A question of sincerity

Subject: “Indonesia and Timor Leste: Redefining Relations for the Future”. Place: Flores Room, Hotel Borobudur. Time: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 14:00 – 16:00. Host: Presidential Spokesperson, Indonesian Council on World Affairs, Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste. Speaker: Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Mood: Speech and Impressed audience despite the dull Q & A session dominated by officials and academics. Only one important question, among the most ordinary, was asked by a researcher questioning the prime minister’s real commitment towards fostering relations with Indonesia. It went unanswered. Instead, smooth talk about the speaker’s relations with the President of the Republic of Indonesia, his 62 years of age and equating himself and his political experience with other leaders of Asia. The rest was body language, no real content and short of what a real lecture was supposed to be. We are not against the prime minister to improve relations with Indonesia. After all he has said that Bahasa Indonesia will be taught in Timor Leste schools, Timor Leste will have military cooperation with Indonesia and Timor Leste wants to learn from Indonesia how to achieve self-sufficiency. But underneath all that, there is still a question of sincerity. There are still basic problems which need to be solved first. Timor Leste President Ramos Horta’s groundless allegations that “Indonesian elements” were involved in an assassination attempt on his life on February 11, 2008 have yet to be proved. And he owes Indonesia an apology. Although the prime minister has expressed regret over the issue and called on Indonesia against blowing up the issue for the sake of good relations, the hurt feelings of the Indonesians remain (can’t imagine how top senior journalist Desi Anwar feels). Regret and apology are two different things. Regret is used in invitations while apology is humbly admitting making a mistake and ask for forgiveness. But Horta, as head of state and the leader of Timor Leste arrogantly dismissed claims he had accused Indonesia. It was on the record. And he stood firm he was misquoted by the press (that many times?). The prime minister only conveyed Ramos Horta’s regret (what a double standard!). And alas, Indonesian officialdom was deaf and blind in seeing this reality. It failed to accommodate aspirations and feelings of the people and the press. Timor Leste should respect Indonesia as a big brother. Once again we have been outwitted by both Ramos Horta and Xanana Gusmao. Old wounds have yet to be healed and now Ramos Horta’s manipulative intrigue will continue to be seen as a thorn in relations between Timor Leste and Indonesia.

A campaign of vilification

When Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta returned to Dili, he accused Indonesian “elements” of alleged involvement in the assassination attempt on his life. And the latest, he alleged a TV station’s journalist in Jakarta, with the help of authorities in West Timor, organized documents for Maj. Alfredo Reinado to travel to Indonesia for a May 23, 2007 interview. Why did Horta make such allegations? He had phoned Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asking for help. Yudhoyono was surprised as he had ordered top Indonesian authorities to help investigate. He even dispatched two senior police officers to Dili and talk with Timor Leste’s attorney general. On the night of April 17, 2008, the reputed special detachment of the Indonesian police, Densus 88 arrested three members of the Timor Leste military who illegally crossed the border into Indonesia (Indonesian police are more professional). Viewing Horta’s allegations as serious, Yudhoyono called on Horta against issuing statements which could lead to misinterpretations and hurt friendly relations between the two states. The question is, who’s behind all this? Maj. Reinado himself was killed before the assassination attempt on the president took place in Dili on February 11, 2008. Why can’t the 1,100 Australian and New Zealand soldiers and police check the border? Why can’t they secure the president of such a tiny state with only one million people? Why is the refugee issue not addressed? Another attempt to make Indonesia the scapegoat? (as always). In Timor Leste, the common people speak the Indonesian language and in everyday life they rely on Indonesian-made products (the sarongs, the instant noodle) which they have to pay in dollars. At the same time, they resented the luxury lifestyle of the Timor Leste leaders while people lead difficult life. The military meanwhile has been discriminated. The presence of too many Australian soldiers also add to the anti-foreign sentiment. Once again, Australia is launching a campaign of vilification against Indonesia in the Australian and foreign media in favor of Australia’s interests (Horta is Australia’s man in Timor Leste).

