Experts see RI role in world diplomacy as continuing

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is likely to remain influential in world diplomacy even after it rescinds its chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1995, experts in international relations said yesterday.

Speakers at a seminar to review two years of Indonesia's leadership of the 111-nation movement agreed that the chairmanship has further helped promote Indonesia's international standing as well as influence in international forums.

"Indonesia's experience... will enable it to act as an initiator or mediator, together with the more sympathetic developed countries," Hero U. Kuntjorojakti, a lecturer at University of Indonesia's School of Social and Political Sciences, said at the seminar organized by the Center for Information and Development Studies (CIDES).

Acknowledging Indonesia's success in promoting regional cooperation, peace and prosperity over the last two decades, Hero said he was convinced that Indonesia would continue to play a vital role in creating an open atmosphere and in reducing suspicion which often evolved among its counterparts.

An atmosphere of uncertainty following the post-Cold War era, he said, has created a situation where countries become more preoccupied with pursuing their own national interests and turn to intensifying bilateral and regional relations as a means to gain prosperity.

In such a situation, Hero considered Indonesia "fortunate" to be in the heart of the fast-growing Asia Pacific region. "Indonesia no longer has the urgent incentive to be involved in NAM, but its past experiences have caused the country to fully participate in the movement," he said.

Indonesia, who was chosen as leader of the 111-member movement in 1992, will pass on its leadership next year to Colombia.

Dorodjatun Kuntjorojakti, an expert on social, economic and cultural affairs of the Executive Committee for the NAM Chairman, pointed out however that although Indonesia has gained a considerably outstanding achievement in leading NAM, the movement has yet to overcome several weaknesses.

Among these weakness, he said, was the fact that NAM member countries often had conflicting interests.

"It is very difficult to make joint bargaining strategies (among NAM members) and it takes long hours of patient diplomacy to reach one," he said.

With these points in mind, he added, NAM has the duty to counter U.S. President Bill Clinton's definition of the "new world order" and enforce the movement's own definition of the concept.

He said NAM "did not like" Clinton's idea which encourages countries to "expand the circle of free market democracies" following the Cold War era.

"There is no formula saying a free market leads to efficiency. A free market does not give an answer to social injustice either," the economist said.

Dorodjatun considered many serious problems related with these circumstances would remain after 1995.

"Global peace is still far, but it will also be a period full of great promises and hope... to build a new equitable international order," he said, citing NAM's definition of the "new world order".

Lt. Gen. (ret.) Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo, Indonesia's Ambassador at Large for African Affairs, considered the most important aspect in Indonesia's leadership was not only how it handled problems in and among NAM-member countries, but also how it consistently took part in action and not talk only.

"Indonesia must be able to demonstrate sound domestic development, which is the goal of all NAM countries," he said.

This meant that the economy should not only reflect the power of conglomerates but should also be able to alleviate poverty and the widening economic gap between the wealthy and the poor, he said.(pwn)