analyst Kusnanto Anggoro of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies agreed with Juwono's analysis that resolving the East Timor issue would be harder internationally.

"The issue now becomes so much more distorted," he told the Post yesterday.

He said the argument had become even more immersed in human rights and other social issues outside of a purely diplomatic settlement between Jakarta and Lisbon.

Apart from legitimizing Horta's cause, the Nobel prize could stir more trouble domestically by igniting the militancy of Timorese youth, he said.

Integration

East Timor was integrated into Indonesia in 1976. But the United Nations still recognizes Portugal, the former colonial power, as the administrative authority in East Timor.

To find an internationally acceptable solution, the UN Secretary-general sponsored tripartite talks between the Portuguese and Indonesian foreign ministers. Despite eight meetings, the talks have yielded little.

"Generally speaking we're in a tight spot and things are more difficult for us. But I don't think it will have a significant impact on the tripartite talks," Kusnanto said.

"(However) It would probably be a psychological boost for Portugal," he remarked.

While many here regret Horta's inclusion with Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo as a Nobel peace prize laureate, his selection is further evidence of Indonesia's poor diplomacy abroad.

Kusnanto said we must admit that Indonesian diplomats had a reputation of rejecting debate on East Timor in forums abroad.

When asked if he thought if the diplomats had not done enough, Kusnanto quipped: "Are they not active enough or are they not doing anything at all."

Loekman Soetrisno of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta also said Horta's award proved Indonesia's weak diplomacy abroad.

"If Horta can get the Nobel prize, this means there's something wrong with our lobbying and strategy," Loekman told the Post. He said it showed Horta's lobbying was more effective than the Indonesian government's.

Loekman said he once attended a seminar abroad on East Timor and found that Indonesian diplomats generally preferred to keep quiet on the matter.

He said that officials should not over react to Horta's award, but should use it as a means of introspection.

"There's no use seeking scapegoats... Indonesian officials shouldn't be so reactive by pointing fingers at the Nobel committee for not understanding the situation in East Timor," Loekman said.

While the issue of sovereignty over East Timor is burdened with new obstacles and pressures from abroad, many believe the ultimate solution must come from within.

Kusnanto said the issue had dragged on mainly because the government had failed to psychologically integrate the people of East Timor.

Juwono said the actions of security forces, the bureaucracy and all those engaged in East Timor determined how well integration was received.

"Nobel prize or not, the ultimate success lies in the territorial work on the ground," he said. "It doesn't depend on outsiders." (mds/har)

Congratulation -- Page 2

Editorial -- Page 4