U.S. praises security in Indonesia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L. Boyce praised the Indonesian government on Monday for its efforts to protect foreign investors in the country, including Americans, but warned that investors were still concerned about the security of their investments.

Boyce acknowledged that the Indonesian government had taken serious steps to ensure the personal safety of American investors and other foreigners, who appeared at risk several months ago during the political tension following the U.S.-led war against Afghanistan's Taliban regime.

"We take seriously the government's responsibility to protect Americans -- not only Americans but also other foreigners in Indonesia. We welcome it."

But, he said, "Investors will come to Indonesia not based on fears, somehow, that they would be physically threatened, but rather in the hope that the capital invested in Indonesia would be secure and that means transparency, rule of law, protection legally, etc.," Boyce told a press conference.

Some local radical groups threatened to attack U.S. interests and citizens in Indonesia following the U.S. government's move to strike at Afghanistan several months ago.

Some U.S. companies temporarily closed their offices here following the threats.

But the government was quick to give assurances about the safety of foreign workers in Indonesia.

Boyce, along with 12 members of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Singapore, earlier met with President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Minister of Trade and Industry Rini M. Soewandi.

The AmCham delegation is in Indonesia for a two-day visit to assess business opportunities in this country. The delegation is led by AmCham Singapore president Landis W. Hicks.

The delegates include Tan Hup Thye from Refco Singapore Pte Ltd., Stuart Dean of GE International, and Edward Gilbert of Merrill Lynch (Asia Pacific) Ltd.

"The Singapore-based members of this mission want to hear from senior members of the Indonesian government about efforts to expand foreign business participation in the economy. We know that Indonesia is a country of enormous potential and believe that now is the time to build our future together," Hicks said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Rini said after a meeting with the AmCham delegation that almost all of the delegation members had praised the current security situation in the country.

Rini said she had pointed to the Batam and Bintan islands as secure places for doing business, citing the small number of labor disputes in both islands.