U.S.-RI ties soldier on

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.