Mondale's mission<\/p>\n
U.S. President Clinton's special emissary, former U.S. vice
\npresident Walter Mondale, has officially come to Indonesia to
\ndiscuss the economic crisis with President Soeharto. But
\nspeculation has arisen on both sides of the Pacific over the real
\nnature of his mission. Mondale's domestic and international
\nstature and Indonesia's precarious political situation helped to
\nfuel speculation that there was more than meets the eye in his
\ntalks with Soeharto yesterday.<\/p>\n
Sections of the American media suggested that Mondale had come
\nto urge Soeharto to step down, on Clinton's behalf. If true, the
\ntiming was certainly appropriate given the ongoing presidential
\nelection process in Indonesia. Some observers drew analogy with
\nthe time when the U.S. administration pulled the rug from under
\nPhilippine strongman Ferdinand Marcos in the 1980s.<\/p>\n
Others speculated that Mondale was using his broad mandate to
\ntry to coerce the Indonesian leader into carrying out sweeping
\npolitical changes, in addition to the promised economic reforms.
\nAgain, this seems a valid theory judging by recent expressions of
\nconcern American officials have made over the political situation
\nin Indonesia. If this is true, Mondale could have made some
\nremarks about Soeharto's choice of vice president and the next
\ncabinet line up.<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly, some people on this side of the Pacific became
\nsuspicious of Mondale's intentions. They warned the U.S. against
\nmeddling with Indonesia's domestic affairs. These were reasonable
\nconcerns given that the U.S. funded a number of separatist
\nrebellions in Indonesia in the 1950s. Conflict in our archipelago
\nwas a traumatic experience that few Indonesians who lived through
\nthe turbulent post-independence period will ever forget.<\/p>\n
There is also Washington's opposition to a plan to fix the
\nrupiah rate of exchange using a currency board system (CBS). Many
\nIndonesian officials believe such a system to be capable of
\nrestoring currency stability and easing the economic crisis. The
\nproposal is popular here and it is perhaps due to this that
\nproponents of the concept are uneasy about the United States and
\nother western country's strongly voiced criticisms of the plan.<\/p>\n
However, entertaining these conspiratorial suspicions
\noverlooks the strong foundations which characterize our bilateral
\nrelations with the U.S. The two countries have had differences in
\nthe past, and still do now, but they also have many common
\ninterests and it is upon these that ties have been built.
\nRelations have developed on the basis of mutual respect and
\nmutual benefits. There is no reason to suspect that this has
\nchanged. Besides, Soeharto and Clinton are known to have forged a
\nclose rapport over the years.<\/p>\n
There is a growing realization of the importance of Indonesia
\nto U.S. strategic interests in Southeast Asia. Her geographical
\nsize, location and huge population make Indonesia a critical part
\nof regional politics. Instability in Indonesia would be of
\nconcern to Washington, a fact reflected in the increasing
\ncoverage Indonesia receives in the American press.<\/p>\n
The United States has a major stake in Indonesia and
\nIndonesian efforts to overcome the crisis. Clinton's
\nadministration has been trying to justify funding for the
\nInternational Monetary Fund, the organization which brokered
\nIndonesia's US$43 billion rescue package, to the U.S. congress.<\/p>\n
The real nature of Mondale's visit may not be known for some
\ntime, if it ever is since Clinton's message for Soeharto is
\nconfidential. But on the basis of Mondale's explanation, it would
\nappear that Clinton was expressing his concern over developments
\nin Indonesia. This concern is valid given the strong U.S.
\ninterests in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Mondale's visit should be viewed in the broader context of
\nU.S.-Indonesian relations, and we believe that Clinton had sent
\nhis top emissary with the best of intentions, to represent the
\ninterests of America, and to forward the interests of Indonesia.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mondales-mission-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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