Dialog sought to bring U.S., Indonesian Military closer

Dialog sought to bring U.S., Indonesian Military closer

JAKARTA (JP): A U.S. lobbyist for Indonesia revealed on
Wednesday that he would try to help foster dialog between the
United States government and the Indonesian Military (TNI) to
promote better mutual understanding.

Visiting President of the U.S.-Indonesia Society (USINDO),
Paul M. Cleveland, said he would undertake further talks with the
TNI to materialize the dialog, which is aimed at improving their
relationship.

Cleveland stressed that the U.S. recognizes TNI as an
important national institution whose reform is crucial to
completing a successful transition to a democratic Indonesia.

Cleveland, a former U.S. ambassador to Malaysia, remarked that
there may initially be "small concessions" reached in the
informal dialog, which, if agreed, would bring together members
of Congress and experts.

He expects the TNI to discuss a possible blueprint of how the
institution will reform itself during the dialog.

"It will not be easy but (the dialog) has to be done quickly.
I will have further conversations with my best friend Agus
Widjojo," he told a seminar on reviewing the international
outlook of the Bush administration.

Both Cleveland and TNI's chief of territorial affairs Lt. Gen.
Agus Widjojo were speakers at the seminar held by the American
Studies Center at the University of Indonesia and the American
Studies Association of Indonesia (ASAI).

But Cleveland warned of undue expectancy saying that there was
still a long way to go before Washington lifts military
restrictions imposed due to alleged human rights violations.

He pointed out that the light sentences given by an Indonesian
court to punish murderers of UN volunteers in Atambua, East Nusa
Tenggara, was particularly discouraging.

"In the planned dialog, the U.S. government will reveal its
purposes, interests and what the TNI should do, while the TNI is
expected to say: 'Here is our plan to reform.' This way, we can
understand each other."

"And perhaps, when we can see changes in TNI, then the
government will take the lifting of the embargo into
consideration," Cleveland told journalists after the session.

Responding to Cleveland's remarks, Agus was somewhat aloof,
saying that TNI will take it into consideration.

"We're open to such efforts to improve our military ties. We
understand that democracy and human rights issues will always be
the platform of foreign policy taken by some countries."

"The existing embargo is the U.S.'s internal policy...Maybe
because they have a different perception. We hope for better
military-to-military ties," he said.

During the session, Agus assumed positively that the Bush
administration would tend to be more "benign" toward Indonesia.

"The U.S. will see Indonesia as the most strategic country in
the region, meaning that an unstable Indonesia will disturb
regional security, which will eventually burden the U.S.'s
efforts to achieve its national interests in the region."

"...It seems that the attitudes of the new administration is
far from those shown by the previous administration, which kept
on lecturing us on democracy, economic reform and human rights
issues," he remarked.

U.S. Ambassador Robert S. Gelbard, in his opening remarks,
underlined that his government firmly supports Indonesia in the
latter's efforts to become a more democratic state.

"The U.S. supports democratic change around the world because
this is consistent with our values and because we believe it is
what the vast majority of the world's people want.

"(However) each nation must determine the most appropriate
democratic system, consistent with its culture and values as well
as with universally-recognized rights," he said. (bby)