President's mission to U.S. needs proactive follow up<\/p>\n
Ahson Saeed Hasan, Washington<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's recent visit to the
\nUnited States was indeed a landmark journey that wrote a new
\nchapter in the history of Jakarta-Washington relations.<\/p>\n
The fact that President George W. Bush pledged support for the
\nreforms being introduced in the Indonesian Military (TNI) and
\nexpressed the desire to reestablish full military relations
\nindicates a gradual transition towards the normalization of
\naffairs between the two countries that have an age-old tradition
\nof warm and cordial interaction and cooperation.<\/p>\n
However, a complete turnaround of fortunes still seems miles
\naway due to resistance in the U.S. Congress and harsh criticism
\nby certain human rights groups of alleged abuses by the
\nIndonesian Military. However, if concerted efforts are
\npersistently made it may, after all, not be too difficult to
\nachieve a breakthrough vis-a-vis the sanctions imposed on
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
President Susilo's efforts to lobby for Indonesia's interests
\nare indeed commendable. He came to the U.S. with a set plan and
\nexecuted it in an extremely efficient and effective manner. He
\nwas not only given an audience in the White House but was also
\nreceived with open arms and minds by those who matter in the
\nnation's capital.<\/p>\n
While the President's visit did achieve a certain measure of
\nsuccess, one wonders what role the Indonesian Embassy in
\nWashington DC could play in the evolving situation. It is felt by
\nmany here in the post Sept. 11 world when circumstances are
\nrapidly changing that Indonesian diplomats need to do a lot more
\nthan they have done in the past.<\/p>\n
With the U.S. certainly playing an integral part in writing a
\n"revised script" of the New World Order and with people like Paul
\nWolfowitz openly advocating Indonesia's potential role in the
\nfight against terrorism and talking in terms of the country being
\nan ideal democratic Muslim polity, it is indeed the right time to
\nexploit the situation and work toward building a stronger
\nassociation with Washington.<\/p>\n
However, the role of the Indonesian Embassy here seems limited
\nand uncertain and it is not wholeheartedly involved in diplomatic
\ncircles. Indonesian diplomats are hardly ever visible at the many
\nmeetings, seminars and conferences organized by the think-tanks,
\npressure groups and lobbying firms.<\/p>\n
Politics in Washington is a rather tricky affair. It requires
\nmuch more than a "physical presence" in the capital -- it is
\nabout tact, an art to preempt and act upon moves and factors that
\ncan make or mar a country's future. Hence diplomatic missions are
\nnot only expected to be the effective eyes and ears of a country
\nbut also to operate with the objective of finding the ways and
\nmeans to enhance and propagate the nation's interest, rather than
\nadopting a laid-back approach; waiting for dignitaries from the
\nhome country to visit and make some sort of an impact.<\/p>\n
Apart from the lack of exposure of the embassy staff, there is
\nlittle or no media coverage on the Indonesian political front.
\nOne comes across many communities here that put out newspapers,
\nperiodicals and disseminate information about their countries as
\nwell as news and events from back home. This process helps to
\nenhance business and cultural links and by following such a
\npattern of interaction, the prospects of foreign investment
\ntrickling into the country become much brighter.<\/p>\n
Although one cannot blame the embassy entirely for this
\ndeficiency, the mission should make some kind of an attempt to
\npromote an Indonesian identity, perhaps by networking with
\nIndonesian expatriates and Indonesian-Americans and coming up
\nwith material to lobby for Jakarta's business and political
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
While it is indeed true that Indonesia has been the focus of
\nattention since the tsunami hit Aceh in December, one must hasten
\nto add that it was the work of the U.S. media, bureaucracy and
\nrelief agencies, not the Indonesian Embassy, which made it
\npossible to mobilize U.S. aid and help out the people in
\ndistress.<\/p>\n
While the mission in Washington did actively participate in
\nthe meetings that followed in places like the State Department,
\nnot much was done by it to start a process that would create
\nrelief mechanisms and help the victims of the disaster.<\/p>\n
More generally, it is vital the embassy highlight the moderate
\nface of Indonesia, the free society that the public here is
\nunaware of, the subtle secularism, the happily blended ethnic
\ngroups that live together in a tolerant and productive
\nenvironment and the spirit of unity, brotherhood and equality in
\nwhich the country was created and that continues to this day.<\/p>\n
In such a situation, the role of the embassy becomes
\ncritically important. It is definitely the function of the
\nmissions abroad to cultivate, develop and lay bare the truth
\nabout a country and its people, thereby negating any
\nmisconceptions that people in the outside world nurture in their
\nsomewhat confined realities. The beauty of good diplomacy does
\nnot necessarily lie in going around in shiny black limousines and
\nwearing well-pressed expensive suits and ties -- instead it is
\nthe virtue of spreading word in the community and creating
\nexposure and goodwill.<\/p>\n
In the final analysis, although the President's visit has set
\nthe ball rolling for the improvement of U.S.-Indonesia relations,
\na proactive follow-up is required. It is, therefore, sincerely
\nhoped that Ambassador Soemadi Brotodiningrat and the members of
\nhis staff apply themselves in an effective manner in order to
\nbuild on Susilo's good work.<\/p>\n
The embassy's advocacy role needs some reconfiguration. Once
\nthat is done, one can confidently say that the mission will be
\nable to play an effective, productive and a legitimate role in
\npropagating the best interests of the 250 million people of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The writer is a senior editor in the Federal Document Clearing
\nHouse, a Washington DC-based transcription and news service.<\/p>",
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