---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- SUPANGKAT COLUMN: EAST TIMOR, ACEH, TO BE FOLLOWED BY OTHER PROVINCES? The high turnout of about 80% of the voters in East Timor despite all kinds of terror and intimidation, is predictably to result in the victory of the independence, feared most by the Indonesian authorities. Almost immediately, about 500 students in Aceh demanded referendum for "self- determination" eventhough Aceh is de facto and de jure a legitimate Indonesian province according to the doctrine of the inherited Netherlands Indie from the Dutch. This will encourage other provinces to demand the same thing, especially the ethnically distinct ones such as Irian Jaya, the Molukkas, even the Malay ethnic like Bali because of its most viability for independence being the world's tourist heaven. An Indonesian Minister onces insulted Megawati for being a Hindu and it almost caused a rebellion in Bali inspiring the independence spirit from Indonesia. Other provinces need a trigger to demand for independence or at least the most wide autonomy promised East Timor before the balloting. As an Indonesian from Java, surely I hope it won't happen because it will dis- integrate our impire as the largest nation in Southeast Asia where we have been dubbed as "ASEAN Superpower". But our hope, even our most vigorous attempt wouldn't stop the seed to grow naturally since we had disseminated them unconsciously for centuries. Globalization should help but the seeds are growing stronger. AT least that is my feeling, and I could be dead wrong. I hope so. New York, August 30, 1999. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 30 Aug 1999 jam 16:23:15 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
