The correct response

The correct response

The government of President Megawati Soekarnoputri must be
commended for coming out with a most timely response to the
current situation emerging from the September 11 terrorist
attacks on the United States. These attacks have had deep
repercussions not only on how international relations are
governed, but also on the life of this nation.

The response, as announced by Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the
end of a six-hour Cabinet meeting on Thursday, addressed both the
current international and the domestic situations.

With regard the international situation, the response has been
guided by sound principles and common sense.

Indonesia has condemned the terrorist attacks and has given
its support to the United States' call for a global campaign
against international terrorism. But Indonesia draws the line
when it comes to launching an attack on Afghanistan, a sovereign
state, which Washington has accused of harboring the leaders and
supporters of the groups responsible for the terrorist attacks.

No matter what evidence Washington may come up with against
the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, Indonesia must insist that any
action against terrorism must be taken collectively and led by
the United Nations. And Indonesia has rightly insisted that any
action taken must not lead to another human tragedy.

This message is important for both the international and
domestic audience. If and when the United States attacks
Afghanistan, as it now seems imminent, Indonesia will be able to
distance itself from the action and condemn it when necessary.

Equally crucial is the message for the local public. Rightly
or wrongly, any attack on Afghanistan by the United States would
be construed by some people in this country as an attack on
Islam. This notion will be even harder to dispel if the attack
goes ahead.

An appropriate government response in addressing domestic
concerns therefore is crucial.

In Thursday's response, the government barred Indonesians from
going to Afghanistan to fight against the United States, invoking
a 1958 law that says a person will forfeit his citizenship if he
joins a foreign military service without government approval.

While respecting the rights of the people to freedom of
expression in launching anti-American protests, the government
has invoked another law which bans people from burning foreign
flags, symbols and effigies of foreign leaders.

The government has also barred people from conducting
"sweeps", an action some radical groups are planning against
Americans if the attack against Afghanistan goes ahead.

While all these measures seem to have addressed the domestic
problems, they fall short of assuring the safety of foreigners,
whom President Megawati has rightly called "guests in the
country".

The government has completely missed the point raised by the
U.S. government -- that serious threats to harm American lives
and property have been made in public. The police promise to act
only if these groups carry out the threat is not very reassuring.
Surely, there must be a law that the government can invoke to
arrest or restrain these people on the basis of their threats. In
a show of no confidence, many foreigners have simply voted with
their feet and fled the country this past week.

Ultimately it boils down to the question of law enforcement,
something which the government, including the police, has been
notoriously weak in. This government's shortcoming in enforcing
and administering the law, and in protecting lives and property,
has further blemished its credibility.

Fortunately, it is not too late for the government to amend
its response. After all, the government says it will continuously
review its position as the situation changes.

The real test for the government is still to come. What if the
United States goes ahead with the attack on Afghanistan? How
would the public here react? Judging by events these last few
days, these are no longer academic questions. We sincerely hope
the government will be ready to come out with the right response.