U.S. embargo on Indonesia?

One of our experts has defined the term "embargo" as temporary confiscation of foreign vessels, for example, at war time, in order to ensure that they do not leave the port. Another meaning of the word is a prohibition banning the movement of goods between countries. An example of how the word is used in the press is as follows: "Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab confident the U.S. will not slap embargo on Indonesia."

Take the U.S. embargo on Iraq, for example. Although this country is considered as having violated human rights with its invasion of Kuwait, in terms of humanity, the U.S. may be considered as having violated the human rights of the innocent Iraqi people (the majority of the population). Perhaps the U.S. has never felt that was the case because in the post-cold-war era the U.S. considers itself the unrivaled world police. Whatever it says seems to be a one-sided justification.

Will Indonesia go the Iraqi way? Only time will tell. What is most important is that, if it is true that a U.S. embargo will be slapped on Indonesia, the U.S., on the one hand, consciously or otherwise, is alienating itself from the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

On the other hand, Indonesia's middle-class will no longer taste delicious American style fried chicken.

In addition, Marlboro cigarettes and the like will disappear, as also will films dwelling on carnal desires typical of Uncle Sam's Hollywood productions. Then, civil and military aircraft will have to be made into scrap iron as the spare parts cannot be imported. And a host of other problems will ensue.

Fortunately, most Indonesians are used to living in poverty. They can endure difficulties much better than the middle-to-upper class people. So, the positive side of this embargo threat is that the entire nation must work extra hard to ensure that they are not dependent on the mercy of other nations. May this come true.

SUNGKONO SOKAWERA

Bandung