The Nobel decision

The Nobel decision

The decision to award this year's Nobel peace prize to East
Timor Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and exiled separatist
leader Ramos Horta came as something of a shock. Few in Indonesia
question the selection of Bishop Belo who, in spite of his often
scathing criticisms of the government's policy, has tirelessly
worked towards the promotion of peace in the territory.

However, the selection of Horta is controversial and
represents a major blow to Indonesia. Anyone who knows of his
past, even his recent past, would dispute the Nobel committee's
decision. Horta is neither an angel of peace nor a warrior for
peace. On the contrary, Horta's actions have often obstructed the
United Nations' sponsored negotiations between Indonesia and
Portugal which are meant to settle the East Timor question. If
anything, he has helped to make peace even more elusive for the
people in East Timor. He is a leader of Fretilin, one of the
parties involved in the bloody civil war in East Timor in 1975.
The Fretilin's human rights record is hardly commendable enough
for any of its leaders to receive the celebrated peace prize.

Alas, the Nobel committee has made its decision, either out of
ignorance, or because it is poorly informed, or politically
motivated. Whichever is the case, there is no need for Indonesia
to pursue the matter beyond questioning the motive behind the
decision. It is a fact that Indonesia, particularly the
government, will have to live with. From now on, Ramos Horta will
be referred to as a Nobel laureate wherever he goes, whether
Indonesia likes it or not.

Nor is there any need for Indonesia to look for scapegoats.
Suffice it to say that Indonesia has problems and failures both
on home ground and in international fora on the question of East
Timor which have contributed to this affair. Instead, Indonesia
must look at the challenges ahead, because this turn of events is
bound to put East Timor further in the international limelight.

The government will have to work even harder toward solving
the various problems existing both in East Timor and at the
United Nations. The government has repeatedly said that there is
no longer any political problem in East Timor and that the
problems that do exist there are mostly economic, particularly
the growing number of unemployed educated young people in the
territory. Yet, we have yet to see any concrete measures to
remedy these problems.

Far too often, perhaps because of pressures from abroad, the
government finds itself caught up in its own rhetoric, rehashing
the progress achieved in East Timor since it became part of
Indonesia. In international fora, the government has never
stopped pointing out the fact that it has succeeded in having the
East Timor debate deferred from discussion at the United Nations
General Assembly, year after year. Unfortunately, relying solely
on such successes would be to take a myopic view of the whole
East Timor problem.

Indonesia still has a long way to go in making the integration
of East Timor complete, before it will be able to convince the
world that the territory is truly part of the republic. The Nobel
peace prize controversy should not upset the government's efforts
on any front, but it should bring the realization that solutions
must be found quickly.