Cohen should be much wiser

Cohen should be much wiser

Many if not most Indonesians would agree with William Cohen's
stern message to the Indonesian government to disarm the pro-
Indonesia militia. However, it is evident that the way he
conveyed it has sparked responses that may be counterproductive
to the efforts to bring about democratization in this country.
Some prominent members of the political elite have called his
action as interference with Indonesian's sovereignty, and this
has certainly sparked blind nationalism and anti-U.S. protests.
This could have serious political ramifications. Mr. Cohen should
realize that President Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur is still
struggling to clean up the military which is clearly still linked
to the old regime. Although most people in Indonesia would like
the government to act more sternly and rapidly, we do realize
that the country is facing a tough political period, and nothing
can be changed overnight. Instead of threatening Indonesia with
an embargo, Mr. Cohen should have offered assistance in resolving
the pro-Indonesia militia problem on the border between East
Timor and Indonesia.

Mr. Cohen should have been better advised about the customs
and cultures of Indonesia. The Indonesian people, currently
totaling over 200 million, certainly do not deserve an embargo. I
thought William Cohen was much smarter than Jesse Helms. Now, I
must say that I am having second thoughts.

AMIR SIDHARTA

Jakarta