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.