U.S. assures RI it won't support a military coup<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (Agencies): The United States has assured Indonesia
\nthat it would not back a military coup against Jakarta's
\npolitically embattled civilian government, U.S. and Indonesian
\nofficials said on Monday.<\/p>\n
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has declared that such a
\nmove by Washington would be \"unthinkable,\" a senior U.S. official
\ntold Reuters.<\/p>\n
Powell also told Indonesian foreign minister Alwi Shihab he
\nwould see if there was some way Washington could help Indonesia
\ndevelop a trained police force to assist in quelling violence in
\nits restive provinces, the U.S. official said.<\/p>\n
Alwi and the senior U.S. official spoke with Reuters after the
\nIndonesian foreign minister's first meeting with Powell at the
\nState Department.<\/p>\n
A major issue on Alwi's mind was a recent Washington Post
\neditorial that raised concerns in Jakarta that the United States
\nmight support a military coup against President Abdurahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Accused of corruption, Abdurrahman is the target of growing
\nprotests at home by demonstrators demanding his resignation.<\/p>\n
Powell told Alwi that \"not only would we not be supportive (of
\na military coup), we would be specifically against it ... The
\nsecretary of state said it was unthinkable, and that's a direct
\nquote,\" the U.S. official said.<\/p>\n
Alwi, in the Reuters interview, said he was \"reassured\" by
\nPowell that \"speculation which has been spread around that the
\nUnited States will support the Indonesian military to ... take
\nthe authority in Indonesia is improper and out of the question
\nbecause it contradicts United States idealism.\"<\/p>\n
But Powell also reiterated Washington's concerns about the
\ncourse of democracy and human rights there, as well as the need
\nfor civilian control of the military and respect for the rights
\nof refugees in East Timor, the U.S. official said.<\/p>\n
Alwi said he had asked Powell to talk to Congress about
\nlifting sanctions on military cooperation.<\/p>\n
According to the Indonesian minister, Powell was sympathetic
\nbut said he needed \"time to convince\" Congress.<\/p>\n
The U.S. official said Powell made clear he was not looking to
\nchange the U.S. sanctions law at this time. Instead, the official
\nsaid, Powell had promised to explore what cooperation might be
\npossible within U.S. law to expand Indonesia's police capability.<\/p>\n
U.S. officials see building up an Indonesian police
\ncapability, separate from the military, to help keep order as a
\nkey element of democracy.<\/p>\n
Alwi said he also asked Powell to increase U.S. aid to
\nIndonesia which last year amounted to $145 million. The minister
\nstressed that the former Clinton administration had designated
\nIndonesia one of four emerging democracies deserving special U.S.
\nattention and assistance.<\/p>\n
\"I only jokingly said I'm not asking for as much as you
\nprovide for Colombia,\" Alwi said, referring to the South American
\ncountry on which Washington plans to spend at least $550 million
\nin 2002 to combat cocaine and heroin production.<\/p>\n
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the meeting
\nwas \"positive\" and that Powell had expressed Washington's support
\nfor \"Indonesia's territorial integrity and democratic path.\"<\/p>\n
Powell also stressed the importance that Washington placed on
\nhuman rights and a peaceful resolution of strife in trouble spots
\nsuch as Aceh, Boucher said as quoted by AFP.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-assures-ri-it-wont-support-a-military-coup-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}