RIGHTS: Indonesia Accepts Observers in East Timor

By Gustavo Capdevila Reprint | | Print |

Gustavo Capdevila

GENEVA, Aug 13 1998 (IPS) - Indonesia’s government showed concrete evidence of its policy for gradual liberalisation on the human rights front, signing a co-operation agreement with the United Nations (UN) human rights entity.

The technical co-operation agreement signed between the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Jakarta guaranteed access of international officials to the disputed territory of East Timor for the next two years.

Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, applauded the agreement and declared she was confident the convention would allow the most pressing human rights concerns in Indonesia to be tackled.

The dominant regime in Indonesia, controlled for decades by the armed forces, is burdened by heavy accusations of serious human rights violations, like the kidnapping and repression of opponents.

In its last annual human rights report, the US State Department said Jakarta, a traditional ally of Washington, had committed “serious human rights violations” again in 1997.

But in the first six months of this year deep-rooted change was seen as the Ali Suharto dictatorship bit the dust as part of the consequences of the Asian crisis, raising hopes for a new human rights policy.

The new president Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, who suceeded Suharto on May 21, freed some political prisoners and pushed ahead negotiations for conflict resolution in East Timor – one of the biggest blots on Indonesia’s human rights copybook.

In 1976, Jakarta declared East Timor – a former portuguese colony – a province of Indonesia and installed an occupation force of around 15,000 troops.

Since then, the Indonesian military authorities have ignored the independence claims of the Timorese population and the UN resolutions rejecting the annexation by force.

The human rights organisation, Amnesty International, calculated the number of deaths caused by the Indonesian repression at 210,000 – a third of the population.

The agreement signed Thursday between the High Commissioner’s office and Jakarta stated the personnel for the project “will have access to all parts of Indonesia with the aim of evaluating the primordial necessities.”

“It is understood (the agreement) includes facilitating access to East Timor,” specified the document.

The recent human rights situation in East Timor has been cause for concern for governments and specialist non-governmental organisations.

The State Department report cited harassment campaigns and numerous arrests committed in 1997 which exacerbated the tension in Timorese territory.

The same investigation stated the Indonesian authorities had refused entry to East Timor to all foreign non governmental organisations concerned with human rights, apart from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Human Rights Watch, the independent organistion said in September 1997 “Indonesia invaded East Timor nearly 22 years ago and the political violence still does not appear to be calming.”

The new Indonesian government launched a proposal for “special status” for East Timor, which started to be negotiated between representatives of Jakarta and Lisbon, Portugal aiming for agreement to be reached in the next few months.

While the Portuguese-Indonesian negotiations are underway, the agreement signed in Geneva Thursday will allow UN officials to evaluate the human rights situation in the disputed area.

The convention, signed by Robinson and Indonesian ambassador in Geneva, Agus Tarmidzi, established co-operation formulae for the promotion and protection of human rights.

For two years, the High Commissioner’s Office will co-operate with the Indonesian government and will help in the execution of technical co-operation programmes.

Technical co-operation will cover the areas of the Indonesian national plan of action for the promotion and protection of human rights and the strengthening of national capacity in this field.

The UN will similarly offer collaboration in human rights education, to the National Indonesian Human Rights Commission and in strategies for bringing about the right to development and economic, social and cultural rights.