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.