Ali Alatas
Encyclopedia
Ali Alatas was an Indonesia
n diplomat
of Hadhrami descent, who served as the country's foreign minister
from 1988 to 1999. He was Indonesia's longest serving foreign minister.
in 1956. Alatas joined the Indonesian foreign service in 1954 as a 22-year-old.
His early career included stints in the Indonesian embassies in Bangkok, Thailand and in Washington, DC.
He was named Indonesia's ambassador to the UN, in Geneva from 1975 to 1978 and was also ambassador to the UN in New York from 1982 to 1988.
and the Constitution of the 10-member grouping the Eminent Persons Group
. He also brokered peace negotiations in several hot spots in Southeast Asia
.
His most famous success was his role in helping to broker peace in Cambodia, in 1991, which ended the war with the Khmer Rouge. "Alatas brokered the historic 1991 peace settlement at the Paris International Conference to end the war with the Khmer Rouge, though he had to share some of the glory with France," The Guardian wrote, calling the settlement his "greatest triumph."
His obituary by Reuters said Alatas "was a widely respected figure in the region tipped at one stage to be a possible United Nations secretary-general" but that his later career was "haunted by the Suharto era and the turmoil in East Timor," the former Portuguese colony that voted for independence from Indonesia in 1999. Alatas recounted his role in the diplomatic controversy over Indonesia's annexation of East Timor
in 1975 and the events leading to independence in The pebble in the shoe: The diplomatic struggle for East Timor. His obituary in The Guardian argued that a 1991 massacre of anti-Indonesian demonstrators at Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili, East Timor's capital, probably prevented Alatas from taking charge of the UN. "International outrage over the deaths may have cost Alatas the top UN job, for which he was in the running in the late 1990s," The Guardian wrote. "Suharto reportedly vetoed his candidacy as he believed the role would have highlighted such abuses." Alatas later termed the Santa Cruz massacre
a "turning point" for Indonesia in East Timor.
On 30 March 1995 he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia
, for service to Australian-Indonesian relations.
In 2003, Alatas was appointed as the United Nations special envoy to Burma. He arrived in Burma on 18 August 2005 for a three-day visit and sought the release of Aung San Suu Kyi
.
Alatas served as chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council (Dewan Pertimbangan Presiden) in the Yudhoyono Administration
.
in Singapore
, with his wife and his three daughters at his bedside.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n diplomat
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
of Hadhrami descent, who served as the country's foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
from 1988 to 1999. He was Indonesia's longest serving foreign minister.
Education and early career
Alatas graduated from the Indonesian Foreign Service Academy in 1954 and earned a law degree from the University of IndonesiaUniversity of Indonesia
The Universitas Indonesia, is a state, comprehensive world class university located in Depok, West Java and Salemba, Jakarta, Indonesia. Universitas Indonesia is the oldest tertiary-level educational institution in Indonesia...
in 1956. Alatas joined the Indonesian foreign service in 1954 as a 22-year-old.
His early career included stints in the Indonesian embassies in Bangkok, Thailand and in Washington, DC.
He was named Indonesia's ambassador to the UN, in Geneva from 1975 to 1978 and was also ambassador to the UN in New York from 1982 to 1988.
As foreign minister and after
He was Indonesia's Minister for Foreign Affairs from March 1988, serving three terms under the former Suharto administration and once under the Habibie administration in May 1998,. He advocated regional cooperation and played a crucial role in drafting the ASEAN CharterASEAN Charter
The ASEAN Charter is a constitution for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations . It was adopted at the 13th ASEAN Summit in November 2007....
and the Constitution of the 10-member grouping the Eminent Persons Group
ASEAN Eminent Persons Group
The ASEAN Eminent Persons Group ' is a group of prominent citizens from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries, tasked to create the charter of the ASEAN community....
. He also brokered peace negotiations in several hot spots in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
His most famous success was his role in helping to broker peace in Cambodia, in 1991, which ended the war with the Khmer Rouge. "Alatas brokered the historic 1991 peace settlement at the Paris International Conference to end the war with the Khmer Rouge, though he had to share some of the glory with France," The Guardian wrote, calling the settlement his "greatest triumph."
His obituary by Reuters said Alatas "was a widely respected figure in the region tipped at one stage to be a possible United Nations secretary-general" but that his later career was "haunted by the Suharto era and the turmoil in East Timor," the former Portuguese colony that voted for independence from Indonesia in 1999. Alatas recounted his role in the diplomatic controversy over Indonesia's annexation of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
in 1975 and the events leading to independence in The pebble in the shoe: The diplomatic struggle for East Timor. His obituary in The Guardian argued that a 1991 massacre of anti-Indonesian demonstrators at Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili, East Timor's capital, probably prevented Alatas from taking charge of the UN. "International outrage over the deaths may have cost Alatas the top UN job, for which he was in the running in the late 1990s," The Guardian wrote. "Suharto reportedly vetoed his candidacy as he believed the role would have highlighted such abuses." Alatas later termed the Santa Cruz massacre
Santa Cruz massacre
The Santa Cruz massacre was the shooting of East Timorese pro-independence demonstrators in the Santa Cruz cemetery in the capital, Dili, on 12 November 1991, during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor.-Background:...
a "turning point" for Indonesia in East Timor.
On 30 March 1995 he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, for service to Australian-Indonesian relations.
In 2003, Alatas was appointed as the United Nations special envoy to Burma. He arrived in Burma on 18 August 2005 for a three-day visit and sought the release of Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
.
Alatas served as chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council (Dewan Pertimbangan Presiden) in the Yudhoyono Administration
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
.
Death
On 11 December 2008, Alatas died at 7.30am, at the age of 76 of a heart attack at Mount Elizabeth HospitalMount Elizabeth Hospital
Mount Elizabeth Hospital is a 373-bed private hospital in Singapore operated by Parkway Health. It was started in 1976 and officially opened in 8 December 1979....
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, with his wife and his three daughters at his bedside.
External links
- Profile at TokohIndonesia.com (In IndonesianIndonesian languageIndonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
)