Carter and military aid

Carter and military aid

With reference to Zatni Arbi's article in The Jakarta Post on
Sept. 12, 1999 on What can our leaders learn from Carter?, it
might be useful to refresh the author's memory. While he was
president, Carter described human rights as the soul of American
foreign policy while increasing American arms supplies to
Indonesia at the height of the civil and "integration" war in
East Timor.

During his first year in office, Carter ordered a 79 percent
increase in military aid to Indonesia. The United States
repeatedly voted with a minority of countries in the United
Nations to oppose putting the question of East Timor's self-
determination on its official agenda.

IDRIS KYRWAY

Jakarta