Clinton assures Indonesia of full U.S. support

Clinton assures Indonesia of full U.S. support

By Yenni Djahidin

WASHINGTON D.C. (JP): U.S. President Bill Clinton has
expressed full support for Indonesia's efforts to resolve its
economic crisis, Indonesian Ambassador to the United States
Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti said Monday.

The assurance was given when Dorodjatun presented his letter
of credence at the White House.

Clinton underscored his good relationship with President
Soeharto, Dorodjatun told reporters at the embassy afterward.

Clinton did not raise the question of economic reform, which
his government insisted Indonesia pursue in return for the loans
arranged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he added.

Dorodjatun, who was dean of the School of Economics at the
University of Indonesia in Jakarta before his ambassadorial
appointment, said he believed negotiations between Indonesia and
the IMF on the future of the loans would be fruitful.

He appealed to the IMF to give time to the Indonesian
government to see the reforms through. "We need at least one year
to see their results," he said.

State Department spokesman James Rubin said Tuesday that
Washington hoped the new Indonesian government would implement
the reforms quickly, Reuters reported.

Rubin refrained from commenting on the new cabinet lineup,
saying it was "an internal matter for the Indonesian government".

"What we are concerned about is that they do what they can
reasonably do to implement as quickly as they reasonably can the
IMF reform programs so they can get back on their economic feet.

"What we're focused on is less the people than the policies
that we think are necessary for them to be able to ... meet the
IMF program that has been set forward," he said.

Washington came under renewed criticism Tuesday from Congress
on its ties with Indonesia, this time over joint military
training the U.S. Pacific Command carried out with Indonesia.

Rubin defended the program.

"The training is legal and, in our view, in conformance with
the expressed intent of Congress. That is because Congress
specifically banned IMET (International Military Education and
Training) training and this is not IMET training," he said.

These joint exercises, which are carried out under a separate
program "enhance American military readiness and increase U.S.
engagement with an important country," he said.

Legal

White House spokesman Michael McCurry said the program "is not
a loophole", but an exchange program that is perfectly legal.

"The benefits flow to the United States for that kind of
training," he said. "It is not a program that is designed to aid
or to materially affect the military capability of the country
that we're training with," McCurry was quoted by AFP as saying.

Congress cut Indonesia out of the IMET program in 1992 in
reaction to the Indonesian military's handling of an incident in
East Timor. In May last year, Jakarta rejected Washington's offer
to revive the program, citing that Congressional pressure was
bordering on intervening in domestic affairs.

Rubin said the administration had not misled Congress on the
training and stressed that the exercises were "purely military in
nature and are unrelated to crowd control".

The Pentagon released documents acknowledging it trained
Indonesian military units, including the elite Kopassus force,
from 1992 to 1997, in techniques such as urban and psychological
warfare, reconnaissance and marksmanship.

Lawmakers and human rights activists have denounced what they
say was use of a "loophole" in a 1992 ban on direct military aid
to Jakarta.

Members of Congress said the program violated the spirit of
the 1992 law aimed at limiting military assistance to Indonesia
and human rights education.

"This is a very cynical action on the part of the Department
of Defense," said Rep. Nancy Pelosi at a news conference called
by human rights activists Tuesday.

Rep. Lane Evans said he was "deeply troubled" by the program,
describing it as a "loophole" in the congressional ban and
"another way the Pentagon can assist Soeharto and his soldiers in
suppressing their opposition".