A new Indonesia-European Union partnership

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.