Indonesia must rein in radicals

Indonesia must rein in radicals

The Strait Times, Singapore

Indonesia's Ulemas Council, the country's top Islamic
authority, struck a discordant note when it called for jihad
(holy war) against America. It grated against President Megawati
Soekarnoputri's support for Washington's fight against terrorism.

The ulemas' call is ill-conceived, as Indonesia is about to
ratify several United Nations conventions to combat terrorism. It
came amid the clamor of anti-American protests in Indonesia, when
radical groups were signing up volunteers to fight with the
Taliban in Afghanistan, when militants combed the hotels in
central Java to look for Americans and threatened violence
against them.

The U.S. State Department, fearing that "extremist elements
may be planning to target U.S. interests in Indonesia", has
allowed its staff to leave the country. All this sends out an
ominous, and wrong, message that harms Indonesia's international
image. It certainly does not help Megawati as she tries to
convince the world that Indonesia, under her leadership, is back
in business after months of political turmoil.

Regrettably, the Indonesian police did not deem it necessary
to act against the militants who openly threatened violence. It
will be too late when things turn nasty. Every investor, not just
Americans, will be adversely affected, and they are all at risk
if the anti-U.S. protests run riot.

Like Indonesians, all foreigners should be given adequate
protection. U.S. President George W. Bush, who sought Megawati's
support to build an international anti-terrorist coalition when
she visited Washington last week, had promised her US$400 million
(S$707 million) to promote trade and investment in Indonesia.
Unrestrained attacks on American interests would jeopardize this.
Megawati's fledgling government is dependent on the Islamic
parties, but, like it or not, she has to be firm to rein in the
militants.

Defense Minister Matori Abdul Jalil has promised to act
against those who harass foreigners. He has to make sure that the
anti-American protests, if they cannot be prevented, do not turn
violent. It is dangerous for Indonesia's Islamic parties to seize
on any American action against Afghanistan as a pretext to
promote their domestic political agenda. This will destabilize
Megawati's government. It will not serve Indonesia's cause as
violence can only undermine its economic recovery.

The Americans know that they will get different levels of
support from different countries in the proposed anti-terrorist
coalition. They are also aware of the Islamic sensitivities about
an attack on Afghanistan's Taliban regime, the host of Osama bin
Laden, chief suspect in the recent terrorist attacks in New York
and Washington.

The Bush administration has said that this was not an anti-
Islam crusade. But like everyone else, Islamic countries want the
Americans to produce concrete evidence that Osama and his Al-
Qaeda organization were responsible for planning the attacks
against America. The sooner the U.S. does this, the better, to
convince the doubters.

Despite the anti-American sentiments in the Islamic countries,
the U.S. needs their support to build an effective global
alliance against terrorism. The participation of Indonesia, the
world's largest Islamic country, is important because it
represents a tolerant and moderate voice in the Muslim world.

Megawati has pledged that Indonesia will stand with the rest
of humanity to combat terrorism. She will face pressure from the
radicals, but she must not let them change her stand.