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.