Rice to visit Indonesia<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Jakarta in
\nthe second week of January, an Indonesian government official
\nconfirmed on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Rice's itinerary in Indonesia, however, has yet to be
\nconfirmed, said the official, who refused to be named because he
\nwas not authorized to announce the visit.<\/p>\n
Rice's visit will likely give further momentum to U.S.-
\nIndonesia relations. In her speech at the conservative Heritage
\nFoundation think tank on Dec. 14, she said that Indonesia had set
\nan example of how Islam and democracy could coexist.<\/p>\n
\"One of the things that they have said is that they want to be
\na voice for moderate forms of Islam that understand that
\ndemocracy ... and Islam are by no means enemies of one another
\nand that people of all ethnic groups and all heritages and
\nreligious heritages can live together,\" Rice was quoted as saying
\nby AP in Washington. \"And so we need to support this government,
\nand we're trying to do that.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is a
\ngraduate of the U.S.'s International Military Education Program,
\nwas seen as a favorable figure by the U.S. government. Rice was
\nquoted by AP as saying that a world leader who has been trained
\nor educated in the U.S. tends to be more open-minded about
\nAmerica and \"less given to the kind of caricatures and
\nstereotypes about the United States\".<\/p>\n
In a recent hearing on Indonesia at the Senate Committee of
\nForeign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs,
\nRice's deputy assistant for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Eric G.
\nJohn said that the U.S. wanted to \"help Indonesia succeed as a
\nmodern, democratic power, one that acts as a positive force on
\nthe global stage and ensures prosperity for its people at home\".<\/p>\n
John proposes the areas in which the U.S. could work out to
\nachieve the goals. This includes the continuing U.S. assistance
\nfor tsunami reconstruction, education, the justice sector and for
\nthe police and an exchange of contacts between
\ncongressional\/parliamentary delegations, senior officials and
\nstudent exchanges.<\/p>\n
The deputy secretary of state also told the Sept. 15 briefing
\nthat the U.S. should support Susilo's reformist program and
\nfurther development of democracy, respect for human rights and
\npress freedom in Indonesia and support military reform through
\nconstructive engagement. Finally, John said the U.S. should
\nbolster Indonesia as a ASEAN leader, and as stable democracy.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rice-to-visit-indonesia-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}