This is a comment on a news report titled “CJ ruling ‘could inspire RI separatists’.” (July 27).
Papua and Aceh are different from Kosovo. People can read the 1962 Agreement about Papua at http://untreaty.un.org/unts/1_60000/13/10/00024490.pdf and you can read the background to the Agreement which America released in 1995 at http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/frus/summaries/950306_FRUS_XXIII_1961-63.html.
In the US Department of State record you will see that the agreement was promoted by the National Security Council (NSC) and its boss McGeorge Bundy. For your information, Bundy and his father were friends of Robert Lovett who recommended Bundy to president Kennedy as the NSC boss.
The International Court of Justice opinion says any territory has a right to make a declaration of independence. Kosovo has a weak claim, which only 69 nations have recognized so far; using the UN resolution 1541 as a guide, independence from a dominating government is more suitable if the territory is geographically separate, or if the people are ethnically distinct from the administrating power, or if the culture of the territory is distinct from the culture of the administrating power. Kosovo’s strongest claim seems to be the abuse Serbia inflicted on Kosovo.
If Indonesia used Mitchell bombers, rockets or established an oppressive military or militia presence in some region; that could be an issue which only open media access could assist Indonesia with.
Andrew Johnson
Sydney