Southeast Asia not a priority for Powell

Southeast Asia not a priority for Powell

JAKARTA (JP): Observers here, while welcoming the appointment
of retired Gen. Colin Powell as United States Secretary of State,
felt that it would have little impact on Washington's foreign
policy outlook towards Indonesia or Southeast Asia.

Foreign affairs observer and former Defense Minister Juwono
Sudarsono said Washington's priorities in the region would remain
focused on China and Japan.

"And Southeast Asia may be placed as the fourth priority after
Europe, China and Japan, and the Middle east. We will not get
that much attention from the new administration," Juwono told The
Jakarta Post.

He further said that it would be unlikely that there will be a
major shift in policy towards Indonesia, with more pleasant
rhetoric but not necessarily any action.

"The current administration is quite patronizing towards us,
maybe the new administration will be less demanding in terms of
rhetoric," Juwono said.

Juwono noted that a major advantage of having Powell as
Secretary of State is that, as a soldier, he would be more
capable of judging the appropriate use of force in foreign
relations, an important area of diplomacy.

Kusnanto Anggoro of the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies said that although Powell may initially seem less focused
on human rights issues, and is not expected to pressure Indonesia
immediately on the issue, it does not mean that there will be a
marked improvement in the state of relations, particularly
concerning the limited exchange of military aid.

"In military ties, there will be no guarantee that they will
fully restore them with us. Maybe in government to government
relations they will not pressure us too much, but they might do
it through Congress," Kusnanto told the Post.

He further said that, with Powell as secretary of state, the
U.S. will most likely be firmer, but exercise more self-restraint
in the use of force in their foreign intervention policies.

"But still, it will not affect us that much. To Iraq maybe,
but not us," Kusnanto remarked.

Meanwhile, Bara Hasibuan, deputy secretary general for foreign
affairs at the National Mandate Party, said that Powell has the
respect of the domestic and international community.

"We hope the United States will continue to assist in the
acceleration of the democratic process in Indonesia," Bara said
in a statement.

"However, everyone in Indonesia should realize that there will
be no fundamental change in U.S. foreign policy."

Like Juwono and Kusnanto, Bara also felt that the use of force
would be "more selective" given Powell's background.

Bara further questioned the optimism of certain Indonesian
officials who felt that the new administration will be beneficial
to Indonesia. Bara believes that this point of view is somewhat
premature.

"What's more important is that there has to be a realization
and willingness from Indonesian officials, both in the executive
and legislature, to discard attitudes based on narrow-minded
nationalism which tends to fault foreign parties for our own
mistakes," Bara remarked.(dja)