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The socio-political situation in Indonesia and East Timor: The issues Watch Indonesia! is working on |
In 1998 President Suharto’s resignation gave hope for a new political beginning together with a democratisation process, which at first brought about some tangible improvements. Political prisoners were released, the freedom of the press, of assembly and the right to organise were re-established and free elections were held.
However, these positive changes cannot conceal the fact that the overall human rights situation in Indonesia has worsened. Every day we receive alarming news from Aceh, the Moluccas islands, Sulawesi, Papua and West Timor where conflicts are escalating and violence is widespread. The official number of internal refugees in various regions of the country amounts to about 1.3 million people.
The conditions for a transition to democracy are very difficult. Both, the ongoing economic recession following the Asian Crisis and power struggles among the players of the old system, who are still influential - namely the military - are causing social tensions that are permanently destabilising the government. Thus, the country is torn between the forces of the old elite and those of the reform movement. Politics in Indonesia are still characterised by corruption and nepotism. Democratic processes and attitudes still need to be arduously acquired at all levels of society. A political change at the top cannot overcome the effects of the systematic oppression of civil society that has lasted for decades.
In Aceh the massive increase of military and police forces has dramatically aggravated the situation in the province. Since the beginning of 2001 between five to six people are killed every day in the clashes between the independence movement GAM and Indonesian security forces. The brutality on both sides has made the work of local NGOs and aid organisations almost impossible.
In West Papua the murder of Theys Eluay in November 2001 and the involvement of the Indonesian army in this case have set back the prospect for détente in the region. The majority of the local people do not acknowledge the new legislation on autonomy that came into effect in December 2001.
The situation in East Timor has improved since the massacres in 1999 in spite of many difficulties. Parliamentary elections were held at the end of August 2001 without incidents. The pluralistic results of the election give hope for a democratic future for the country. On May 20, 2002, East Timor celebrated its independance.
The bloodshed before and after the referendum in August 1999 however will remain as a trauma for a long time. Therefore a consistent criminal prosecution of the perpetrators and all individuals responsible for the massacres is essential. Yet under the pressure of the military neither the government nor local authorities seem to be capable of taking the necessary steps. This is why international pressure on Indonesia and the call for an international tribunal is so important.
The latest developments in Jakarta and other cities in Indonesia are very alarming where state authorities are using violence against the urban poor. Not only are many people robbed of the means of their daily income when becaks are confiscated and food-stalls are destroyed, in many cases they loose their entire basis of existence through forceful expulsion. Presently Watch Indonesia! is launching a campaign together with other NGOs to make this injustice public and to stop the violence.
The creation of a democratic state and the peaceful solution of the various conflicts in Indonesia is not an easy task for local organisations and individuals. Watch Indonesia! is committed to supporting their efforts through continuous lobbying and media work. We keep the German public informed about latest developments in Indonesia, point out human rights violations and at the same time we try to influence political decision-makers at the national and international level.
Watch Indonesia!’s activities comprise
Human rights and measures of conflict prevention are still not sufficiently recognised as an integral part of every-day politics. German foreign politics on Indonesia tend to be dominated by economical and strategic interests, while human rights issues come second. We try to change this through lobbying and advocacy work. To be able to do this successfully continuous monitoring of current developments in Indonesia, East Timor and Germany is crucial. Moreover it is important to encourage critical media coverage through campaigns and press releases.
In Indonesia our attention focuses on strategies that promote the democratisation process and strengthens civil society, including an active approach to human rights politics and conflict prevention. Peaceful solutions of regional conflicts in Aceh, West Papua and the Moluccas islands in combination with a decentralisation process that can take off the edge of critical tensions throughout the country is essential for Indonesia’s future.
An important forum to co-ordinate
our work on these issues with Christian organisations is the Political
Dialog on Indonesia and East Timor. Participants besides Watch Indonesia!
are our Catholic partners from The German Commission Justitia et Pax, Misereor
and Missio in Aachen and Munich and our Protestant partners from the human
rights department of the Diakonische Werk and the development departments
of the Protestant Church EKD and EZE.
Our aim is to make political
decision-makers, such as representatives of the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry
of Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and members of the German
Parliament more aware of human rights issues in East Timor and Indonesia
and to encourage political initiatives.
Watch Indonesia! co-operates closely with numerous Indonesian and East Timorese groups concerned with democratisation, human rights and environmental issues. Regularly we invite representatives of such organisations, develop strategies together and discuss concrete actions. We also arrange meetings with politicians, the media and organise public discussions with our guests.
Among our most recent guests
were Mrs Wardah Hafidz, co-ordinator of the Urban Poor Consortium in Jakarta
(January 2002); human rights lawyer Munir, director of the Commission for
Disappearances and Victims of Violence KONTRAS who was awarded the Alternative
Nobel Prize in 2000 (October 2001) and John Rumbiak of the human rights
organisation ELS-HAM in West Papua (October 2001).
Our work on East Timor focuses on the judicial prosecution of those responsible for human rights violations during the Indonesian occupation, the safe return of refugees from West Timor and on the support of the rebuilding of the country by the German government.
We are committed to encourage an extensive investigation of the human rights violations as a basis for peace and reconciliation. We support the work of both the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation and the Serious Crimes Investigation Unit. While monitoring the reluctant efforts by the Indonesian government to set up an ad-hoc tribunal on East Timor we call for an international tribunal to deal with the case.
