RI hesitant to summon U.S. envoy

By Irawan Abidin

JAKARTA (JP): Many observers have found it hard to understand why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hesitated for so long before announcing that it had decided to summon the United States envoy to clarify statements attributed to him, that had the effect, in the view of many Indonesians, of interfering in the internal affairs of the country and, in my own view, demonstrating contempt of the Indonesian government.

What could have brought about such a long hesitation when the ministry could have immediately reprimanded the American ambassador not once but several times?

A number of possible reasons come to mind:

First, could it be that the above ministry felt that the American envoy had the moral high ground, having only spoken the truth, which was already common knowledge all over Indonesia?

I don't think so. He might have said a few things that were true about the East Timorese militia, and in a matter of days, the militia would prove that they richly deserve condemnation; but he also said that foreign terrorist groups were trying to burrow in and implant themselves here while Indonesia's security forces wasted their time demonizing the United States.

This is not common knowledge and a very grievous thing to say. If only for this, the American ambassador should have been summoned at once to make a clarification. He should at least be asked: "What is this all about?"

Moreover, he also said that certain newly appointed ministers should not be in the Cabinet because they were intent on targeting American companies. He particularly alluded to the state minister of the environment as having "done virtually nothing to deal with the ... real, most important environmental problems which effect Indonesia."

The next thing you know, he will be telling the Indonesian President whom to appoint as minister of environment. And why should he stop there? He might as well tell the President how to reshuffle his Cabinet so that all the ministers will be pro- American.

If only for this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should not have even bothered to summon him. It should have reprimanded him at once.

But maybe this is simple realpolitik. It is not, it may be argued in the interest of the nation, for Indonesia to address a stern word at the ambassador of the only remaining superpower on earth.

But this argument does not hold water in the light of the fact that the Indonesian government had defied the United States before and defied it again in recent times.

Consider President Abdurrahman Wahid's apparent firm intention to pay a visit to Iraq against the expressed wishes of the United States, enunciated by no less than Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Where is the realpolitik there? No, the Indonesian government is not lacking in courage -- though it may not be too considerate of a small, reliable and helpful little friend like Kuwait.

And what about the bit of carrot that the American ambassador has been dangling? There is the projected American assistance in training of police officers and the possibility of the United States once again engaging the navy, the marines, the air force but not the army. What is he trying to do? Divide the Indonesian military establishment?

This is not to say that everything is going fine in Indonesia. We are in deep trouble and we need help. We badly need better performance from the government. The government needs to be more rational and less inscrutable. We need honest feedback from those who wish us well, no matter how unpleasant that feedback may be, as long as it is given with a measure of respect for our dignity as a people.

But we certainly do not need the arrogance of those who wish to strut in the public limelight at the expense of our self- respect. Such people should be put in their place, especially if they are ambassadors.

Hopefully from this point on, the government will do a serious job of addressing the country's problems. If we succeed in this, then the American ambassadors' remarks portraying us as incompetent will do us no damage. But if we do not reverse present trends, nothing will save us from our failure, not even 10 American ambassadors singing praises of the Indonesian government.

The writer is a retired senior diplomat.