Paras Indonesia, June, 20 2006 @ 06:41 pm
Xanana At 60: Statesman Or Politician?
By: Tri Agus Siswowiharjo
Xanana Gusmao, today, June 20, is turning 60 years old. The former Falintil
commander during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor is now President of Timor
Leste. Perhaps there was no time for him to blow his candles at his Debu Palace this
year. Instead of being surrounded with family and friends, he was surrounded with
looming problems caused by the sacking of almost 600 Timorese soldiers which had
led to widespread violence, killing 30 and displacing around 150,000 people. Xanana
was a guerilla fighter, but this time he is being troubled by his own soldiers, even
forcing him to ask military assistance from neighboring Australia.
In 1994 to 1995, when he was still a resident of the Cipinang prison, Xanana used to
exchange letters with Pijar and Solidamor activist Yeni Rosa Damayanti who was also
a prisoner in the Pondok Bambu Prison. One of the topics they talked about was
whether there would be a military force in a future Timor. Xanana in one of his letters
stressed that an independent Timor Leste would not need an armed force. "We only
need a civil police to keep order among the people," he wrote.
In reality, many were surprised to see that today's Timor Leste has a defense force.
What for? To defend against Indonesia? To fight against militias, or for what? As it
turns out, the initiator of the Forças de Defesa de Timor Leste (FDTL) was the United
Nations. Besides that, the hesitant Xanana, no wonder he gets along so well with
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, did not have the heart to see his former
Falintil fighters going unemployed.
In fact, this was the first time in history that a UN administration created a defense
force. What made it worse was that the establishment of the FDTL was viewed as a
mere project with donor funding. It was initially called the East Timor Defense Force
(ETDF) but later changed to FDTL after Timor's May 20, 2002 Independence Day. Its
recruitment, structure, doctrine, education and operational were put together instantly.
Such an unnatural process. Even the Timorese should envy how the Indonesian
Armed Forces were built formed.
It is, though, quite natural that a newly formed country, partly achieved by armed
force, has a less-than-integrated military. Same case happened with the newly formed
Republic of Indonesia. In some areas, soldiers rebelled against Jakarta policies. There
was no insurgency in Indonesia that had no military involvement. Remember PRRI
Permesta, DI TII and G30S-PKI? All these events involved trained armed soldiers.
Aside from having to deal with the rebel army led by Major Alfredo Reinaldo– who has
just surrendered his arms to the Australians, Xanana is also dealing with the rise of
the opposition groups demanding the Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri to step down. Two
of the biggest opposition leaders, Fernando‘Lasama' Araujo (President of the
Democrat Party) and former East Timor Governor Mario Carrascalao, urged Xanana
sack Alkatiri and call an early election. Such a hard task to ask. Even though Xanana
and Alkatiri are not exactly the best of friends, el presidente would not dare to fire
Alkatiri unconstitutionally.
Gusmao is not Gus Dur, even though they both love soccer as much as Gus Hidink. If
Gus Dur was successfully motivated by the NGOs and his party to disband the
parliament – although they eventually kicked him out of office. Xanana on the other is
more patient and thinks through longer. What power do the opposition groups have?
Isn't the parliament controlled by the ruling Fretilin (80 %) which is headed by Alkatiri?
No one could kick out Mari Alkatiri from his prime minister office. Only his own party
Fretilin has that power and authority to do that.
Xanana must realize that he is a president, not a prime minister. In the Timorese
constitution, a president is only a mere symbol. He is not above the political powers
of Timor. Everyone from the Fretilin, the Democrat, Lorosae, Loromunu, the diasporas,
ex militias, ex Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers, ex Falintil fighters to the sarjana
Supermie (instant noodle scholars - a term Jose Ramos-Horta had used to call
Timorese who graduated from Indonesian universities), are all children of the Timor
Leste nation. If Xanana falls into his political interest, then the University of Cipinang
alumnus should not consider himself a statesman, but only a mere politician.
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