Indonesia must join Afghan mission<\/p>\n
Bantarto Bandoro, Editor, The Indonesian Quarterly,
\nCentre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It has been widely reported that the opposition Northern Alliance
\nhas finally captured Kabul. The Taliban regime has been forced to
\nmove to its two remaining strongholds, Kandahar and Kundus. New
\nhopes grow, but anxiety and fear remains. This is only a small
\npart of what will be the larger and longer story of Afghanistan.
\nIts future will be determined not only by the stability of the
\ninterplay of the factions within the Northern Alliance, but also
\nthe extent to which the Taliban can regain its position through
\nguerrilla warfare.<\/p>\n
The fall of Kabul is perhaps the beginning of new instability
\nin Afghanistan. It is therefore expected that a new policy should
\nbe initiated, as is the case after every crisis. The
\nestablishment of a United Nations peace keeping force in the
\ncountry is now on the UN agenda.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, which has had considerable experience in peace
\nkeeping operations dating back to the Suez Canal war in 1957, has
\nbeen named along with other predominantly Muslim countries like
\nBangladesh, Jordan and Turkey as the most suited to carry out the
\nUN peace keeping mission in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
However the idea that Indonesia should be part of the forces
\nhas created controversy at home. Why?<\/p>\n
Legislators are divided on the issue. Some offer conditional
\nsupport for Indonesia's participation in the force provided that
\nthe government first consult the House of Representatives. Others
\nbluntly urge the government against joining an international
\npeace keeping force, even if the request comes from the UN,
\nsaying that Indonesia needs all its available resources to deal
\nwith its domestic problems.<\/p>\n
If one prescribes to such a view, then perhaps we would never
\nhave seen Indonesia's participation in the international forces,
\nsince its participation in such operations in the past has always
\nbeen against a backdrop of domestic problems. It also depends, of
\ncourse, on how one defines domestic problems.<\/p>\n
It is also difficult to understand the argument that
\nIndonesia's peace keeping forces would be used as a buffer for
\nthe United States in dealing with the people in Afghanistan, or
\nthat Indonesia would be playing into the hands of the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
Why should the U.S. ask Indonesia to be its buffer or act as
\nits extension if there are other countries, perhaps better
\nequipped and with more experience, whom the U.S. can depend on
\nfor its continued operation in Afghanistan?<\/p>\n
Indonesia's participation in the restabilization and
\nrestoration of Afghanistan should not be viewed through such
\nnarrow lenses. Besides there is just no guarantee that a Muslim
\nforce would not create difficulties. It is indeed prudent for
\nIndonesia not to always follow the policy of a superpower.<\/p>\n
But post-Taliban Afghanistan, after having been torn apart by
\ncontinuous bombing and where human suffering is the most
\ncompelling problem that must be dealt with, needs the aid of all
\ncountries, regardless of their policy and stand toward each
\nother.<\/p>\n
Peace keeping operations are not new to Indonesia as we have
\njoined UN missions in different parts of the world since 1957 and
\nwe have been praised by other members of respective missions.<\/p>\n
The polemics over our participation in the UN mission should
\nnot prevent the government from making the right decision. The
\ngovernment should not subscribe to the views of those who object
\nto or have reservations about Indonesia's participation in the UN
\npeace mission.<\/p>\n
The Afghan crisis has created a momentum for Indonesia to
\nenhance its efforts to retain its reputation and enhance its
\ncredibility in international relations. This is in line with the
\ngovernment policy that Indonesia should initiate a more active
\nrole in international politics, regardless of who plays the main
\nrole in shaping it.<\/p>\n
Achieving a positive image as a peace-loving country is
\ndefinitely not the primary purpose of Indonesia's participation
\nin the UN mission in Afghanistan. If the UN does finally request
\nour participation in the mission and Indonesia sends its troops
\nto Afghanistan, the participation must be seen not only as a
\nclear reflection of our responsibility in maintaining
\ninternational peace and security, but perhaps also as an explicit
\nexpression of our concern for the suffering of our Muslim
\nbrothers.<\/p>\n
As the largest Muslim country in the world and as the main
\nvictims of the tragedy in Afghanistan are Muslims, Indonesia
\nshould not hesitate in initiating a policy that would enhance its
\nstanding in the Muslim world.<\/p>\n
This is not to say that Islam should dictate the current and
\nfuture foreign policies of Indonesia. It is in our national
\ninterests that Indonesia be part of international efforts in
\ncombating terrorism and help heal, both mentally and physically,
\nthose who have been the target of terrorism and of retaliatory
\nactions.<\/p>\n
Rebuilding Afghanistan in the post-Taliban regime is now the
\nprime concern of all members of the international community. Our
\nparticipation in the UN mission in Afghanistan would definitely
\nbring some tangible and strategic gains to the country.<\/p>\n
First, our active participation, despite our economic crisis,
\nwould increase the confidence of the international community in
\nIndonesia and demonstrate our willingness to play a leading role
\nin international cooperation. This would mean an enlargement of
\nIndonesia's global role in resolving international problems.<\/p>\n
Second, more active participation will elevate our competitive
\nleverage vis-a-vis other participating Muslim countries. Third,
\nIndonesia will be noted by the UN as being one of the those
\ncountries committed to promoting a civilized world and who does
\nnot justify its participation on religious grounds.<\/p>\n
As the world's most populous Muslim country, Indonesia should
\ncontinue to encourage the deployment of a UN peace keeping force
\nin Afghanistan. But once the force is established, Indonesia must
\ntake a firm position to remind the UN that the execution of its
\nmission should not be to further the interests of certain major
\npowers, but for the sake of protecting civilians from being
\nvictimized by further instability and insecurity.<\/p>",
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