The ties that bind<\/p>\n
This is probably not the best of times for Indonesia's
\nrelations with the United States, but before anyone says anything
\nelse that could further damage the current state of affairs, it
\nmight be worth relooking at just how important these ties are to
\nthe nation's interests. Americans have often been blamed for
\nunderstating the strategic importance of Indonesia to their
\nnational interests, but many Indonesian politicians are now just
\nas guilty, if not more so, in underestimating how crucial the
\nUnited States is to Indonesia, especially now of all times.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's economic recovery, as slow as it may be, would
\nhave been impossible without the direct and indirect role of the
\nUnited States. The unprecedented export boom which Indonesia has
\nseen this year -- about the only bright spot of the economy which
\nis still struggling to come out of a deep recession -- has
\nlargely been at the courtesy of the American economy, which is
\nexperiencing its longest unimpeded period of growth. The United
\nStates in fact is rapidly becoming Indonesia's main trading
\npartner, replacing a slot traditionally filled by Japan.<\/p>\n
The United States has also played a pivotal albeit low-key
\nrole in pressuring the International Monetary Fund and the World
\nBank to sustain their programs in Indonesia and help the nation
\nout of its current economic predicament. The United States did
\nnot rank high on the list of countries which pledged US$5.3
\nbillion in fresh aid to Indonesia in Tokyo this month, but that
\nis because most of its assistance is channeled through
\nmultilateral organizations, including the IMF and the World Bank.<\/p>\n
The United States has always been the largest source of
\nforeign direct investments in Indonesia, when the oil and gas
\nsector is included. No doubt American capital will be crucial
\nonce more if and when foreign investors start coming back to
\nIndonesia, hopefully, in the not too distant future.<\/p>\n
Important as they are, trade and economy are not the only
\nsectors which have underpinned strong bilateral ties. Many
\nelected politicians seem to have forgotten that last year's
\ngeneral election, billed Indonesia's first democratic polls in
\nover 40 years, was largely possible because of the tremendous
\nsupport from the international community, including in particular
\nthe United States. Indonesia will undoubtedly continue to count
\non its support as it marches toward democracy and a civil
\nsociety.<\/p>\n
In the cultural sector, Indonesia has also reaped benefits
\nfrom having good relations with America. On education, for
\nexample, the United States remains the most popular destination
\nfor young Indonesian of the elite wanting to study abroad.
\nWhether they are privately funded or studying on American
\nscholarships, many of these students were given a reprieve by
\ntheir colleges through fee waivers during the worst of the
\neconomic crisis in 1997\/1998.<\/p>\n
These, and others too numerous to list in this column,
\nunderpin the importance of the United States to Indonesia's
\nforeign relations, to the point that it is one of its most
\nimportant friends. Many politicians and officials, however, chose
\nto ignore them as they engaged in anti-American rhetoric these
\npast few weeks. Taking on the giant superpower may have bought
\nthem short-term popularity, but it comes not only at the expense
\nof endangering Indonesia-American relations, but also ultimately
\nthe nation's short and long-term interests.<\/p>\n
United States Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Gelbard may be
\ntoo abrasive to Indonesia's liking, and he may have stepped out
\nof line through some of his comments, such as the interview he
\ngave to the Washington Times in August. United States' criticism,
\nhowever, has so far been measured and targeted at specific groups
\nand has avoided harming the overall relations. An embargo, for
\nexample, has been imposed on the sale of military spare parts for
\nthe Indonesian Military because of Indonesia's past military
\npolicy in East Timor.<\/p>\n
But responses by Indonesian officials and politicians have
\nbeen unnecessarily excessive. Accusations that Gelbard meddled in
\nthe recent appointments of top government and military officials,
\nand of espionage, have not been proven. Politicians attacking the
\nUnited States often claimed that they were defending the pride
\nand honor of the nation, but more often than not, like the
\nunwarranted accusations against the ambassador, they smacked of
\nchip-on-the-shoulder nationalism.<\/p>\n
The danger is that these anti-American sentiments could easily
\nspin out of control and affect the broader relations, especially
\nsince they are fanned by government officials and politicians.
\nBut just remember, if relations are allowed to deteriorate any
\nfurther, Indonesia and its people have far more to lose than the
\nUnited States does.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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