Ramos makes first move at damage control

By Ati Nurbaiti

JAKARTA (JP): Philippine President Fidel Ramos has made the first move to heal the rift between his country and Indonesia caused by Manila's hosting of a controversial conference on East Timor earlier this month.

He sent a senator to approach President Soeharto, informally at least, to help soothe relations strained by the conference.

Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani, the younger sister of the president, did just that.

The senator, who was here for the Asia-Pacific women's conference this week, had a brief and informal, yet crucial, meeting with Soeharto when the latter opened the women's conference at the State Palace on Monday.

"I'm grateful for the warmth (and) courtesy I received," Shahani told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Shahani said she had "a quiet conversation" with Soeharto at the opening ceremony during which she conveyed a message from her brother, marking the first contact, albeit an indirect one, between the two leaders since the bilateral row erupted.

Yesterday, the senator met with Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono at the latter's office to convey a letter from Ramos for Soeharto.

Ramos' message essentially contained two points, according to Shanani on Tuesday.

One was the Philippines' goodwill to continue friendly relations with Indonesia and the second was Manila's desire that the East Timor issue not obstruct the plan to forge economic cooperation programs linking the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

Soeharto responded positively to both points, reaffirming Indonesia's desire to maintain good ties with the Philippines, and its support for the planned East Asian Growth Area, Shahani said.

Indonesia had protested the Philippines' hosting of the conference on East Timor, pointing out that the gathering provided a forum from which people who oppose East Timor's integration with Indonesia could attack Jakarta.

Ramos at one stage sent a special envoy in an effort to soothe Indonesia's displeasure, but pointed out that he was constitutionally prevented from barring such conferences from proceeding.

A close ally of Ramos later managed to win a court order to postpone the conference, but in the 11th hour the Supreme Court defeated the ruling and allowed it to continue.

The Philippine government, in a futile attempt at damage control, barred some foreigners from taking part in the meeting, ignoring criticism both from opposition groups and the Philippine press.

Indonesian officials later expressed satisfaction with Manila's response.

"Our government had nothing to do with the Conference," stressed Philippine ambassador Eusebio A. Abaquin, who accompanied Shahani at the Jakarta Hilton coffee shop.

Further fallout from the East Timor conference was the cancellation of a major business meeting in the southern Philippines city of Davao that was to bring together business leaders from Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

The meeting of the East Asia Business Council was to have discussed the business projects involving the four countries.

Shahani, a noted politician who has her own TV show, said "We were just going to shoot the businessmen coming to Davao as part of our coverage of the Growth Area."

Ambassador Abaquin said one result of Shahani's Monday meeting may be a new date for the Business Council meeting.

They both said "more understanding" between both countries still needs to be generated, "though some of our Indonesian friends do understand our traditions," said Shahani.

These traditions, she stressed, include the rights of free speech and assembly "which we take for granted," and which "even President Ramos cannot deny."

To prevent further misunderstandings, she reflected, "maybe each government should study more the forces at work on both sides."

For the Philippines, she added, this may mean "more consultation" with NGOs on issues of "foreign policy and our relations with other countries."

This, she emphasized, does not change the government's stance towards NGOs which have a long history in the Philippines.

She said the Philippines' consistent support of Indonesia since 1975 on the East Timor question has not changed despite criticism and endless questions on the issue.

On Saturday Shahani, after being asked to speak on spirituality and ethics which she actively advocates, also responded to a question on the East Timor conference from a member of a limited audience at the Aryaduta Hotel in Central Jakarta.

She said "the Philippines is sorry...we hope it will not happen again, but it takes two to dance - we ask Indonesians to also respect our tradition."

Though both communities share the same roots, there are also points of divergence, she said. But since both countries have shared good relations for a long time, she acknowledged "we sometimes take our friendship for granted."