Asia-Pacific Network: 21 April 1999
EAST TIMOR: OPEN LETTER ON THE TRAUMA OF STATE TERRORISM
An analytical open letter from Professor Antonio Barbedo to the Indonesian personalities who participated in the meetings of the Hague and London on Indonesia, East Timor and the European Union.
By Professor Antonio Barbedo de Magalhaes
Oporto, 15 April 1999
DEAR FRIENDS:
In two international meetings organised by European institutes of
international and strategic studies, important avenues for the dialogue
between East Timorese, Indonesian and European personalities have been
opened.
The goals were and are:
At this very moment that Indonesian People give important steps in the
direction of democratisation, some try to create instability and
attempt to return to a political situation typical of the former New
Order, with a powerful "double function" army.
Some people think that in East Timor there is an escalating struggle
between pro-independence and pro-integration Timorese.
In fact what is happening is that some sectors of the ABRI force East
Timorese people to integrate armed militias, and terrorise other East
Timorese.
The strategy is to show not only that an independent East Timor is not
possible, because civil war would start again, but also that without the
strong presence of a powerful ABRI there, instability would develop. In
the end, East Timor would be divided in two camps, one willing to belong
to Indonesia, and the other willing to become independent. Those
"willing" to be integrated would claim the same right to
self-determination as those who support independence. And, in doing so,
it would be that very same idea of self-determination that would be
destroyed. It's nothing but an attempt to convince people that
self-determination leads to civil war, instability and division, thus
leading the international community into thinking that it's best to
leave everything as it is: East Timor integrated with Indonesia and the
ABRI controlling the situation there.
Having visited East Timor, many journalists concluded that very few East
Timorese defend integration, and among them there are some who fear the
change because they know the crimes they committed at the service of
Indonesian occupation forces.
Members of the Indonesian Armed Forces have asked some of them to create
militias and started paying very well for that job.
To get other East Timorese to join these militias, expensive bribes have
been paid. In such a critical economic situation as that lived in East
Timor and Indonesia nowadays, it would be easy to find people to do
whatever it will be, as long as they can afford the money necessary for
their survival and that of their families. The same pattern has been
used in South Molucas and elsewhere in Indonesia.
But in East Timor the number of people in favour of integration is so
small, and there is such a deep national feeling that even bribing
obtained small results.
Being so, with the support of the ABRI people, some militia leaders have
forced other East Timorese to join the terrorist gangs. Many East
Timorese have been harshly beaten before accepting to integrate the
militia. Many others refused to do such a dirty job, and died at the
hands of the paramilitary.
There are indications that the difficulty in getting enough people in
those so-called pro-integration forces led to the inclusion of West
Timorese in the armed gangs. They are shown to the media as if they were
East Timorese.
Their activity has mostly been the raiding of houses, beating people,
destroying almost everything and stealing from others. In some cases
they even kill people, inside their houses, or even in a church or in
the priest's house, as it happened in Liquiça.
Some people thought that those militia groups have been set up to
protect the pro-integration people.
In fact they have been created with the purpose of replacing democratic
paths towards a solution by a reign of terror, the only way they
envisage to make sure the number of votes for integration is greater
than those against the autonomy plan offered by the Indonesian
government.
Such terrorist practices, very similar to the worst ones used under the
dictatorship of Suharto, are creating tremendous trauma in the East
Timorese population and will make the transition a much more conflicting
and risky process. The reign of terror that has been created directly by
some sectors of ABRI activity and, indirectly, by their arming and
organising of the militia groups, can lead to unpredictable and
uncontrollable reaction and outcome.
In the end, hatred emerging in this way can make life more difficult for
transmigrants in East Timor and undermine future neighbourly relations
between Indonesia and East Timor.
As for Indonesia itself, the outcome may be even more disturbing.
In the past, criminal practices by some sectors of the ABRI in East
Timor were transferred to Aceh. And after that, to Java and even to
Jakarta. For example, the abduction and murder of students in Jakarta,
last year, was a practice imported from East Timor where it has been
very common for many years. We can say the same about the rape of women,
so extensively practiced by ABRI and Intelligence personnel in East
Timor for more than twenty years.
For Indonesia, such practices will create further setbacks to the
democratisation process. They promote feelings of repulsion of the
periphery in relation to the centre, which may lead to the emerging of
pro-independent feelings in other parts of the Archipelago and, if not
halted, it may bring civil war to the heart of Indonesia.
Despite all the orchestrated propaganda in stating that the struggle in
East Timor is waged between pro-integration and pro-independence East
Timorese, the international community has clearly shown it knows who is
behind all the instability and most of the crimes committed during the
past months, i.e., important sectors of the ABRI, and of its
intelligence services.
As those sectors of the ABRI try to impede self-determination in East
Timor, they destroy ABRI´s image, that of Habibie's government and
further narrow the path leading to democracy in Indonesia.
