Clinton supports U.S. easing military ties with Indonesia
Clinton supports U.S. easing military ties with Indonesia
Associated Press, Banda Aceh, Aceh
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton favors easing restrictions on sales of military equipment to tsunami-devastated Indonesia, saying America has a "huge stake" in improving relations with the world's most populous Muslim country and should do all it can to help it rebuild.
The United States disclosed last Thursday it would lift a ban on the sale of certain military equipment to Indonesia, drawing criticism from human rights groups who say the country hasn't done enough to curb alleged abuses by the military in insurgency- wracked areas.
Clinton on Monday said lifting the ban would help relations with Indonesia, which the United States considers an important ally in its war on terrorism.
"We have a huge stake in building a positive relationship" with Indonesia, he said.
The U.S. severed most military ties to Indonesia in 1999 when Indonesian soldiers were blamed for widespread killings and destruction in East Timor, after residents there voted to break away from Jakarta's rule in a U.N.-sponsored referendum.
Earlier this year, the U.S. decided to renew training of Indonesian military officers and to allow direct commercial sales of some defense items and services. The decision allowed Jakarta to buy spare parts for C-130 aircraft transporting supplies to tsunami victims.
Clinton, who was recently named the U.N. special envoy for tsunami recovery, was in Banda Aceh to review efforts to rebuild coastal areas where 128,000 people were killed and another half million left homeless by the Dec. 26 disaster.
Many of the homeless said Monday they were still waiting for help from the government and international aid agencies.
"Please help Aceh to rebuild roads, houses, buildings," said Dadang Dipraja, 40, a resident of Deah Geulumpang, a town on the outskirts of provincial capital Banda Aceh, as he sat fishing in a river surrounded by destroyed buildings. "But please don't give money to the government, because it will be lost to corruption."
However, Clinton praised government efforts to stop corruption, including the appointment of international accounting firms to ensure all donated aid is received. He urged survivors to be patient.
He also welcomed ongoing talks in Finland between separatist Aceh rebels and the Indonesian government, saying peace was crucial to reconstruction.
Clinton is on a four-day trip to countries worst hit to ensure that aid is being distributed fairly and efficiently, and to try keeping the world's attention on tsunami recovery. He also visited the Maldives, India and Sri Lanka.
On Tuesday, an aftershock jolted Aceh, causing frightened residents to flee homes and other buildings. There were no reports of damage or injuries.
The quake measured 5.6 and was centered under the Indian Ocean, 150 kilometers southwest of Banda Aceh, the geophysics and meteorological agency said.
Dozens of people fled from a five-story hotel and other buildings during the quake, which lasted about 10 seconds.
Aceh has experienced countless earthquakes since a massive tsunami-producing tremor off its coast on Dec. 26. Three months later, an earthquake caused extensive damage on Nias island, leaving more than 900 dead.