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