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.