Mega's role in APEC

Mega's role in APEC

President Megawati Soekarnoputri loves to travel. Now she is
off again to Mexico to attend the summit meeting of leaders of
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation organization (APEC). In
fact, following the disastrous Oct. 12 bombing in Bali, the
President drastically cut her travel itinerary, which originally
had been planned to include a number of Latin American countries,
including Cuba.

It is well-known by now that she is keen on revisiting all the
countries her late father, President Sukarno, visited. That is
why she has set aside the advice of foreign ministry officials
not to visit Cuba in order not to irritate Washington D.C.
unnecessarily.

Although many observers have suggested that the President
cancel her travel plans altogether so as better to concentrate on
the increasingly complex problems at home in the wake of the Bali
bombing tragedy, it was deemed important that she attend the APEC
summit in Mexico on Oct. 26 and 27. Foreign Minister Hassan
Wirayuda has explained why the President's presence at the APEC
summit is deemed necessary. Leaders of other APEC member
countries, including President George W. Bush Jr., would be
present at the meeting, he said. The foreign minister also
stressed that one of the important items to be discussed was the
antiterror campaign.

While we accept Minister Hassan Wirayuda's explanation, we
also propose that the President make the most of the summit to
benefit Indonesia's national interest.

First, it should be explained to the participants that Bali
had such a powerful symbolic role in relation to Indonesia's
recovery after the 1997 economic crisis that the damage inflicted
by the Oct. 12 bombing went well beyond material damage only. It
is appropriate, therefore, that the President make an appeal to
the members of APEC to help Indonesia reconstruct Bali.

Second, that assistance -- apart from being extended in
tangible form, such as by providing the necessary reconstruction
funds -- should also include morale-strengthening measures, for
instance by not extending the current travel bans to Indonesia,
and to Bali in particular, for too long a period. Tourism is an
important source of revenue for Indonesia's national income and
the sooner this country's tourist industry recovers, the better
it will be for Indonesia's economic growth.

Third, the President could also suggest to her counterparts,
especially President George Bush, that the related security and
intelligence agencies provide finer-grade intelligence data to
Indonesia regarding the suspected intentions of terrorist groups.
We gather the Indonesian police and other security agencies have
been flooded with all sorts of messages and warnings of possible
terrorist attacks. As a result they have had difficulty sifting
through the information and following up on those that are the
most likely to be serious. Besides all that, it is also possible
that President Megawati's presence at the APEC summit in Mexico
could heighten her sense of crisis after Oct. 12, after seeing
and hearing how leaders of other APEC members are so concerned
about Indonesia under her leadership.