Reform bolsters Indonesian foreign policy

Reform bolsters Indonesian foreign policy

By Irawan Abidin

VATICAN CITY (JP): The detractors of Indonesia have in recent
weeks indulged in a great deal of gloating. In their perception
is a weakening of Indonesian foreign policy as it appears to
yield one concession after another to Portugal, the UN-recognized
administrative authority over East Timor, and to the East
Timorese advocates of independence from Indonesia.

They are, of course, mistaken. What they perceive to be as a
retreat is actually an advance. And what they regard as signs of
weakening is actually a strengthening of the hand of Indonesian
diplomacy so that it is able to reach out further than it has ever
done and come to terms with those who think that they are
Indonesia's adversaries.

Before this era of reform, it had seemed unthinkable that
Indonesia would ever consider the possibility of an independent
East Timor, much less agree to a political exercise that could
lead to such with foreign police officers keeping a watchful eye
over the proceedings. The idea of autonomy and that of wide-
ranging autonomy were brought up a number of times but withered
under the glare of the national leadership's disapproval.

But since the launching of the reform cabinet of President
B.J. Habibie, there has been a definite offer of wide-ranging
autonomy, the offer of independence for East Timor if autonomy
were rejected by the East Timorese, and then one of independence.
Moreover, there has been an agreement to the holding of a vote on
the issue of autonomy or independence with foreign police
officers under the command of the United Nations to help ensure
peace and civil order in the course of that political exercise.

The unthinkable has become reality. How did that happen?

These ideas did not come out of the blue: they have been there
for some time. These and various other options had been
considered and studied in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since
way back when there was never a shortage of ideas. What was in
shortage was the political will to do what was right for fear
that it might be interpreted as weakness. It takes confidence to
have that kind of political will; the confidence to handle any
adverse impact of the concession within one's own camp.

Thus it is a truism in international negotiations that it is
difficult to obtain concessions when the party across the table
is weak and the concessions that he gives might be successfully
challenged within his own camp.

As a matter of fact, a concession is often a display of
strength. President Yasser Arafat of Palestine was able to get an
anti-Israel provision from the Palestinian constitution because
he was confident that he could handle the objections of the hawks
on his side. Chairman Nur Misuari of the Moro National Liberation
Front (MNLF) who once took a hard line for Moro independence in
the southern Philippines, could suddenly embrace the Philippine
government's offer of autonomy because he was sure he would bring
over the hawks in the Front to his new way of thinking.

By the same token, the Indonesian government today can grant
reasonable concessions to Portugal and its allies among the East
Timorese because it now has the political will to do so. And it
has the political will because it is confident that the spirit of
reform that is pervading Indonesia will back up these
concessions. Remove the East Timor issue from the context of
democratic reform in Indonesia and it would not be so easy for
the Indonesian government to be reasonable with the Portuguese
government and its allies among the East Timorese.

Another important fact to consider is that diplomats do not
make foreign policies by themselves. They are involved in and
provide vital inputs to the making of it but the process itself
must consider the inputs, views and advocacy of other departments
represented in Indonesia's Foreign Policy Council (Defense, Home
Affairs, Justice, the Office of the Attorney General, etc). And,
of course, the President makes the final decision.

An idea that is popular in diplomatic circles will never
become foreign policy if it does not gain support in the policy
making process. And if an idea that is a radical departure from
previous policy is ever adopted, this will mean that the Foreign
Policy Council and the President have made calculations which
show that the government is strong enough or has sufficiently
strong support from the people to carry out a new policy that may
be unpopular in certain circles.

Thus Indonesian diplomacy has been enhanced because the
government itself has been strengthened by reform. In turn, the
government should continue to strengthen it.

The writer is Indonesia's ambassador to the Holy See, Vatican,
City. He has written this article in his personal capacity.