Reconciliation: The key to healing wounds in East Timor

Reconciliation: The key to healing wounds in East Timor

By Yuri O. Thamrin

JAKARTA (JP): In a recent article published on Oct. 4 in
Newsweek, Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo argued that the world
has a moral obligation to defend the East Timorese from the
ongoing humanitarian catastrophe inflicted by Indonesia. "The
world owes my people", declared Bishop Belo.

Belo's article is thought provoking. He put his point across
loud and clear, in an elegant and articulate manner. His article
is one that abounds with vivid description of the terrible havoc
wrought by pro-Jakarta militias, who were actively backed by the
Indonesian Military (TNI). Considering Belo's high personal
standing, it is obvious that his views will substantially color
international opinion on East Timor, because the world's
assessment of East Timor might be derived through the "eyes" of
the bishop.

In a frank manner, Bishop Belo chided the West for its
hypocrisy toward East Timor, when the Indonesian soldiers invaded
and annexed his country in the 1970s. It seems that the logic of
the Cold War prevented the West from taking firm action against
Indonesia's bloody invasion. In the wake of Indonesia's invasion,
200,000 East Timorese perished, and many more suffered terribly
under the iron-fisted rule of the Soeharto regime.

In Belo's view, the popular consultation which occurred on
Aug. 30 was a significant turning point in the history of East
Timor. The East Timorese -- defenseless and weak as they have
long been -- were given a chance by the United Nations to express
their true convictions. As such, they bravely rejected
Indonesia's proposal for wide-ranging autonomy and, instead,
almost 80 percent of them voted for independence. This is
basically the root cause of the current East Timor debacle.

The disappointed and angry Indonesian military subsequently
instigated their revenge, using the "dark force" of the pro-
Jakarta militias to punish the East Timorese. The sufferings
brought about by the scorched-earth policy is all too apparent
for everyone to see.

According to Belo, the world has a moral obligation to help
his nation. The post-Cold War era has freed the international
community from the shackles of the old geopolitical logic. It
also provides an opportunity for the world to redeem itself for
its past mistakes. For the sake of East Timor's survival, the
world has to discipline Indonesia. If need be, military force
should be robustly applied to TNI members and pro-Jakarta
militias alike. At the very least, vigorous economic measures
should be taken to change Indonesia's behavior.

Looking closely at Belo's article, one could not but feel that
Belo's opinion appeared simplistic. What Bishop Belo tries to
underscore is that the key to the solution of the East Timor
problem is "international intervention". In addition, Belo seems
to believe that all the trouble in East Timor is solely the
result of TNI-backed pro-Jakarta militias, and not due to the
complexity of the question at hand.

Will the international intervention work to achieve a long-
lasting and genuine settlement of the East Timor question?

First, international intervention is not without its own
limitations. It is highly improbable to posit that the
international intervention will last for a long period of time.
There have been speculations recently that the International
Force for East Timor (Interfet) will not tolerate troop
casualties.

If there are Interfet fatalities in the conflict the
participating states' eagerness to continue with the mission
might peter out.

There are clear signs that Australia -- a country which has
been enthusiastically supporting humanitarian intervention in
East Timor -- is experiencing domestic disputes concerning the
best and most appropriate approach to the East Timor crisis.

Furthermore, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation, Australia's Minister of Defense John Moore recently
visited the Pentagon to discuss the possibility of reversing the
Interfet operational doctrine, from the current war-fighting mode
to a normal peace-keeping operation.

Australia is reportedly in a difficult position to sustain
over a long period of time the costly financial burden needed to
maintain its fully geared military deployment in East Timor.

Second, East Timor's terrain is ideal for guerrilla fighting.
This is the reason why the proindependence Falintil's armed
groups have managed to maintain a protracted guerrilla campaign
against Indonesia for almost 24 years. This in turn gives us an
inkling of what the pro-Jakarta militias may pursue in the
future, unless their interests are sufficiently accommodated.

Considering this, one could pose a pertinent question: Is
Interfet ready to become involved in protracted guerrilla warfare
in East Timor?

Third, judging from the above, it can be argued that the cost
of the military settlement in East Timor will be very high.
Hence, the final solution for East Timor should be attempted
through political accommodation, i.e., with the involvement of
all parties concerned, regardless of their political affiliations
and including the prointegration camp.

As the UN Secretary-General has rightly underlined, peace and
stability in East Timor will be highly dependent on the existence
of a future political system in East Timor which is inclusive and
democratic in nature.

Therefore, it follows that "power sharing" is the name of the
game in bringing to a close the tragedy of East Timor. That goal
should be negotiated among all East Timorese people.

Fourth, in order to achieve the above-mentioned solution, the
help of impartial institutions and authoritative public figures
is essential. These institutions and public figures are supposed
to reactivate the process of reconciliation among all the East
Timorese, as a first step toward political accommodation. In this
regard, one could pose a pertinent question: Do we have such
impartial and authoritative institutions and public figures?

Certainly, the United Nations and Bishop Belo would be
suitable for the role. Hence, they both need to craft a proper
approach to gain and bolster confidence from all elements within
the East Timorese community. Obviously, it remains to be seen
whether the UN and Bishop Belo will take up the role of "honest
brokers".

Fifth, the negative attitude shown by many in the
international community toward Indonesia, as well as the biased
remarks and assessments toward this country, are regrettable.
Scolding never solves any problem; they only cause attitudes in
Indonesia to harden. In this regard, Indonesia deserves another
reading. After all, Indonesia is a country undergoing the process
of democracy. Indonesia is also the prime mover for the popular
consultation in East Timor. The government of Indonesia is also
ready to establish a national fact-finding commission, and is
even prepared to set up a national tribunal to redress human
rights questions in East Timor. For all this, Indonesia deserves
the world's understanding and assistance.

It is also relevant here to mention that peace and stability
in East Timor will be dependent to a significant extent on
Indonesia's "goodwill". After all, Indonesia is a big
neighboring country looming large on East Timor's western
frontier. The government has formally accepted the outcome of the
popular consultation in East Timor.

This positive stance underscores the seriousness of Indonesia
with regard to the settlement of the East Timor question.
Considering that silly and biased remarks will only create ill
feeling in Indonesia and, as such, may affect the goodwill of the
Indonesian people, it is therefore important that everyone should
exercise self-restraint, respect each other's honor, and also
employ a forward-looking approach.

In conclusion, contrary to Bishop Belo's belief, international
intervention does not seem to be the key to the East Timor
solution. Worse of all, such intervention, when solely pursed in
military terms, might get out of hand, and in turn make the
search for peace even more elusive.

People say "violence will only beget violence". Therefore, the
key to the East Timor question lies in political reconciliation
and accommodation among all East Timorese, including those
belonging to the prointegration camp. Given his high personal
standing, Bishop Belo can obviously contribute to this goal.