'Nobel prize a hurdle in East Timor diplomacy'

'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