Support pours in for canceled F-16 jet deal

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's decision to cancel the purchase of United States F-16s and forgo the expanded International Military Education Training (IMET) program, has received resounding support from observers and politicians who see it as a snub against superpower encroachment.

In the wake of Friday's shock announcement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, disquietness was far from the minds of observers. Instead, a sense of national pride enveloped many commentators.

Military analyst Hasnan Habib said the U.S. has as much to lose, if not more, as Indonesia.

He said the cancellation of the F-16s could signal a shift from U.S. based suppliers to other arms producers.

"If it becomes difficult to get it in America because we're continuously getting slammed by Congress, then we won't buy from them," said Hasnan, who is a former ambassador to Washington.

He said Indonesia and other countries in the region are experiencing a period of high economic growth which is spurring a modernization of their armed forces.

Continued links to extraneous issues could prompt buyers in the region to look elsewhere than the U.S., while at the same time the domestic situation in the U.S. is not favorable as the military establishment continues to shrink, he said.

Alatas said Friday the cancellation was caused by links between "unjustified criticism" by Congress and the F-16s along with participation in IMET.

Congress members have been pressuring the Clinton administration to cancel the F-16 sale and IMET to Indonesia due to Jakarta's allegedly poor human rights record.

Alatas said the decision was aimed at removing stumbling blocks which may hinder further bilateral ties being developed by the Clinton administration.

Despite this assertion, many saw the move as an assertion of national sovereignty over superpower arrogance.

Legislator Aisyah Amini, chairperson of the House of Representatives Commission I on Foreign Affairs and Defense, said the move reflected Indonesia's long held stance of refusing to be dictated by another country.

"This shows to the outside world that we are a sovereign nation. We decide what's good for us," she said.

"Don't let those people in Congress think we are dependent on them that we would collapse (without the U.S.)," she said. "Human rights is often used as an instrument by developed countries to pressure developing states."

She said both sides have a lot to gain from each other and should ensure a mutually beneficial relationship without one prostrating to the other.

"They actually have a lot of interest here too, it's just that they want to play up and make everybody think they are so, so important," Aisyah added.

While the House was not consulted, she said the move was still in line with the country's foreign policy stance. She cited similarities to the 1992 rejection of Dutch aid when The Hague was perceived to be intruding in Indonesia's domestic affairs.

In Semarang, Central Java, Muladi from the Diponegoro University said the decision was a direct criticism of the United States and showed Indonesia was unwilling to be dictated by any country.

Muladi, who is a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, said human rights issues should not be approached in ways which signify confrontation.

"If human rights issues are approached in that manner, what comes out are judgments and indictments," he said Saturday.

"I believe that every layer of society supports and praises President Soeharto's decision to cancel the purchase," said Muladi.

"The U.S. should not have dictated Indonesia, it should have been more understanding of the social and cultural traditions of Indonesia and its state ideology of Pancasila," he said.

Congressional pressure linking human rights to arms sale in 1993 also blocked the sale of U.S.-made Jordanian F-5s to Indonesia. It also suspended the IMET in 1992 before resuming again last year.

Despite the nationalistic wave of support here, most people agreed the move should not disrupt overall good ties between Jakarta and Washington.

Hasnan Habib said that despite pulling out of IMET, military training to the U.S. would likely continue.

"We'll pay for it ourselves, and we have been doing this, according to our needs," he said.

A State Department spokesman in Washington said Friday the U.S. regrets the decision but "we intend to continue working with Indonesia and we'll just have to move on". (mds/har)