Regional autonomy
Regional autonomy
Threats of Indonesia's disintegration have been the biggest reason in the past why regional autonomy was shunned, but recently it was hoped that by giving the regions more power, it would curb - at the very least - separatist movements.
We hoped that separatism in Aceh and Papua would die down as soon as regional autonomy law was implemented. Regional autonomy should have promoted power sharing between the central government and the provinces and regencies/mayoralties.
Separatism is a classic illness of the nation, which is heterogeneous by its very nature. The heterogeneity is so strong that we need more political commitment to unite as one nation.
Thus, for the sake of the unitary state of Indonesia, separatism must be crushed by military operations. However, military operations have proven to be unable to stop separatism, which is based on structural principle, relating to fair power sharing. The central government should have restrained itself from being so dominant in making any decision relating to the regional affairs.
In this context, there is a skepticism that autonomy is not the effective answer to deal with separatism. Aceh and Papua could be cited as examples of the boiling provinces, even after the regional autonomy law was implemented.
-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta
Does Iraq really have chemical weapons?
The Iraq war has been taking place for more than 19 days, and the U.S.-led troops are very close to controlling the capital of Baghdad, but there has been no sign that Iraq has used or will use weapons of mass destruction.
Yet, the U.S. and Great Britain accused Iraq of developing and possessing such hazardous weapons and used such an accusation to legitimize their attack on Iraq.
The war is still going on, and thus, suspicion that Iraq will use its lethal weapons, including the biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, is still relevant.
But, as the war is nearing 'completion', Iraq has yet to use weapons of mass destruction. Meaning that the U.S. and UK worries were misguided -- at least that is what it seems like so far.
We could conclude - for the time being - that there has been no concrete evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. The war has been going on for 19 days, but the U.S. and UK have shown no proof that such an attack was legal.
The attack on Iraq is a blatant form of despotism. The unjustifiable war becomes more and more unjust as more and more Iraqis get killed, and material losses are also mounting.
If the U.S. and UK had listened to the United Nations (UN) and the international protests, the tragedy in Iraq would not have happened.
-- Kompas, Jakarta
The progress of war
In many ways, the war in Iraq is continuing more smoothly and with fewer dramatic consequences than some had predicted.
Many horrible scenarios, which war opponents lined up a few weeks ago, have not happened.
Before the war, there were worries of massive civilian losses in Iraq. Despite examples of alleged mistakes in bombings and civilian casualties, the precision of the attacks on Iraq has been impressive.
Before the war, some said it would cause a permanent rift between France and Germany and Britain and the United States. Disagreement between the two sides remains, but already there are signs the countries are moving to repair the damage.
Before the war, many said terrorist attacks on western targets would increase. Iraq has apparently started a new tactic with suicide attacks against British and U.S. soldiers, but there's been no wave of terror in the United States and Europe.
No one should think it will be easy to topple Saddam and disarm Iraq, but a lot of those worst-case scenarios have remained just that.
That's worth remembering in the middle of the war.
--Berlingske Tidende, Copenhagen, Denmark
French and German boycotts
A boycott of French and German goods has gathered pace in the United States - a consequence of those countries' continued resistance to the war in Iraq - but such a movement is economically unsound and an overreaction.
Consumers have made the call to boycott French wine and bottled water, even yogurt. Others have encouraged steering clear of German automobiles. The growing list has had an impact on scores of businesses with ties to international companies.
Before taking pleasure at the notion of striking at the economy of those countries unwilling to join the coalition of nations supporting the battle to liberate a suppressed Iraqi citizenry, consider the effects that first will be felt on American soil. ...
When you refuse to buy a Michelin tire, think about the workers who made that tire. Michelin's work force in the United States totals 20,000, ...
Think about the distributors that hire people who daily deliver yogurt and other dairy foods, wines, coffees and cosmetics to grocers, who depend on sales of such products and many others with French ties to keep their workers employed. ...
These companies are pumping money into our communities, where many livelihoods depend on their continued economic well-being, and boycotting their products should be viewed as more un- American than anti-French or anti-German. ...
-- Herald-Journal, Spartanburg, South Carolina
The expensive war
The war in Iraq is becoming harder and longer than expected, and much more expensive than planned.
This is tragic considering the increasing number of casualties and also has consequences for the world economy. The longer the war goes on, the longer we will have to wait for the longed-for upturn.
Since it would seem there will be no spike in oil prices, the economic effects of the Gulf War should be limited.
But it is certainly an illusion to believe that, after a short war in Iraq, the dynamism of the 'new economy' era will return. At best, we can hope for a temporary stimulus for growth.
Weighing much more heavily is the fact that the world's big economies are still having to struggle with the effects of the transition to the information age - along with the accompanying wave of speculation on the stock exchange and gigantic over- investment by companies in the 1990s.