Is there a hidden agenda?

Timor Leste President Ramos Horta would not step down as what the Australian media reported recently. All his life, he had campaigned and struggled for the independence of his country. Although very sensitive, and sometimes emotional, Horta proved himself to be a strong person. Indeed, he was very lucky to have escaped death during an assassination attempt outside his residence in Dili. Following his discharge from hospital, he described the last moments before the shooting took place and the role of the Australian-led UN soldiers stationed in Timor Leste. He saw it was one of Maj. Reinado’s men who shot him. Until now, Maj. Reinado’s men’s whereabouts are still unknown (an Indonesian TV journalist knows where they are). And there is still a lingering question why the Australian soldiers had not acted. Horta was told that United Nations police had obstructed people trying to rescue him as he lay bleeding for 30 minutes near the front gate of his house in Dili on February 11. The Australian-led forces could have promptly surrounded the entire town closing all the exits, using helicopters and captured the attackers within hours. But all that didn’t happen. Meanwhile, defying accusations, Australian Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said that they would only act at the request of the Timor Leste government or the United Nations (even an assassination attempt on a Nobel laureate?). The question is what are they doing in Timor Leste if they can’t provide security? Is there an Australian hidden agenda in Timor Leste?

Metro TV journalist interviewed Timorese rebel soldiers

Bravo for Metro TV’s Desi Fitriani! I know her and talked to her on one occasion. I praised her for her TV coverage on Aceh and other conflict areas. I think she’s a very down to earth person and very courageous. Yesterday, I saw a footage of her trekking the jungle and mountains of Timor Leste and met with a a group of soldiers who were under Major Reinado’s command. She interviewed them in Bahasa Indonesia and together they ate instant noodle (most likely Indonesian-made Indomie). In the interview, the soldiers dismissed the the elite government’s claim that they are the rebel soldiers. “They are the rebels against the people. The government does not represent most people of Timor Leste nor pay attention to their aspirations. They don’t have good intentions. They are trying to make us like the aborigines in Australia,” a first lieutenant said. The interview was in Bahasa Indonesia. Thumbs up for Desi Fitriani. She is far more capable in locating people. She can also have friendly dialogue with them compared to the 1,100 strong Australian and New Zealand soldiers and 1,600 UN police who were unable to maintain security in a small nation of 1 million people. I knew Ramos Horta since the days when he was in exile. I symphatize with what happened to him recently. I hope he recuperates soon. During my time reporting for RCTI in Geneva as well as Burg Schlaining, Austria, I often met with Ramos but he didn’t want to be interviewed by me as I was holding a microphone with the RCTI emblem on it. He only pointed at the mike and said: “Soeharto, Soeharto!” referring RCTI as owned by Soeharto family. When East Timor gained independence, he was hungry for publicity. But then my friends turned him down.

 

 

Should Indonesia be involved?

For the first time in the history of mankind and humanity a Nobel laureate was shot down. Indonesia and Timor Leste have excellent relations. Both President Ramos Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao have visited Indonesia and have become good friends of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. “Why not ask Indonesia to help? The Indonesian military have more expertise in territorial operations and have more capability in dealing with insurgency. The majority of the people in Timor Leste speaks Indonesian while the ruling elite in the government speak Portuguese. The people believe they have no real contract with the government of President Ramos Horta (he used to wear a bowtie when he was in exile). Major Reinado was shot down before Horta was shot and it is still now unclear who shot him. There has been growing dissent against foreign troops in Timor Leste, 1100 Australian and New Zealand troops as well as 1,600 UN police from 40 countries in a population of only 1 million. Yet they can’t secure the nation. Xanana’s Gusmao’s advisers have also questioned the presence of Australian troops. They were not even on alert when Horta was shot. The deployment of so many Australian troops is extremely dangerous as the common people believed the ruling elite relied on foreign forces to protect themselves from their own people who are fighting for better situation.