Alatas tells U.S. aid and rights just don't mix<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas warned
\nthe United States against attaching political strings to its
\nforeign aid programs yesterday, suggesting that doing so could
\nmake the problem worse.<\/p>\n
\"Imposing human rights as a political condition for economic
\ncooperation with developing countries is wholly counterproductive
\nto both the promotion of human rights and the pursuit of
\ndevelopment,\" Alatas said on Wednesday before more than 200
\nbusiness, academic and government leaders attending an Asia
\nSociety conference here.<\/p>\n
\"If people-oriented development is successful, then the
\npeople's quality of life will be enhanced,\" he said in a keynote
\naddress to the conference on \"Indonesia, the United States and
\nthe World Today\".<\/p>\n
\"This means not only the fulfillment of their material needs,
\nbut also a greater and more secure enjoyment of all their human
\nrights,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and the United States have been at odds on the
\nquestions of human rights, labor rights and democracy,
\nparticularly over the past year.<\/p>\n
Washington last year threatened to end Indonesia's special
\ntrading privileges granted under the Generalized System of
\nPreferences (GSP), blocked a planned sale of U.S.-built
\njetfighters by Jordan to Indonesia, and also slashed military
\ntraining aid for Indonesian officers.<\/p>\n
Officials in both capitals however have since managed to put
\nthese problems in perspective and worked on forging closer ties,
\nespecially in the business sector, despite these differences.<\/p>\n
This factor was acknowledged by Alatas when he asserted in his
\nspeech that relations are \"perhaps as solid and as broadly gauged
\nas they have ever been.\"<\/p>\n
The United States and Indonesia have much to gain from knowing
\neach other better and learning from each other, he said.<\/p>\n
\"But more than that, what we can do for each other as well as
\nwhat we can do together could serve as an example for that vital
\npartnership between the developed and developing countries,
\nbetween the North and the South, which will be needed if we are
\neffectively to address the global challenges humankind is facing
\ntoday,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Alatas pointed out that more than half of total U.S. world
\ntrade is with the Pacific region and that more than 1.5 million
\nU.S. jobs now depend on exports to Asia and the Pacific.<\/p>\n
Indonesia ranks as a major destination for American cotton,
\nchemicals, aircraft parts, and other industrial goods.<\/p>\n
US$8.5 billion<\/p>\n
Two-way trade between Indonesia and the U.S. totals US$8.5
\nbillion each year , and America's direct investment since 1967
\nadds up to more than $3.8 billion.<\/p>\n
\"While this economic relationship has positive benefits for
\nboth countries, failure to preserve it could be as severe as some
\nof the traditional military challenges the United States is
\nfacing,\" the minister said.<\/p>\n
The conference, which will end today, was sponsored by the
\nAsia Society, the Center for Strategic and International Studies
\n(CSIS) in Jakarta, the United States-Indonesia Society, and the
\nAmerican-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n
Other speakers include Paul Wolfowitz, a former U.S.
\nambassador to Indonesia and Sidney Jones of Asia Watch, CSIS
\nchairman Yusuf Wanandi, William Liddle of Ohio State University
\nand Donald Emmerson, political science professor at the
\nUniversity of Wisconsin.<\/p>\n
The conference is part of a year-long public education project
\norganized by the Asia Society. It took \"Uncovering Indonesia:
\nInsights for the 1990s.\" as its theme. The purpose of the project
\nis to provide a deeper understanding of contemporary Indonesia
\nand of U.S.- Indonesian relations.<\/p>\n
Book<\/p>\n
The Asia Society is also planning to publish a multi-author
\nvolume exploring Indonesian politics, economy and culture. The
\nbook, due out in 1995, will be edited by Donald Emmerson.<\/p>\n
The conference was slightly disrupted by 10 demonstrators
\ncarrying posters denouncing Indonesia's policy in East Timor
\noutside the Asia Society building on Park Avenue, prior to the
\nopening reception.<\/p>\n
Alatas told the press after opening the conference that the
\nUnited States needs to see Indonesia as a whole, not just one of
\nits many facets.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S. should consider the totality of our relationship to
\navoid being carried away by a certain minority which only sees
\nIndonesia as East Timor or human rights,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
He noted that despite the long and good bilateral relationship
\nbetween Indonesia and the U.S., there remains a gap in mutual
\nunderstanding, particularly on the U.S. side.<\/p>\n
\"We need to fill this gap, otherwise both will suffer. The
\nU.S. will suffer because it will miss a chance for very
\nbeneficial cooperation,\" said Alatas as quoted by Antara.
\n(lem)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alatas-tells-us-aid-and-rights-just-dont-mix-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}