RI hesitant to summon U.S. envoy

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.