Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-12-12-Speech-2-270"
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"en.20001212.11.2-270"2
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". – Mr President, I wish to begin by congratulating my honourable friend Mrs Maij-Weggen on what is generally regarded as an excellent report. It is a very comprehensive report and particularly useful in updating us on developments since the adoption of the Commission's communication last February.
The extraordinary transition of Indonesia is far from over: democracy is still young and very fragile. Only two years ago Indonesia was still ruled by a military-backed authoritarian leader. The massive economic collapse in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis has aggravated social tensions and ethnic conflict. It is clear that Indonesia's difficulties will not be solved overnight. The key challenges are still those which we identified in the communication. First, the consolidation of the rule of law, including civilian supremacy over the military and the combating of corruption; second, the implementation of regional autonomy in a way that reduces the incentives for separatism; and, third, economic restructuring.
So what does the future hold for our relations with Indonesia? Above all we must continue to express our support for the necessary but fragile democratisation and reforms and we must ensure, as we did throughout the crisis, that our markets remain open.
An honourable lady earlier in the debate referred to our relationship with Indonesia as part of our relationship with ASEAN. I must say that what is noticeable in our relationship with Indonesia is the extent to which that country has profited from our generalised system of preferences. It was the fourth greatest beneficiary in 1998. While EU exports dropped in 1997 and 1998 and have only stabilised since, European Union imports from Indonesia have surged significantly providing Indonesia with a trade surplus which has cushioned them against the crisis.
How should we engage Indonesia in the coming years? The main mechanisms for doing so have been outlined in the communication: more and more open dialogue both political and economic. The senior-official meetings launched this year will continue with our second consultative forum in early 2001. We also want to see enhanced contacts with the forces of reform and the reorientation of our development cooperation.
On this last point I am pleased to inform Parliament that the Commission has launched a new programme under the title of "good governance" which tries to help overcome structural weaknesses in the management of public affairs. Furthermore a country strategy paper, outlining our long-term development strategy, will be discussed with our Indonesian partners in 2001. Like Parliament, the Commission has also identified corruption as a continuing problem. The support we are currently giving to the office of the attorney-general in Jakarta is intended to help him in his attempts to combat corruption.
One last word: I believe that there is reason for cautious optimism as regards our long-term relationship with Indonesia, but we – that is the European Union with all our institutions – need to keep up our support. Indonesia matters hugely to us. It matters because of its size – the world's fourth largest country in terms of population; it matters because of its economic scale; it matters because of its regional role; it matters because of its environmental impact.
In between a previous colonial occupation and taking this post with the European Commission, I wrote a book and made some television programmes about Asia and I remember visiting Indonesia shortly after the riots there in 1998 and interviewing the then President Habibie. I remember having the distinct feeling that this great country was poised somewhere on the high wire between riot and reform and that we would be very lucky if the democratic process produced a government such as the one that has been produced today.
It is our task to help that government across the wire to the other side of the chasm. If it does not make that journey successfully, the consequences for all of us, the consequences in particular for the region and the consequences for Indonesia, would be dire: either the largest Islamic democracy in the world and one of the most successful democracies in Asia, or very considerable problems for the whole region. It is important that Parliament continues to show an interest. It is important that Parliament continues to press the European Union as whole to give a helping hand to Indonesia, but it is particularly important that the government of Indonesia – the president and his followers – take the brave but essential decisions that are required to ensure that Indonesia can go forward respecting civil liberties, guaranteeing and consolidating democracy and giving the people of Indonesia a prosperous and stable future.
Since then time has certainly not stood still in Indonesia. I sometimes reflect on what a great American friend of mine, who was once ambassador in Indonesia, said: he thought that of all the most important countries in the world Indonesia was one about which we knew all too little. I think the report is extremely valuable in shedding light on what has been happening. So I am grateful to her and the committee for the motion for a resolution. In particular I am pleased that the points made generally seem to be supportive of the action of the European Union and in particular of the action of the European Commission.
The key message of the Commission's communication was the need to recognise that Indonesia was undergoing a difficult period of transition in which the forces of reform needed our support. That support is to be provided through an enhanced political and economic dialogue, as well as enhanced targeted development cooperation.
The communication was written in a positive spirit, reflecting the new dawn in our relationship. It is fair to say – I suspect in the presence of the Indonesian Ambassador – that Indonesia recognised and welcomed that.
Almost a year later it is useful to consider whether our proposals and analysis are still valid, given recent political developments in Indonesia. In particular this last year has seen growing and worrying unrest, instability and human rights abuses in the regions and, in particular, in Aceh, Irian Jaya and the Moluccas, where the Commission recently adopted a decision for a further EUR 2m from ECHO to help the displaced persons in both provinces.
The situation is far from stable in all three areas. Only this weekend, as a number of honourable Members have reminded us, three local employees of a Danish non-governmental organisation were murdered in Aceh. I strongly condemn these murders. They are a reminder of the extremely dangerous conditions faced by all aid workers in many parts of Indonesia. I want to pay tribute to their bravery and dedication. I know that the House would want to do likewise.
The Commission and the Council have reconfirmed their support for the territorial integrity of Indonesia. I am glad that Parliament is doing likewise. However, at the same time we have also underlined the Indonesian Government's responsibility to maintain law and order and to protect human rights in its territory.
It is a challenging task for the democratic government of President Wahid, not least to combat what he has called the dark forces of the past that are trying to play out a national struggle for power on distant battlefields. It is essential that he rises to that challenge. At the same time he needs to meet the genuine aspirations at local and regional level for a fair share in economic growth and greater autonomy.
A special case is the still unresolved question of West Timor. Clearly it is unacceptable that tens of thousands of East Timorese refugees are still held hostage at the mercy of armed bandits who, in the name of Indonesian patriotism, try to get away without punishment for their criminal past. The government of Indonesia has undertaken some steps, but much more needs to be done and much faster. I listened with interest to the proposal made by the honourable Member towards the end of our discussion."@en1
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