U.S.-RI ties soldier on

How much can you learn about a country as large and complex as Indonesia in less than one day? A lot if your name is Colin Powell. The U.S. secretary of state spent all of last Friday in Jakarta not only to drum up support for Washington's war on terrorism, but also to obtain firsthand information about the depth and complexity of the problems Indonesia faces today.

Being the foreign minister of the world's only superpower, Powell had complete access to the people he needed to see to find out about Indonesia. His tight schedule on Friday included meetings with President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, chief economics minister Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti and his team, chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his team, and the leaders of major Islamic groups.

It is unlikely any other person has ever had access to so many of the country's top policymakers and opinionmakers in one day. Whether the information conveyed will have any impact on the relations between Indonesia and the United States depends ultimately on how forcefully the Indonesian leaders presented their cases on various issues during their meetings with Powell.

Powell's visit presented an occasion to discuss issues of common concern to the two countries, and to forge closer ties.

The message that Powell brought to Indonesia was clear. The United States is counting on Indonesia's support in its war on terror in this part of the world, and it is offering help in dealing with the threat of homegrown radical groups that have the potential of collaborating with international terrorist organizations, including al-Qaeda. Powell used the occasion to unveil a US$50-million program that will provide training over the next three or four years for Indonesian security personnel to fight terrorism.

Powell also conveyed the United States' desire to restore military-to-military ties with Indonesia, which Washington severed in 1999 because of Jakarta's policy in East Timor. A small portion of the $50 million in new aid will be available to the Indonesian Military (TNI) to kick-off this process of normalizing ties. Washington is also lobbying Congress to lift the ban on professional training for Indonesian officers under the International Military Education Training (IMET) program. If approved, some $400,000 in IMET funding would become available to TNI later this year.

Powell stated, however, that a full resumption of military ties, including lifting the ban on the sale of military equipment to Indonesia, would not take place until TNI demonstrated accountability for past actions. He specifically referred to alleged human rights abuses by TNI members in East Timor. A number of TNI officers are currently on trial in connection with the 1999 violence in East Timor, when the territory was still part of Indonesia.

While the message Powell brought to Indonesia was clear, we sincerely hope that the message he takes back to Washington will be equally clear. And we don't just mean Indonesia's promise of full cooperation in the fight against terror, but also a host of other issues that have an impact, directly or otherwise, on relations between our two countries.

When it comes to dealing with the United States, Indonesia is not without leverage, as Washington knows too well. Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country, and has the largest Muslim population. It is an emerging democracy, and rich in natural resources. Given these facts, the United States has geo- strategic interests in forging ties with Indonesia.

The Indonesian leaders who met with Powell should have used the opportunity to raise issues that are of concern to our country and people. The economics ministers, for one, could have explained the challenges Indonesia faces in emerging from the present crisis; the security ministers could have explained the problems a new democracy like Indonesia faces in waging a war against terror without trampling the basic rights of the people.

The leaders of the major Islamic groups could have conveyed the message that the majority of Muslims in this country love peace and tolerance, and they resent being equated with radicalism or, worse, terrorism. And they resent the anti-Islam overtones we now frequently hear from the United States.

The Islamic leaders and our foreign minister could also have raised Indonesia's concerns about Washington's policy in the Middle East, particularly its treatment of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. By conveying Indonesia's concerns, we might actually have helped Powell in his running battle with the hawks in Washington over its Middle East policy.

Powell's visit may have been short, but it was worthwhile if Indonesia's leaders used the opportunity to discuss openly and frankly issues that underpin the relations between our two countries.