From: crista@sun3140i.ccs.northeastern.edu (Cristina Isabel Videira Lopes)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.indonesia
Subject: Re: Facts #3
Date: 6 Nov 92 17:47:54 GMT
Organization: College of Computer Science, Northeastern University


In article <Bx93G9.3GH@ccu.umanitoba.ca> rahardj@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Budi Rahardjo) writes:


   The history of the de-colonization in East Timor
   ------------------------------------------------
   [Statements about what happened in 74-75]

   [Statements about how UN and the international community have been
    subject to a malicious campaign]

   (Statement by H.E. Ali Alatas, Indonesian Foreign Minister
   before members of the National Press Club, Washington D.C.
   20 February 1992).

These statements of Mr. Alatas are useless and empty of interest.
Saying that the Portuguese were irresponsible has one sole purpose: to
switch the attention of the listeners (readers). "Blame the other", he
says, "look how the other was irresponsible", and at least 9 min. of
the speach could focus on this theme (we all know how easy is to
accuse others). The other minute, he says that there have been a lot
of unfair accusations. "It's an injustice", he says. What he won't do
is prove that the accusations are baseless.

Please, take any statement of Mr. Alatas out of any posting under the
subject "Fact". Just put it under "Politics".

   Indonesia's position on Human Rights
   ------------------------------------
   As a conscientious member of the United Nations and, since 1991, a member
   of the UN Human Rights Commission, Indonesia accepts and recognized the
   universal validity of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms.
   While human rights are indeed universal in character, it is generally
   acknowledged that their expression and implementation in the
   national context should remain the competence and responsibility of
   each government [...]

   (East Timor: Building for the Future, 
   published by the Department of Foreign Affairs, 
   Republic of Indonesia, July 1992).

This statement is much more interesting, because, being so vague, it
opens a big hole in Human Rights, itself. We can infer from the
passage that each government has the right to chose how to implement
the human rights, according to the statements deleted, and that no one
has the right to interfere. This means that, from the Indonesia
government's point of view, any Nation that signs the constitution of
the Human Rights and then kills 200.000 people can be excused, due to
the cultural, economic and social realities of that act (note that I
am not accusing Indonesia of such). This is even worse than not sign
the constitution at all. 

I agree that each Nation's autonomy must be preserved, but in what
concerns Human Rights, there are some tecnical aspects that overcome
the Nations' interpretations, IMHO (of course).

Indonesia's position on human rights is coherent with Indonesia's
government actions concerning East Timor, no doubt about it.
Indonesian government claims that there are no violations of human
rights in ET, but the rest of the world is not allowed to see and
confirm that statement.

Best regards,
-Crista
--
+-------------------------------------+-------------------------+
| Cristina Videira Lopes                      | Northeastern U. |
| E-mail: crista@dworkin.ccs.northeastern.edu | CCS             |
| Phone:  +1 617 497-8216                     | Boston, MA  USA |
+-------------------------------------+-------------------------+
Newsgroups: alt.culture.indonesia