Soeharto, Clinton discuss rights issue

Soeharto, Clinton discuss rights issue

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto and U.S. President Bill
Clinton engaged in extended talks yesterday discussing human
rights issues and East Timor.

"He (Clinton) raised the issue of human rights in Indonesia
and the problem of East Timor," said Minister/State Secretary
Moerdiono on the bilateral discussions between the two presidents
at the Merdeka Palace.

Moerdiono revealed that the discussions on East Timor were
related to the issue of integration, the presence of the Armed
Forces (ABRI)there, the Nov. 12 Dili incident and autonomy.

Questions were also raised on the human rights and on freedom
of expression, with reference to the recent banning of three
local news publications.

So intensive were the discussions that the originally
scheduled 30-minute meeting stretched to one-and-a-half hours.

Clinton, who attended the historic APEC meeting in Bogor on
Tuesday, yesterday extended his stay in Indonesia for an official
state visit.

"Soeharto gave an elaborate explanation to Clinton about the
integration process of East Timor," Moerdiono said, adding that
Soeharto further stressed that the integration was in respect to
the rights of the East Timorese who wished to join with
Indonesia.

Soeharto told Clinton that the Dili incident of Nov. 12, 1991,
which caused the death of around 50 civilians was caused by
unnecessary provocation.

"It was really an act of provocation by those who opposed
integration and we were caught in that provocation," Moerdiono
said quoting Soeharto's explanation.

Armed Forces

On the Armed Forces' presence in East Timor, Moerdiono said
Soeharto had informed the American president that they were there
to help develop and "build it together with the people".

He further said that Soeharto had explicitly stated that East
Timor would not be given any special autonomy different from that
of the other 26 provinces in Indonesia.

Although the talks centered on highly sensitive issues, they
were conducted in a frank and amiable manner.

Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher
disclosed that his president had applied a fair amount of
pressure raising the matter in "firm and forceful terms".

"The relationship between the United States and Indonesia can
never reach its highest level if the people of the United States
don't have confidence that there is an effort here to respect the
human rights of all the citizens," Christopher said.

On the issue of freedom of expression, Moerdiono said Clinton
specifically raised questions on the banning of three
publications.

Two weeklies, Tempo, Editor, and a tabloid, Detik,
had their publishing licenses revoked by the government on
editorial and administrative grounds on June 21.

Soeharto explained that what was being revoked was not the
right of speech, but the licenses, and that this was done based
on the law, Moerdiono said.

On labor issues, Soeharto told Clinton that the government was
not clamping down on workers, but on perpetrators hiding behind
the workers with the intention of creating strife.

Economics

Later on during a speech at the Jakarta Convention Center,
Clinton defended his administration's policy against detractors
critical of Washington's commitment to human rights.

"Even though we will continue to promote human rights with
conviction and without excuse, we reject the notion that
increasing economic ties undermines our human rights agenda," he
said.

"In every private meeting I have with leaders ... we talk
about human rights issues," he remarked.

In defense of his policy, Clinton expressed his belief that it
was through economic cooperation and the betterment of economic
development that human rights could be forwarded.

Witnessed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown, several
U.S. firms an hour earlier signed contracts worth some US$40
billion with a group of Indonesian companies.

"We remain convinced that strengthening the ties of trade
among nations can help to break down the chains of repression,"
Clinton asserted.

Pointing out Japan, South Korea and Taiwan as examples,
Clinton argued that commercial relations have a tendency to open
up closed societies, noting that the freer people are, the more
productive and creative they can be.

"These aspirations are part of human nature," he said.

Clinton was quick to point out that his concern over these
issues should not be interpreted as the encroachment of U.S.
values on others.

"We do not seek to impose our vision of the world on others,
indeed we continue to struggle with our own inequalities," he
remarked.

Acknowledging the differing cultural values and stages of
development, he said that there was no single perfect model for
organizing a society. (mds)

Rights -- Page 2

Timor -- Page 3