Iraq and Indonesia's 'fruitless' policies

Iraq and Indonesia's 'fruitless' policies

Max Lane, Visiting Fellow, Center for Asia Pacific
Social Transformation Studies (CAPSTRANS), University of Wollongong,
Australia

Todung Mulya Lubis makes some sensible points in his interview
with The Jakarta Post on March 31. For example, he is correct to
question the usefulness of a boycott of American goods -- at
least, at this point of time. The anti-war movement in the United
States itself has not yet called for such a boycott. Furthermore,
we have not yet reached the stage where a global movement
develops with the general goal of defeating any idea that some in
Washington have of a new U.S. global empire. If the U.S.
continues to insist of acting unilaterally in policing the world,
a general campaign against U.S. foreign policy may develop and
then the issue of boycott might arise.

The task at hand now is that of ending a specific problem: the
war in Iraq.

Mulya Lubis makes another correct assessment later in the
interview. After suggesting that "if we want to continue the
anti-war drive, the best thing we could do is push the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and members of the
nonaligned countries to press the UN to take steps to stop the
war." He accurately assesses: "This move will likely be fruitless
anyhow." This defeatist attitude then leads him to concentrate
on emphasizing post-war humanitarian efforts.

Mulya Lubis is correct is assessing Indonesia's current
diplomatic efforts as likely to be fruitless. The U.S. knows this
and therefore is not lobbying openly or making any sharp public
criticisms of the Megawati government. The U.S. knows, or rather
hopes that if the war can be concluded quickly all those
currently stating an opposition to the war, will quickly move
into the post-war framework. "What is done is done, let's make
some humanitarian contribution".

There are many governments, including both Arab and ASEAN
governments that are playing this game. In this respect, both
Indonesia and Malaysia are in a similar category as that of
Egypt. Indonesia, Malaysia and Egypt are all opponents or critics
of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But all three countries sit by
silently while U.S. war armadas sale through their territories.
In Turkey at least, he issue of military bases are air space
became a major issue of public debate.

The Indonesian government has stated publicly that the U.S.
invasion is illegal and an act of aggression. Yet, it remains
silent as U.S. war armadas sail happily through the Straits of
Malacca, within sight of Indonesian fishermen and farmers. The
outspoken Mahathir remains equally as silent. Of course,
Indonesia and Malaysia have long agreed to the Straits of Malacca
becoming an international waterway. But the Straits remain,
ultimately, within Indonesian and Malaysian territory and the
countries retain every right to state openly any objections that
the Straits be used for actions which the two countries have
openly branded as "illegal" and "aggression".

Significantly, there has been little press reporting on the
fact the U.S. Kitty Hawk super carrier battle fleet passed
through the Straits of Malacca on Feb. 16. The U.S.
Constellation, and other super carrier, passed through in
December. The U.S. Nimitz has either just passed through recently
or is about to do so. The Nimitz left San Diego on the West Coast
of the U.S. in early March. This means that most of the
Indonesian people, who overwhelmingly oppose the U.S.-UK-
Australian invasion, do not know that the invading fleets pass by
their country while their government remains silent.

If Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur really wanted to put pressure on
the U.S. and its war allies, then the could jointly issue a
statement on behalf of their nations calling for a halt to war
armadas using the Straits on the way to Iraq, or for any
rotations back to bases in Japan, Guam or the U.S. West Coast. As
a "good friend" of Indonesia, surely the U.S. government would
accept such a request, wouldn't it?

It is also surprising that none of the large community and
political organizations, including the parliamentary parties,
have been silent about the use of the Straits. Perhaps, as with
the Indonesian government, maintaining good relations with the
U.S. government in the long term is more important to them that
acting to stop the war in a way that will not be "fruitless".