| Home > South-East Asia >> Indonesia | |
National Coalition statement on the war against Iraq
[The following is a statement issued by the National Coalition on January 30, 2003. Translated by James Balowski.]
The political hegemony and economic domination of the US in the world’s political arena is a manifestation of the attitude of a superpower imperialist state towards the Third World, for the triumph of the economic and political interests of imperialism.
In the view of the imperialists, the nations of the world are divided into two: allies and opponents. An ally is a nation which is submissive to their economic and political policies, while those categorised as opponents, are those nations who’s policies are in conflict with the US. Thus the war against terrorism, which has also been reduced to a war against radical Islam, has the impact of sharpening religious, social and cultural discrimination.
In following and observing the development of the political situation, both at the national and international level, this provides an indication that there will be an increase in the political temperature which will bring the nation of Indonesia into a worst situation. The National Coalition therefore feels that it is necessary to present our political views.
The National Coalition considers that the resolution of the conflict between one nation and another by igniting a war, does not represent a resolution, but instead represents the beginning of new series of problems which will surely emerge. The war against Iraq is clearly a violation of human rights because the victims will be the ordinary people of Iraq who have committed no sin and have [a right to] sovereignty over their own country. They will be sacrificed for the global ambitions of the US to control the world’s sources of energy (in Iraq’s case oil).
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government of President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-president Hamzah Haz are again applying an oppressive approach in handling protest actions which have continued as a result of economic and political policies which have been rejected by the people. There are a number of prominent cases:
1. In Makassar, two activist from the Indonesian Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI) and the National Student League for Democracy (LMND) were arrested.
2. In Yogyakarta, three FNPBI and LMND activist were arrested.
3. In Palu, seven activist from the Poor People Struggle Front (FPRM) have become suspects in damaging the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) offices, while in fact the damage occurred after provocation by PDPI security personnel.
4. In Kendari, seven FPRM activists were arrested and charged with insulting the head of state.
5. In Jakarta, four Student Executive Board activists and one activist from the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front became suspects on charges of insulting the head of state.
6. In Jakarta, 21 activist from the Youth and Student Opposition Front (PMKRI, IMM, GPK, LMND, HMI, MPO, GMKI and others) were arrested at a peaceful demonstration because they had not informed the authorities beforehand.
It can be clearly seen that Megawati’s campaign to make 2003 the Year Without Violence is just another form of public lies by the Mega-Hamzah government.
The submissiveness of the Mega-Hamzah government and the parliament in implementing the guidelines and directions of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are shown by the sale of state assets, including Indosat, which in fact is not supported by the people because it has already damaged the economy, the essence and wishes of the many people.
Under conditions such as this, the National Coalition’s clear position is:
1. To demand that the Mega-Hamzah government take a clear stand against the military aggression of the US and its allies against Iraq as a sovereign nation.
2. To call for the Mega-Hamzah government to summon Ralph Boyce – the US ambassador to Indonesia – to directly present to him, the political position of the Indonesian people against this aggression. If the political position of the Indonesian people is ignored, the next step by the Mega-Hamzah government should be the expulsion of the US ambassador.
3. To call on the Indonesian people to stand behind the people of Iraq in opposing all forms of state military aggression against developing countries.
4. To demand that Law Number 9/1998 on the Freedom to Express Opinion in Public be immediately revoked, because the interoperation of this law manifested itself in physical repression by the security forces (police) which accommodates a high level of violence and creates tensions in this republic, and which represents a part of the plan to return to authoritarianism.
5. To cancel the sale of Indosat to foreign or other interests.
We ask that the five demands above be fulfilled by the Mega-Hamzah government before the people of Indonesia make their own choice. We present our demands in the framework of avoiding the occurrence of grave possibilities which we none of us wish to happen.
A rejection of the above five demands by the Mega-Hamzah government means one more addition to the long list of proven failures of the Mega-Hamzah government in channeling the aspirations and desires of the Indonesian People.
Jakarta, January 30, 2003