ID :
101730
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 09:28
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https://www.oananews.org//node/101730
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News Focus: RI EXPECTED TO PROVIDE USEFUL INPUTS TO AFGHANISTAN CONFAB
By Eliswan Azly
Jakarta, Jan 21 (ANTARA) - Indonesia is expected to provide the London Conference on Afghanistan with problem-solving inputs and share its experience in solving the various domestic conflicts this largest archipelagic country in the world ever saw in the past.
It is hoped Indonesia's experience can be an inspiration to the conference in finding a solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.
The successes Indonesia achieved before and after independence in solving various conflicts in the regions are seen as good inputs for the conference, British Ambassador Martin Hatfull said at a luncheon with journalists in Jakarta on Thursday.
The ways in which Indonesia solved a series of armed conflicts are expected to motivate Afghan authorities to find effective ways to create peace in many regions of the country.
Co-chaired by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Afghan President Karzai and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, the London Conference on Afghanistan is to be held on January 28, 2010 with the purpose of to drive forward campaign in Afghanistan, to match the increase in military forces with an increased political momentum, to focus on the international community on a clear set of priorities across the 43-nation coalition and marshal the maximum international effort to help the Afghan government.
According to Hatfull, the London Conference will focus on security, development and governance, regional framework/international architecture. The UK is working on all fronts to support the Afghan government such as improve governance, both nationally and locally, making sure that it works in the interest of all the Afghan people; tackle corruption and the drugs trade; build up the rule of law; promote economic development, investing in infrastructure, legal alternatives to opium poppies and jobs: improve access to education and healthcare.
Sharing the same opinion with Hatfull was Dr Sofyan Siregar, a political analyst at the European Islamic University of the Netherland in Rotterdam who is also a roving lecturer of the Islamic University of North Sumatra. He said Indonesia should make use of the conference to present its experiences in solving many armed conflicts to arrive at problem-solving.
However, Sofyan could not see the relevance of the prolonged conflict in Afghanistan with that in Aceh in the past. But at least he hoped the settlement of the conflict between the Indonesian government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement could be an inspiring factor for the Afghan government to pursue lenient policies toward the armed opposition groups in country.
According to Sofyan, the Taliban were now in a condition very different from that in the past. They were now stronger than in past years, and their actions were more refined. Currently, they were armed with air defence systems. Their rear support was being improved.
Taliban militants employ guerrilla warfare tactics and carry out actively terrorist attacks against officials and servicemen of both the Karzai government and western coalition. "What the Taliban are doing now somehwat resembles what GAM used to do in the past," he said.
The solution to the Aceh conflict was reached after a lenient policy was adopted by the Indonesian government in planning to grant Aceh special autonomy. But GAM leaders wanted to seriously accept special autonomy after a divastating natural disaster, the 2004 tsunami, had killed over 200,000 people in Indonesia's most northern province.
Some leaders could eventually understand how big the attention of Indonesian government and people to Acehnese people in the post-tsunami period as marked with the distribution of assistance to that region.
"A big contribution of Indonesian people is learned to be an inspiring factor for those in the Aceh Separatist Movement to accept the government's offer for a peace dialogue which was firstly held in Helsinki," he said.
The problem now is whether Afghanistan should also undergo such a severe earthquake like what Indonesians has had in the past. "This is certainly impossible," he said.
According to Sofyan, the strengthening influence of the Taliban in Afghanistan is brought about by the interweaving of local conditions with foreign support. The protracted war with the involvement of foreign groups has thrown back the country into one of the poorest states in Central Asia in economic development for many years.
"It is gradually reviving now leaning on foreign, especially western support but political instability has seriously hampered this. Unemployment, poverty and corruption forces people, especially the youth to join actively the Taliban where they get money for their survival," he said.
Air raids on settlements killing civilians and searches in private houses also play a negative role. Attempts by the authorities to stimulate the refusal to grow poppy by paying incentives have proved to be ineffective since it is more profitable to cultivate poppy, he said, adding the elimination of poppy plantations has stirred dissatisfaction among people. Karzai administration launches the campaign with the assistance of Americans and British since growing poppies is the only survival for millions of farmers.
In addition, the Taliban that has close links with drug-lords capitalizes on the situation to achieve its targets. During the Taliban rule it restricted the production of drugs but now it plays the role of patron and defender. Many field commanders, who have their own armed units and are hostile to the central government, cooperate with the Taliban.
The Taliban movement is provided the support by the neighboring territory of Pakistan, the country that has the longest border with Afghanistan compared with its other neighbors. "In fact, Kabul does not recognize it as a border. None of the Afghan governments, including the Karzai government has considered it as the border between the two countries," he said.
Both Sofyan and Hatfull were sure that the settlement of the Afghan issue could not be solved through the London Conference within a few days, as it needs a process. At least, Indonesia's presence to provide inputs will be favorable to the conference in taking further steps for Afghanistan in the future.
