---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- SUPANGKAT'S COLUMN: THE AFTERMATH OF EAST TIMOR INDEPENDENCE, REVOLUTIONARY ZEAL Destabilization feared most to occur after the international inquiry on East Timor attrocities seems to be not too inconceivable now. Not because East Timor per se but because it coincides with the government's tour de force of the most resented security bill in the demissionair House. The House will have to be replaced within a couple of months but the government and its supporters inside and outside the House wanted to manipulate the politic- al situation while they can disregarding the living realities in the society. The deliberate killings did not intimidate the demonstators in the least, finally the government had back down. But the situation remains volatile. It is a good sign that politicians decided to precipitate the convening of the new- ly elected MPR. Eventhough nobody seemed to be very happy with the inclusion of the 38 unelected members of the ABRI, not to speak about the other unelect- ed of 200 members whose political minds are most questionable, the situation would be much better with the new House and the Majelis. As far as East Timor is concerned, the new Majelis would be much more cons- cienable that the present one under Harmoko's Golkar. I am sure it will help to ease up "the new revolutionary zeal" of our youth, unstoppable it may seemed. We should be relieved with the independence of East Timor instead of being paranoid about potential losing other provinces like Aceh, Irian Jaya, Ambon. Let the newly elected regime overcome these problems in a much bettter and realistic manner. East Timor is gone forever. Our national and international burden should be gone as well instead of lamenting the loss of the inevitable, not only because they never belonged to the former Dutch Indies, but because of our own doing: we had been treating East Timorese people as conquered people instead of as our new brothers. We think that material gifts like development could make them our slaves. This is our - our to be exact - the Armed Forces' blunder. Now we could concentrate on our worsening economy which is getting worst by the day eating up our chances to recovery from the multiple crises. Another thing is the rehabilitation of our image in the international community where we have been classified in the same category as Serbia and Rwanda. The whole foreign ministry has to be overhauled in order to do it. New York, September 28, 1999. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 28 Sep 1999 jam 15:27:54 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
