To the Indonesian people, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are very important principles; they do not only constitute our rights a… - Suharto

However, the Indonesian people believe that the means for defence, which are decisive and at the same time advantageous, are the conviction in its own national identity and the standard of prosperity of its people.

The fight for freedom has culminated in the proclamation of our independence, but our struggle had still to be continued years after. Up to the present moment, the Indonesian people have still to endure the consequences of their sacrifice in the effort to achieve their territorial integrity. One of them is the people's plight in the economic field. We are therefore determined to defend whatever we have achieved painfully.

To us, the interaction among development, environment and population is a cornerstone of national policy. We have learned to be concerned not only with population growth rates but also with the quality of the population, the levels of education that the people attain, and the skills and capabilities that they acquire. We have to consider the rights of individuals as they constitute population and a society, such as the right of men and women alike to determine the size of their families, the right to further the interests of the communities to which they belong, and other rights guaranteed under our laws. Such rights, together with the right to development and to obtain the best possible quality of life, as well as the right to a proper social and physical environment, are part of the spectrum of human rights that we uphold.