Our own agenda

Our own agenda

With Australia riding in the foreign policy slipstream of the United States, it is no surprise that Canberra has been quietly backing U.S. plans to resume military links with Indonesia as part of Washington's expanded "war against terrorism". The U.S. rationale is that only with U.S. support can Indonesia's dispirited armed forces effectively pursue suspected Indonesian- based terrorist cells.

Canberra ... is likely to further complicate Australia's precarious bilateral relationship with Indonesia. When Howard landed in Jakarta yesterday that relationship was looking decidedly shaky on several fronts.

The issue of U.S.-Indonesian military ties is clearly of considerable interest to Australia. Both Australia and the U.S. have previously linked the resumption of military cooperation to reforms within the Indonesian military and the prosecution of officers responsible for human rights abuses.

Without such reforms in place, Howard must be careful to separate Australia's interests from the goals of the U.S. anti- terrorist campaign. Australia's earlier policy of close military engagement, including the training of Indonesia's notorious special forces, proved ineffective in protecting human rights and attracted considerable opposition at home. Perhaps more importantly, Australia should avoid being seen as America's messenger in Asia if it is to repair damaged diplomatic ties in the region.

From Indonesia's point of view there are compelling reasons to resist U.S. military assistance. While President Megawati Soekarnoputri was an early supporter of the U.S. campaign, she faced considerable anti-U.S. sentiment.

Islam is a powerful vehicle for grievances however ... and its small armed Islamic groups play into a series of complex and dangerous local power struggles over resources and political power. This means any outside intervention would be extremely sensitive. Many Indonesians viewed the U.S. military assault on Afghanistan as an attack on Muslim brotherhood. Howard did little to bolster bilateral ties when he cautioned Megawati late last year over her criticism of the U.S. bombardment of Afghanistan.

While Australia's pro-U.S. foreign policy may cast a long shadow, it should not obscure the real need to repair bilateral links with Jakarta. Howard was reminded of just how precarious these ties remain when the Speaker of the Parliament, Amien Rais, announced that all 10 parties in the legislature had voted against the Howard visit.

Howard's "megaphone diplomacy" over asylum seekers has not won him any friends in the Indonesian political elite, which favors quiet discussions over public criticism. Nor has the fact that Australia has loudly condemned Indonesian people smugglers -- and the asylum seekers who use their services -- yet has accepted only two refugees of the 600 or so processed in Indonesia and awaiting resettlement. Howard's meeting with Ms Megawati last night was a positive development, but considerable delicate diplomatic work remains.

-- The Sydney Morning Herald