Our diplomacy

Our diplomacy

Responding to the recent offer by friendly countries wishing
to help the Republic of Indonesia after the referendum in East
Timor, President Habibie stated that not merely help, but mutual
understanding was more important for the Indonesian nation.

The statement may have been based on the reality that nearly
the whole world has welcomed the victory of the proindependence
group in East Timor. It also means that the world in general does
not sympathize with Indonesia. This does not only include Western
countries or communist states. None of our fellow ASEAN members
expressed their condolences on the "disaster" experienced by the
Indonesian nation, especially the veterans of the Seroja
Operation in East Timor. This is a lamentable fact.

If we compare the current situation to the more arduous
diplomatic struggle to capture West Irian, which required only 13
years, the achievements of our current career diplomats are far
below those of earlier diplomats who have become legendary
figures, with their names written in golden ink in our national
history. They are Agus Salim, Sutan Sjahrir, Muhammad Roem,
Sudjarwo Tjondronegoro, etc.

As today, the domestic situation at that time was somewhat
fragile, yet their skillful diplomacy succeeded in embracing
friends and beating enemies.

Not only communist, Asian and African states, but some Western
countries sympathized with Indonesia. Harbor workers in Australia
launched a strike to express their unwillingness to serve Dutch
war ships sailing to Indonesia.

Now the opposite is happening. The Australian government, with
allegedly no record of problems with Indonesia, has silently
helped Portugal and the proindependence group so that East Timor
can secede from Indonesia. Who is to blame for all this?

IFRAD SUKANTO

Jakarta