Nevertheless, Hatfull saw that Afghanistan after 30 years of conflict is one of the poorest countries in the world. "Therefore, we need to help this country create the secure and political institutions required for a stable future," Sofyan said.
end
Jakarta, Jan 21 (ANTARA) - Indonesia is expected to provide the London Conference on Afghanistan with problem-solving inputs and share its experience in solving the various domestic conflicts this largest archipelagic country in the world ever saw in the past.
It is hoped Indonesia's experience can be an inspiration to the conference in finding a solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.
The successes Indonesia achieved before and after independence in solving various conflicts in the regions are seen as good inputs for the conference, British Ambassador Martin Hatfull said at a luncheon with journalists in Jakarta on Thursday.
The ways in which Indonesia solved a series of armed conflicts are expected to motivate Afghan authorities to find effective ways to create peace in many regions of the country.
Co-chaired by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Afghan President Karzai and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, the London Conference on Afghanistan is to be held on January 28, 2010 with the purpose of to drive forward campaign in Afghanistan, to match the increase in military forces with an increased political momentum, to focus on the international community on a clear set of priorities across the 43-nation coalition and marshal the maximum international effort to help the Afghan government.
According to Hatfull, the London Conference will focus on security, development and governance, regional framework/international architecture. The UK is working on all fronts to support the Afghan government such as improve governance, both nationally and locally, making sure that it works in the interest of all the Afghan people; tackle corruption and the drugs trade; build up the rule of law; promote economic development, investing in infrastructure, legal alternatives to opium poppies and jobs: improve access to education and healthcare.
Sharing the same opinion with Hatfull was Dr Sofyan Siregar, a political analyst at the European Islamic University of the Netherland in Rotterdam who is also a roving lecturer of the Islamic University of North Sumatra. He said Indonesia should make use of the conference to present its experiences in solving many armed conflicts to arrive at problem-solving.
However, Sofyan could not see the relevance of the prolonged conflict in Afghanistan with that in Aceh in the past. But at least he hoped the settlement of the conflict between the Indonesian government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement could be an inspiring factor for the Afghan government to pursue lenient policies toward the armed opposition groups in country.
According to Sofyan, the Taliban were now in a condition very different from that in the past. They were now stronger than in past years, and their actions were more refined. Currently, they were armed with air defence systems. Their rear support was being improved.
Taliban militants employ guerrilla warfare tactics and carry out actively terrorist attacks against officials and servicemen of both the Karzai government and western coalition. "What the Taliban are doing now somehwat resembles what GAM used to do in the past," he said.
The solution to the Aceh conflict was reached after a lenient policy was adopted by the Indonesian government in planning to grant Aceh special autonomy. But GAM leaders wanted to seriously accept special autonomy after a divastating natural disaster, the 2004 tsunami, had killed over 200,000 people in Indonesia's most northern province.
Some leaders could eventually understand how big the attention of Indonesian government and people to Acehnese people in the post-tsunami period as marked with the distribution of assistance to that region.
"A big contribution of Indonesian people is learned to be an inspiring factor for those in the Aceh Separatist Movement to accept the government's offer for a peace dialogue which was firstly held in Helsinki," he said.
The problem now is whether Afghanistan should also undergo such a severe earthquake like what Indonesians has had in the past. "This is certainly impossible," he said.
According to Sofyan, the strengthening influence of the Taliban in Afghanistan is brought about by the interweaving of local conditions with foreign support. The protracted war with the involvement of foreign groups has thrown back the country into one of the poorest states in Central Asia in economic development for many years.
"It is gradually reviving now leaning on foreign, especially western support but political instability has seriously hampered this. Unemployment, poverty and corruption forces people, especially the youth to join actively the Taliban where they get money for their survival," he said.
Air raids on settlements killing civilians and searches in private houses also play a negative role. Attempts by the authorities to stimulate the refusal to grow poppy by paying incentives have proved to be ineffective since it is more profitable to cultivate poppy, he said, adding the elimination of poppy plantations has stirred dissatisfaction among people. Karzai administration launches the campaign with the assistance of Americans and British since growing poppies is the only survival for millions of farmers.
In addition, the Taliban that has close links with drug-lords capitalizes on the situation to achieve its targets. During the Taliban rule it restricted the production of drugs but now it plays the role of patron and defender. Many field commanders, who have their own armed units and are hostile to the central government, cooperate with the Taliban.
The Taliban movement is provided the support by the neighboring territory of Pakistan, the country that has the longest border with Afghanistan compared with its other neighbors. "In fact, Kabul does not recognize it as a border. None of the Afghan governments, including the Karzai government has considered it as the border between the two countries," he said.
Both Sofyan and Hatfull were sure that the settlement of the Afghan issue could not be solved through the London Conference within a few days, as it needs a process. At least, Indonesia's presence to provide inputs will be favorable to the conference in taking further steps for Afghanistan in the future.
Nevertheless, Hatfull saw that Afghanistan after 30 years of conflict is one of the poorest countries in the world. "Therefore, we need to help this country create the secure and political institutions required for a stable future," Sofyan said.
end
