Part 2 of 2: Strengthening Indonesia-U.S. ties

Part 2 of 2: Strengthening Indonesia-U.S. ties

Ambassador Marie T. Huhtala, Washington DC

We are very interested in seeing Indonesia act as a
stabilizing and responsible force in the region. Indeed, we have
always viewed Indonesia as the cornerstone of regional security
in Southeast Asia. In the past, Indonesia has played a
significant leadership role in regional institutions like ASEAN
and APEC. We look forward to seeing Jakarta reassert this
prominent position in international fora and institutions.

Our two countries share the important strategic objective of a
stable Southeast Asian region that is free of transnational
threats, including terrorism, weapons of mass destruction,
smuggling, and trafficking in persons. American interests are
best served by a democratic, prosperous Indonesia that is secure
within its borders and able to defend itself against
transnational threats. For that reason we firmly support the
territorial integrity of Indonesia.

Indonesia needs to be strong in order to be our partner in
confronting the many challenges of this age. I have already
mentioned the challenge of terrorism, another urgent challenge is
in the realm of maritime security. The strategic sea lanes that
pass through and along Indonesian territory carry roughly 30
percent of the world's sea-borne trade and are key transit routes
for the U.S. naval fleet.

Indonesia's vast archipelago is difficult to monitor. We stand
ready to assist Indonesia address this important challenge in
ways that we will decide on jointly, and we encourage the growing
cooperation among Indonesia and its neighbors in this important
field.

We also believe that as the country with the largest Muslim
population in the world, Indonesia has a key role to play in
demonstrating the virtues of tolerance and mutual respect in a
diverse, multi-ethnic polity. The ability of so many Muslims to
thrive economically and pursue a democratic, just society shows
the way forward for Muslim and multi-religious societies
throughout the world.

We currently help support the exchange of Pesantren leaders to
the United States in order to promote understanding between our
two countries, and we will continue to do everything we can to
promote dialogue between Indonesians and the fast-growing
community of Muslims in America.

As elsewhere in the world, the United States must address the
range of our interests with Indonesia in an integrated way. Many
of our national interests coincide with those of Indonesia, and
we will work with Jakarta wherever possible in the spirit of the
true friendship we share.

Nevertheless, there are areas of disagreement, and we need to
address those frankly.

Even as we champion a strong and democratic Indonesia secure
within its borders, we must also support negotiated settlements
to the conflicts in Aceh and Papua. We believe that in any area
suffering from communal conflict there needs to be free access by
humanitarian groups, human rights workers, and the media.

We also believe that to realize their democratic vision
Indonesians will have to find the appropriate ways to further
strengthen civilian control over the military and hold
individuals accountable for abuses. Again, improving the judicial
process, eliminating corruption in the judiciary, and creating
professional standards will go a long way toward addressing these
issues.

We also seek justice for the Americans and Indonesian murdered
in Timika in 2002, an issue which continues to be viewed with
urgency on our side. We appreciate the cooperation our FBI has
received so far in its investigation, and we hope that the new
government in Jakarta will do everything it can to bring those
responsible for this atrocity to justice.

These same principles hold true with regard to accountability
for the crimes against humanity committed in East Timor in 1999.
We hope the Indonesian Government will cooperate fully with the
UN Commission of Experts, as this seems to be the last and best
hope for resolving this difficult and long-standing issue.

We are hopeful that the day will come when the U.S. and
Indonesia will be able to enjoy fully restored relations between
our respective militaries. We believe that U.S. assistance in the
form of IMET and FMF would be in the interests of both countries.

Unrestricted IMET training would be especially valuable in
strengthening the professionalism of Indonesian military officers
with respect to transparency, human rights, and public
accountability. However, before that can happen we will need to
resolve several issues to meet important Administration and
Congressional concerns about human rights and accountability.

Let me conclude by emphasizing how much we all look forward to
working with Indonesia as it enters this exciting new chapter in
its history. Although many challenges will have to be resolved,
we have a better opportunity now than at any time in the past to
help strengthen democracy and respect for human rights, and
contribute to the stability and prosperity of an important
strategic partner. The United States considers Indonesia a
valued friend, and we hope to make that friendship with this the
largest democracy in East Asia even stronger in the years ahead.

This article is an excerpt of Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State for Southeast Asian Affairs Marie T. Huhtala's remarks at a
conference sponsored by the U.S.-Indonesia Society (USINDO) and
the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington
DC, on Nov. 17, 2004.