Practices such as those seen in South Molucas and elsewhere in the
archipelago, show that Indonesia is following the very same dangerous
path that led to the destruction of both former Yugoslavia and former
Soviet Union.
As a friend of the East Timorese and of the Indonesian peoples I ask you
to do your utmost to put and end to such anti-democratic practices.
It is absolutely necessary to disarm the militia groups, and to enable
the deployment and presence of a United Nations neutral mission in East
Timor. Otherwise, the possibility of a peaceful and democratic solution
for East Timor can be jeopardised by any group having the money and
political interest to prevent a fair and longlasting solution for East
Timor.
Without the presence of a UN peace mission, any criminal gang, paid by
whoever is willing to undermine the democratic process, may create
further difficulties and maintain instability and terror for very long
period of time. On one hand, these gangs might use the red and white
flag of Indonesia, dress up in ABRI uniforms or even claim to be
FALINTIL guerrilas, according to the political goals they intend to
achieve. On the other hand, the victims can be either pro-independence,
or pro-integration Timorese or even Indonesian transmigrants. I truly
believe that if this is to happen, troubled areas of the Republic of
Indonesia will feel encouraged with such practices and the
'contamination' can be unavoidable.
It is also necessary to significantly reduce the presence of the
Indonesian Army in East Timor. In fact, whilst arming the militia
groups, ABRI is being a destabilising and disturbing force, rather than
a Peace and law abiding force. Therefore, it must be replaced by
respected and neutral forces of the United Nations.
Xanana Gusmão and other East Timorese leaders, Bishops Belo and Basílio
do Nascimento, Dr. Ramos Horta and others, have tried, for several
months, to promote a peaceful atmosphere in the territory and a very
open and wide dialogue amongst all shades of opinion.
However, so far, anti-democratic forces seem to cry louder. They want to
avoid an agreement to be reached in the talks between the Portuguese and
Indonesian governments, under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General.
They want to prevent the presence of a UN peace mission in the
territory, and to increase and further deepen the reign of terror
already existing in East Timor. And, more important than all, they want
to halt the democratisation process in Indonesia, and return to the
reign of a corrupt oligarchy with the support of a strong ( and also
corrupt) army.
I hope that this extremely dangerous path will not continue.
It is very important for the East Timorese to achieve a peaceful and
honourable solution for East Timor. They have already suffered too much
and too long in their struggle for their right to self-determination.
However, a peaceful and honourable solution for East Timor, is not just
important for the East Timorese. It is also very important for
Indonesia, for its image, for the international image of its Government
and its Armed Forces too. It is of special importance for the democratic
transition in Indonesia.
The people of Indonesia is already paying a very high price for all the
Orde Baru faillures. The international monetary and financial
institutions are showing that to the current government every time they
freeze the release of the loans Indonesia desesperately needs to
undertake the reforms the People yearn for. Indonesia's State budget for
this year was drawn up and adopted with huges deficits to be covered by
loans. These loans depend on Indonesia's ability to prove its will to
undertake in-depth reforms at structural economic level but also at
political level. The former will not be sustained without the latter.
Indonesia's image of greatness acquired after its heroic struggle
against colonialism and for Freedom has been stained by more than three
decades of 'KKN' (corruption, coalition and nepotism) which led to its
bankruptcy and to the poverty of its People. However, I genuinely
believe that an honourable contribution from Indonesia to the peaceful,
fair and long-lasting solution of the East Timor question will enable
this great Nation to regain its honour, dignity and international image
of generosity and greatness.
I strongly support the appeal of the UN Secretary-General encouraging
the Indonesian Government to "take all necessary steps to constrain the
situation in East Timor".
The reactions of the Indonesian government to this appeal, expressed by
the Foreign Affairs Minister after a meeting with President Habibie, two
days ago, saying that the Indonesian government would set up a broad
representative commission to restore peace in East Timor, is a positive
sign. If it is accompanied by the presence of a UN peace mission in East
Timor, and if a really free and democratic consultation is set up there,
I can hope that the East Timor problem can find a stable and credible
solution and that, in the end, Indonesia can be proud for helping a
neighbouring people to become free and live under democracy.
I agree that there is "an urgent need for the armed forces to put the
situation under control effectively, for failing to do so would drive
Indonesia to enter a stage of state failure, the cost of which would be
unbearable not only for the country but also for the region" as Mr Dewi
Fortuna Anwar said recently.
I strongly believe in the cooperation and solidarity between the Peoples
of Indonesia and East Timor. And I strongly believe that the cooperation
between Portugal and Indonesia, in solidarity with the East Timorese
People and in favour of the Democratisation of Indonesia is absolutely
necessary and possible.
As friends, sharing the same goals of Peace, Freedom, Democracy and
sustainable development for East Timor and Indonesia, I strongly urge
you to do your utmost to put an end to the growing tensions promoted by
militia gangs which were created and are supported by non-reformist Orde
Baru-type of sectors within ABRI. ...
Respectfully
Antonio Barbedo de Magalhaes