RI wants to enhance ties with U.S.: Hassan

RI wants to enhance ties with U.S.: Hassan

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Regardless of who wins the election, Indonesia hopes that the
United States will have better and more comprehensive views about
Indonesia, especially in regard to the democratization process
and human rights issues.

"For us, whoever wins the election, we hope to improve ties
between the two countries. We hope they will have a better
appreciation of recent developments in Indonesia," Minister of
Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said early on Tuesday before the
official declaration of the winner had been confirmed.

"We hope the coming (U.S.) government will have a broad
perspective when looking at us, and will not appraise us merely
on a few negative incidents that have somewhat tarnished our
image abroad," Hassan said.

The minister said the next U.S. administration should have
better knowledge about the recent democratic elections in
Indonesia.

"There are many aspects in our bilateral relations that need
to be mended, especially regarding their views on human rights
and democratization in Indonesia," he said.

Hassan was commenting on the U.S. presidential election,
which, at the time of his comments, was still a tight race
between John Kerry of the Democratic Party and incumbent
President George W. Bush of the Republican Party.

The U.S. has often criticized Indonesia for its poor human
rights records and imposed a military embargo on the country
following the Indonesian Military (TNI) failure to stop the
bloody rampage by pro-Indonesia militia groups in East Timor in
1999.

At least 1,400 pro-independence supporters were reportedly
killed in the rampage that prompted the international community
to send troops, led by Australia, to the former Portuguese
colony.

Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said late last month that
he would travel to the United States to lobby for the lifting of
the embargo.

"The lifting of the military embargo is one of our main
priorities with the new U.S. government, as we hope to restore
the military to military relations," Hassan said.

He emphasized that the government was fully aware that the
lifting of the embargo was up to the U.S. Congress, but the new
administration was expected to support Indonesia's military.

The Bush administration has tried on numerous occasions to
convince Congress to lift the embargo, but the killing of two
American teachers in Papua in August 2002 dashed those hopes.

The embargo, which banned the purchase of combat equipment
from the U.S., including spare parts for U.S.-made materiel, has
grounded most of the military's fleet of F-16 jet fighters.

In 2003, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri made a foray
into eastern Europe to purchase combat equipment, including four
Russian-made Sukhoi jet fighters.