The annual UN Human Rights Commission (UN HRC) in Geneva is one of the international forums where we voice these demands. Together with our partner organisations we regularly prepare position statements for this occasion, e.g. “Permanent Impunity – Indonesia’s Play on Time” (2002) and “Nicht Zurückhaltung, sondern aktives Handeln wäre Ausdruck deutscher Realpolitik gegenüber Indonesien” (“Acting rather than silent diplomacy as an expression of German Realpolitik towards Indonesia”) (2001). These briefing papers are addressed to the German delegation (of the Foreign Ministry, the Commission on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid of the German Parliament, and the German Mission in Geneva and to the UN HRC in Geneva. We work closely together with the Human Rights Forum in Germany.
Last year during the preparations for the UN HRC 2001 the German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer met with representatives of the Human Rights Forum. Watch Indonesia! was invited to give a briefing on Indonesia, one of the three main topics at the meeting.
During the referendum in
East Timor ten members of Watch Indonesia! participated in the observer
project by the International Federation for East Timor (IFET). The presence
of international observers helped to give moral and psychological support
and protection to the population.
Conflict regions West Papua and Aceh
Over the last two years the violent conflicts in Aceh and West Papua have further escalated. Early hopes for a political solution have been shattered and the tensions between the opposing sides have increased. In particular representatives of human rights and humanitarian organisations are endangered.
In close co-operation with the West Papua Network we persistently point out human rights violations in the region. In June 2000 we organised a conference on West Papua that took place at the office of the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation. In autumn 2001 we were co-organisers of the Second International Solidarity Conference on West Papua for which representatives from human rights organisations and the Church in West Papua were invited.
In September 2000 we took
part in the Human Rights Fact-Finding-Mission to the conflict region Aceh.
The trip was also meant as a sign of condolence and moral support for the
family of Jafar Siddique, the murdered human rights lawyer. There is no
justification for the brutality the military and police uses against peaceful
civilians, particularly against the staff of human rights and humanitarian
organisations. We condemn all killings, torture and arbitrary arrests,
no matter who is affected. Watch Indonesia! is committed to bring an end
to injustice and the absence of the rule-of-law in Aceh and West Papua.
The Indonesian military was the key supporter of the Suharto dictatorship. Even today the armed forces are extremely influential on all political and economical levels, e.g. through their guaranteed number of seats in Parliament. The military has been responsible for numerous human rights violations on a large scale, committed in the name of internal stability and tolerated by the international community to safeguard strategic and economic interests in the region. Arms sales and military training by other countries have further strengthened the position of the Indonesian military.
The Indonesian armed forces continue to consider violence as the main means of politics and continue their activities with impunity. To end this impunity we demand an international tribunal to deal with the atrocities committed in East Timor, an investigation of the massacres in Aceh and West Papua and the judicial punishment of human rights violations since 1965. A reform of the armed forces is necessary. They have to return to the barracks and accept the control of parliament and democratic institutions as an integral part of a civil state apparatus.
Watch Indonesia! has been
involved in many public campaigns against weapon sales to Indonesia. Following
the atrocities committed by the Indonesian military in East Timor before
and after the referendum in 1999 the EU imposed a temporary embargo on
the export of arms and military co-operation. In spite of massive protests
the EU lifted the ban four months later and thereby missed a unique chance
to vehemently criticise the position and conduct of the Indonesian military.
In the past and present women
in Indonesia have been exposed to gender specific discrimination and human
rights violations. Through organisations they attempt to change their situation,
and by actively participating in the democratisation process they aim to
influence the legislative. Watch Indonesia! is following these developments.
We support the work of women organisations in Indonesia and East Timor
and report about them. During trips through Germany and other European
countries representatives of women organisations had the opportunity to
talk publicly about gender specific problems of Indonesian women and about
the psychological consequences of torture. Members of Watch Indonesia!
visited the organisations in Indonesia to get an impression of their activities
and to support the women’s network.
Rapid industrialisation, large-scale deforestation of the tropical rainforest and the exploitation of mineral resources lead to various ecological problems in Indonesia. Watch Indonesia! is involved in the observation and analysis of these issues and contributes actively to their solution.
The pulp and paper-mills
on Sumatra have caused tremendous problems for both humans and the natural
environment. Therefore the NGOs Urgewald, Rettet den Regenwald, Bioforum
Indonesia, Walhi in South Sumatra and Watch Indonesia! have joined forces
in an informal working group on this topic.
Two of the huge pulp and
paper-mills that are questionable in respect to ecological, social and
development issues were partly set up in co-operation with German companies
and financially backed by Hermes guarantees.
Our combined lobby work
and media campaign brought about that these two cases played a crucial
role in the official re-consideration of the criteria for Hermes guarantees
by a working group consisting of members of Parliament, NGOs, business
representatives and Hermes Ltd.
The Kreditanstalt für
Wiederaufbau (Credit Institute for Recovery) (KfW) also co-financier of
the two paper-mills, the Ministry of Trade and Commerce and Hermes Ltd.
themselves had asked the NGOs to take part in a series of high-powered
meetings. This dialog is still going on.
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