Self-determination must not threaten nation's unity: Habibie

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie asserted on Tuesday that the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination would be void if it threatened the unity and integrity of the sovereign nation.

"The right of self-determination, as stated in the 1993 Vienna Declaration, cannot be used by certain groups to cause the collapse of the national unity and integrity of a sovereign country that respects human rights," Habibie said in his opening statement at a national human rights workshop here.

In his speech Habibie also called on participants of the three-day workshop to pay "extra attention" to the issue of the rights of indigenous people and "internal" self-determination in a way that would "prevent misunderstanding."

He said it would be "very wise" for the workshop to discuss the issue of indigenous peoples and to link it to the bills on district autonomy, the distribution of national resources, and a just and equitable economy, currently being debated by the House of Representatives.

Habibie did not mention any region by name.

In the last few months mounting calls for a referendum on self-determination have been aired in various provinces, most notably Irian Jaya and the former Portuguese colony of East Timor.

While the question of Irian Jaya was decided in 1969 after a United Nations-sponsored plebiscite, the issue of East Timor remains a contentious issue in international forums.

The UN and many countries continue to regard Portugal as the administrative power there despite Jakarta's 1976 integration of the territory as Indonesia's 27th province.

The Indonesian government has rejected all demands for a referendum in East Timor and instead proposed a wide-ranging autonomy package for the young province.

Workshop

The national human rights workshop is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, and Indonesia's own National Commission on Human Rights.

The fourth annual three-day workshop is also being held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

The 150 delegates attending the workshop have different backgrounds including policy-makers, human rights lawyers, specialists in various fields and observers.

The aim of the workshop is to enhance the knowledge and widen understanding of all those involved in human rights work in Indonesia.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which was ratified by the House in September, came into effect on Nov. 26.

Based on Article 19 of the Convention, the statement said, the government would have to report the implementation of the convention to the UN.

The first report would have to be conveyed one year after the convention came into effect and the next would be every four years or at other times deemed necessary. (prb/byg)