The ties that bind

The ties that bind

This is probably not the best of times for Indonesia's
relations with the United States, but before anyone says anything
else that could further damage the current state of affairs, it
might be worth relooking at just how important these ties are to
the nation's interests. Americans have often been blamed for
understating the strategic importance of Indonesia to their
national interests, but many Indonesian politicians are now just
as guilty, if not more so, in underestimating how crucial the
United States is to Indonesia, especially now of all times.

Indonesia's economic recovery, as slow as it may be, would
have been impossible without the direct and indirect role of the
United States. The unprecedented export boom which Indonesia has
seen this year -- about the only bright spot of the economy which
is still struggling to come out of a deep recession -- has
largely been at the courtesy of the American economy, which is
experiencing its longest unimpeded period of growth. The United
States in fact is rapidly becoming Indonesia's main trading
partner, replacing a slot traditionally filled by Japan.

The United States has also played a pivotal albeit low-key
role in pressuring the International Monetary Fund and the World
Bank to sustain their programs in Indonesia and help the nation
out of its current economic predicament. The United States did
not rank high on the list of countries which pledged US$5.3
billion in fresh aid to Indonesia in Tokyo this month, but that
is because most of its assistance is channeled through
multilateral organizations, including the IMF and the World Bank.

The United States has always been the largest source of
foreign direct investments in Indonesia, when the oil and gas
sector is included. No doubt American capital will be crucial
once more if and when foreign investors start coming back to
Indonesia, hopefully, in the not too distant future.

Important as they are, trade and economy are not the only
sectors which have underpinned strong bilateral ties. Many
elected politicians seem to have forgotten that last year's
general election, billed Indonesia's first democratic polls in
over 40 years, was largely possible because of the tremendous
support from the international community, including in particular
the United States. Indonesia will undoubtedly continue to count
on its support as it marches toward democracy and a civil
society.

In the cultural sector, Indonesia has also reaped benefits
from having good relations with America. On education, for
example, the United States remains the most popular destination
for young Indonesian of the elite wanting to study abroad.
Whether they are privately funded or studying on American
scholarships, many of these students were given a reprieve by
their colleges through fee waivers during the worst of the
economic crisis in 1997/1998.

These, and others too numerous to list in this column,
underpin the importance of the United States to Indonesia's
foreign relations, to the point that it is one of its most
important friends. Many politicians and officials, however, chose
to ignore them as they engaged in anti-American rhetoric these
past few weeks. Taking on the giant superpower may have bought
them short-term popularity, but it comes not only at the expense
of endangering Indonesia-American relations, but also ultimately
the nation's short and long-term interests.

United States Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Gelbard may be
too abrasive to Indonesia's liking, and he may have stepped out
of line through some of his comments, such as the interview he
gave to the Washington Times in August. United States' criticism,
however, has so far been measured and targeted at specific groups
and has avoided harming the overall relations. An embargo, for
example, has been imposed on the sale of military spare parts for
the Indonesian Military because of Indonesia's past military
policy in East Timor.

But responses by Indonesian officials and politicians have
been unnecessarily excessive. Accusations that Gelbard meddled in
the recent appointments of top government and military officials,
and of espionage, have not been proven. Politicians attacking the
United States often claimed that they were defending the pride
and honor of the nation, but more often than not, like the
unwarranted accusations against the ambassador, they smacked of
chip-on-the-shoulder nationalism.

The danger is that these anti-American sentiments could easily
spin out of control and affect the broader relations, especially
since they are fanned by government officials and politicians.
But just remember, if relations are allowed to deteriorate any
further, Indonesia and its people have far more to lose than the
United States does.