The truth will come out on East Timor: Anthropologist

The truth will come out on East Timor: Anthropologist

By Ati Nurbaiti

JAKARTA (JP): James J. Fox, an anthropologist with the
Australian National University, has studied mainly West Timor,
but also East Timor. He visited East Timor from Aug. 24 to Sept.
2, as an international observer of the United Nations-organized
ballot.

In an interview held on Saturday with The Jakarta Post, he
said in his personal capacity he had "positive" expectations
before the Aug. 30 ballot, citing the attendance of rival
factions at a reconciliation mass in Suai.

But those hopes changed a few days after the ballot when he
heard of killings in Suai, including that of the local priest.

The following are excerpts of the interview:

Question: Regarding the recent violence in East Timor, do you
think the military was involved?

Answer: I don't know... the locals can say who is East
Timorese and who is not, and who is a member of Kopassus (the
Army's Special Force). What is more important, as in all cases of
atrocities like this, is that eventually all the information will
come out, there will be an investigation... (UN Secretary
General) Kofi Annan has also said that these people would be
subject to a human rights court.

One terrible thing now is that Aitarak (a prointegration
militia) is allowed to roam freely in (neighboring) Kupang. That
is the next step of this tragedy; you create a militia and now it
is in another province. And you have to ask are they being
allowed to come to Java...Yogyakarta...Bandung. (East Timorese in
Yogyakarta have sought protection -- ed.) If the military says
they are allowed to roam freely how can people in Kupang stop them?

Q: Would it be a deliberate strategy of Falintil (CNRT militia)
of restraining itself so far to win over public opinion?

A: They would have to, and they are winning. The military doesn't
realize this and it will affect Indonesia in years to come. This
is the biggest tragedy for Indonesia. The effect will be very
long-lasting in international opinion, international investment,
international cooperation. It's an absolute disaster. That's why
I feel all pro-reform and democracy elements here should renew
their effort to stop this ... genocide.

Q: But we have no confirmation of hundreds being killed...

A: No, I don't know. But it's not just killing but starvation.
How many old people will die because of lack of food? At this
time of the year people should be preparing fields to be planted
before the rains come. Now there is no chance for any harvest.
What hope do they have?

There is no agriculture; this affects the entire cropping
system.

Q: Would those fleeing out of East Timor be safer than those who
fled to the hills?

A: If there's anywhere safe. Those outside East Timor would be in
more danger... there have been reports of people identified and
killed on the way out. An Indonesian paper reported
(proindependence leader) Mauhudu being captured in Kupang and he
was the mediator (between rival groups). If you kill someone like
Mauhudu you lose all hopes of reconciliation.

Q: Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas has said there are
rogue elements in the military. Would you say the state of
military emergency was imposed to reign in such elements?

A: I don't understand the military... I can only say that (new
commander Maj. Gen.) Kiki Syahnakri has a very hard job... in
pulling in all the different elements.

I don't make any judgment on whether he can succeed. Who
knows? It will be Indonesians themselves who have become
witnesses (of atrocities), not foreigners, who will have the
evidence to incriminate the military... That's the main point
and those responsible will have to face consequences...
Indonesia cannot tolerate elements like militias to be given free
reign. If you do there is a total breakdown of law and order.

Q: Our relations with Australia have been fairly good so far but
now there has been all this flag-burning...

A: It's not just Australia, it's everywhere: Europe, the United
States. East Timor has been on the front page for the past four
days in Sweden. Indonesia is being compared with Kosovo, Rwanda.

I agree with Minister Alatas that outsiders don't understand
the complexity of the situation, but this is no excuse.

Q: How do you perceive East Timor's transition to independence?

A: It would have to be a United Nations supervised transition.
Most East Timorese realize they need many years... now with so
many killed they may need more time. In many places it has been
students who have been targeted and killed, and when you lose
(those with) brains... a UN supervised transition is inevitable.
They may need at least five years.

Q: Given the frictions among the East Timorese elite do you think
they will be able to establish a sound government?

A: It's not the elite; the elite will be able to agree. But I
don't know about the militia. I believe even most of the
moderate, educated and intelligent people of the proautonomy side
now have no contact with the (prointegration) militia, and they
are just as appalled and shocked as everyone else.

Q: How do you see the relation of Indonesia and the new East
Timor nation?

A: Everything depends on the next government to offer the hand of
friendship or to refuse it... There is no point in refusing.
Many East Timorese speak Indonesian, they have been educated as
Indonesians; most are not rejecting Indonesia but the ABRI
(former name of Indonesian Military), but it has been an ABRI of
24 years.

Q: Do you think it was mainly alleged abuses by the military that
led to the overwhelming vote rejecting autonomy, despite
arguments from the prointegration side that the most rational
option would have been autonomy?

A: There is nothing more rational than defending the right to
their human rights. The militia showed the people exactly what
they didn't want. In a strange and ironic way the campaign of the
militia helped (the vote to) independence.

Q: How would an independent East Timor survive?

A: Initially there will be great aid; the world will provide aid.
There is not a great deal to invest in except for coffee,
tourism. They aspire to a standard of living like in Fiji. And
it's never going to be rich unless they eventually find a lot of
gas in the Timor Gap.

Q: Did you expect such a large turnout on Aug. 30?

A: By the time I arrived in Suai I did. People were so anxious to
vote. Intimidation had stopped. Locals had said there was
continuous intimidation before. (The killed) Father Hilario had
400 people said to be killed on his list since April.
But at the reconciliation mass (before the ballot), it was also
those who did not come that mattered; many of the
(prointegration) Laksaur and Mahidi militia did not come. What
happens is that the militia was also divided.

Q: What would the appeal of the prointegration militia be? Better
security?

A: I don't even know who are members and who are not. They appeal
to young men -- very macho.

Q: The UN staff have been charged with cheating. What was your
observation?

A: There was no talking between staff and (prospective voters).
If you look at the huge waiting crowd (points to photographs
outside polling booths in Suai) they must have decided long ago
(on what to vote for).

Q: What do you think the new parties stance will be on the new
East Timor?

A: Megawati's party (Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle) is
one party clearly adopting a fundamentally good stand on human
rights. What I understand from her party is that it represents a
cry for justice based on the desire to strengthen human rights.
That's what people voted for, that's what her constituency wants
and I hope that's what she delivers.

Her statement was honest: She didn't want East Timor to
separate, but that she would respect the voice of the people if
they did. I think that is a statement of a true leader. Maybe I
will be optimistic (regarding East Timor) if Megawati
(Soekarnoputri) comes into power.

Q: The National Commission on Human Rights has urged a speedier
transition period to enable a quicker ratification of the ballot
results by the People's Consultation Assembly. Do you agree?

A: It's a very good idea. Indonesia doesn't only have the East
Timor problem, you have everything else, the Bank Bali scandal,
the forestry funds... and every other scandal.