Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-06-05-Speech-4-208"
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"en.20030605.7.4-208"2
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"Mr President, today we are looking at one of the most difficult foci of crisis in Asia, one that threatens to become ever more dangerous, and we cannot grasp this subject if we merely fall back on the usual clichés.
Indonesia is a world of many peoples, and, in geographical terms alone, it far exceeds any of our European dimensions. In that part of the world one cannot measure everything by the same yardstick. We have the problem that Aceh is an ancient historic Sultanate, which has had a significant cultural influence on the region. Aceh was a great seafaring nation. Aceh has also had a religious influence on the area. It was from there that Islam spread so extensively throughout Asia, and the island has developed a very strong and healthy sense of identity. In the colonial period, Aceh, like many other nations in this region, was simply brought into line with all the others and then, after decolonialisation, it became a part of the new artificial State of Indonesia.
Now we certainly do not want to call into question the integrity of this State of Indonesia, which, on economic and strategic grounds alone, is one of our most important and valuable partners. On the other hand, we have to look at the reality of the situation, and the reality is that in Indonesia they have made the mistake of trying to solve the problem of the over-populated islands of Bali, Java and Sumatra by coming up with what is known as the Transmigration Policy, in other words they have tried to resettle people from these islands on other islands with a different cultural and historical make-up, and to outvote other population groups, which has led to a whole range of ethnic and religious conflicts. These conflicts are not, as in the Moluccas, simply conflicts between Muslims and Christians, but in Aceh they are also between Muslims and Muslims, or between different ethnic groups.
For that reason we must approach this subject with great caution. On the one hand we must demand, very clearly, an end to the use of force in Aceh and an end to the terrorist activities taking place in the region. On the other hand, however, we must also demand that the Government of Indonesia, which is our partner, meets its obligations, and that means fully implementing the autonomy arrangements for Aceh and ensuring that democracy and the rule of law prevail there, and that, above all, humanitarian organisations, international observers and the international media have access to the region. Indonesia should have nothing to hide; it is our partner. However, the way in which Indonesia deals with the self-aware Aceh province and its freedom is also an important criterion."@en1
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