Next step with Indonesia<\/p>\n
As the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln departed Indonesia
\nlast week, the massive aid operation mounted by the U.S. military
\nafter December's tsunami appeared to have paid off, both in
\nsaving lives and in bolstering U.S. relations with the world's
\nlargest Muslim country.<\/p>\n
The positive feeling has given new life to an old question:
\nShould the United States restore full military relations with
\nIndonesia?<\/p>\n
(Indonesian) Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono has appealed
\nfor closer cooperation; senior Bush administration officials
\nsympathize. Quite apart from the needs created by the disaster, a
\nreview by the administration and Congress is overdue. Most U.S.
\nmilitary training for Indonesia, as well as arms sales, has been
\nsuspended since 1992 because of the Indonesian military's record
\nof human rights violations. Congress imposed restrictions on
\nlifting the ban in 1999 and 2003.<\/p>\n
The congressional limits came at a time when the Indonesian
\narmy was unrestrained by weak civilian rulers and stood accused
\nof serious human rights crimes in the breakaway province of East
\nTimor...Yet as Indonesian democracy has grown stronger, so has
\ncivilian control over the military.<\/p>\n
While the United States has no interest in supporting an army
\nthat violates human rights with impunity, it's counterproductive
\nto refuse to cooperate with democratic leaders who are trying to
\ncarry out reforms. In Aceh, the tsunami led to a truce between
\nthe army and local insurgents, and Susilo's government has
\nreopened peace talks in Europe with representatives of the
\nrebels. As Indonesia pursues such initiatives, Congress should
\nremove restrictions on training.<\/p>\n
-- The Washington Post, Washington DC<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/next-step-with-indonesia-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }