That is itself a victory for human rights. Indonesia has overcome an almost mind-boggling diversity of languages and cultures and ethnic groups to build a nation that is, on the whole, despite important exceptions like East Timor, impressively unified and stable. In a world where internal ethnic strife has caused and continues to cause such terrible crimes and bloodshed, this peace and unity is a significant achievement and it too is a victory for human rights. Indonesia, as I have already noted, has achieved a degree of harmony and tolerance among very diverse religious groups that could be a model for many other countries in the world. This achievement did not come without some serious struggles and it is not complete.
Religion is still a sensitive issue and some problems persist.
But in a world where so many people are still persecuted and even killed because of their religion, Indonesia's religious tolerance is also a victory for human rights. Lest we take this for granted, I would like to underscore how much Indonesia's smaller neighbors appreciate Indonesia's willingness to play a cooperative role in the region. It was not historically inevitable that the largest country in Southeast Asia would choose to take its place as an equal partner among its neighbors, rather than seeking to dominate them. In fact, Indonesia's behavior under Soekarno suggested that it might take the latter course. I note these very important achievements that Indonesia has made in order to provide some perspective and balance, not to apologize for problems that remain or for mistakes in dealing with those problems.