A new Indonesia-European Union partnership

Dian Wirengjurit, Diplomat, Jakarta

The European Union (EU), as a group or individually, has been very active since the establishment of the Gotong Royong Cabinet under the leadership of President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah Haz. Not only were the EU ambassadors in Jakarta very active in approaching various government agencies, visits by high ranking officials from EU countries were also intensified. Such activities and visits are not only intended to cover the politico-economic realm, but also the social and cultural fields, as manifested in the EU Art Exhibitions recently.

According to the EU, such activities reflected its strong and firm support for Megawati's government and Indonesia's integrity. The activities also demonstrated the importance and high expectations the EU attaches to Indonesia. More visits have already been scheduled up to early next year and seem set to continue throughout the whole year.

Relations between Indonesia and the EU, now three decades old, have been "excellent" according to Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda. However, he also stressed the need for both Indonesia and the EU to develop "a new partnership" based on "creative thinking" to further foster and expand the relationship.

Relations between Indonesia and the European Union officially began in 1978 when Indonesia, as a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was involved in the first ministerial meeting between the two sides.

The EU is one of our prime trading partners since it is the largest destination for our non-oil/gas exports, and is the biggest supplier of our goods. Trade relations between the two sides boomed during the 1980s and 1990s, totaling at least US$16 billion.

Indonesia has been among the largest recipients of EU grants and aid since 1976, covering a broad range of areas from the environment, forestry, social welfare, health and humanitarian aid, to support for democracy. Such support in various areas has spread across the archipelago from Java, Kalimantan and Bali to West Nusa Tenggara.

However, while social and cultural relations are going well, this is not really the case in the area of political and security relations. Cooperation has stalled, with EU officials citing the unfavorable human rights situation in Indonesia.

It used to be the case of East Timor that bothered the EU; now it is the situation in the troubled provinces of Aceh, Papua (Irian Jaya) and also Maluku. The EU now seems to be setting an improved human rights performance as a precondition for cooperation.

Ambassador Luc Daras of Belgium, the current EU Chair, rejected such allegations when addressing Indonesia's Senior Diplomatic Training Course recently. He said respect for human rights was only one of the aspects the EU would consider before channeling assistance to Indonesia.

He added that any assistance would depend on the drive toward democratization and good governance.

To some extent, such an EU stance would seem understandable or inevitable. Particularly in the aftermath of the cold war, the EU has been active in promoting human rights throughout the globe. As one EU ambassador once said, "human rights are the heart of Europe". However, raising human rights as a conditionality in relations with Indonesia would create an uncomfortable atmosphere.

It is hard to ignore that it is the human rights issue that dominates and hampers most of the dialogs between the two parties. Continued insistence on this issue could be interpreted as an act of interference. Or, perhaps the EU fails to remember that in the hundred years of their history, Indonesians have been subject to massive abuse and gross violations of human rights.

In the face of the threat of disintegration, restoring and enforcing order are priorities. Like anywhere else in the world, a threat to territorial integrity requires a strong military with adequate equipment, such as in Northern Ireland or in the Basque region. The arms embargo, imposed by the EU and the U.S., certainly reduces Indonesia's military capability to carry out its constitutional mandate.

This would instead raise the opportunity for the separatist groups to rearm and reorganize; which under no circumstances a sovereign country would allow to happen.

This is why some people in government feel the need to explore the possibility of opening military cooperation with alternative countries, such as with Russia and China.

Minister Wirajuda admits that Indonesia has much homework to do, including on the issue of refugees left behind in the aftermath of the East Timor saga. Respect for human rights, democratization and good governance have been among the top priorities after the Soeharto era.

Nevertheless, taking into consideration the complexity of the problems, human rights must be implemented carefully and gradually in accordance with domestic values, without sacrificing the national interest.

Issues such as free access to guns and drugs, or free sex, would certainly not fit into Indonesian society. It is perhaps in this context that Minister Wirajuda firmly stated to the EU ambassadors that the EU should not be "egoistic" in thinking of human rights in its own terms. Thus, regarding the offer of a new partnership from the minister, the ball is now in the EU's court.