Megawati sending right signals to neighbours

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, AUG. 13 The Indonesian President, Ms. Megawati Sukarnoputri, is signalling the relevance of the Association of South-East Asian Nations to her country by scheduling a visit to nine ASEAN countries from August 20 to 29.

Given the fact that the internal state of Indonesia was being seen in several ASEAN countries as a major problem for the organisation as a whole, her planned visits are significant in themselves.

Ms. Megawati's ousted predecessor, Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid, travelled abroad frequently, but towards the end of his tenure it became evident that Mr. Wahid would be a transitory political phenomenon in Indonesia. And that did affect some of his foreign policy initiatives.

Since taking over as President and forming her Government, Ms. Megawati has received wide support - from both within the region and outside. The peaceful change of guard has been appreciated in the neighbourhood even as the magnitude of Indonesia's domestic problems remain.

Mr. Robert Zoellick, U.S. Trade Representative, who was in Jakarta recently, said that he was ``delighted'' and ``extremely impressed'' by Ms. Megawati's grasp of issues during a three-hour-long meeting.

The Cabinet formed by the President was ``extraordinarily strong'' and her Government was sending all the right signals, Mr. Zoellick was quoted as saying after the meeting.

Close on the heels of Mr. Zoellick came the Australian Prime Minister, Mr. John Howard, on a short-notice working visit to Indonesia following an invitation from Ms. Megawati.

In recent years, Indonesia's relationship with Australia has emerged as the most difficult one to manage. The issue of East Timor and the Australian position led to widespread outrage in Indonesia.

In his last days as President, Mr. Wahid did pay a fence-mending visit to Canberra, but the focus at the time was more on his departure from office than on foreign affairs.

Mr. Howard, who arrived in Jakarta on Sunday, was quoted as saying after meeting Ms. Megawati on Monday that both countries had agreed to look to the future rather than dwell on the past.

``There have been differences in the past but there's little point in dwelling needlessly on the past when there's a combined determination to look to the future,'' Mr. Howard told businessmen at lunch.

A joint communique issued after the Howard-Megawati meeting said: ``The Prime Minister reaffirmed Australia's support for Indonesia's territorial integrity and unity....'' They also ``underlined the importance of a comprehensive approach to solving the problems of Aceh and Irian Jaya through advancing the primacy of dialogue, greater respect for human rights and the implementation of special autonomy status within the unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia''.

Mr. Howard, whose party faces elections at home at the end of the year, said his visit was ``very successful and very important''.

``It's enabled us, I think, together to put the relationship on the basis of what I describe as positive realism,'' the Australian Prime Minister said, adding that Ms. Megawati needed to create a ``beckoning'' economic environment for foreign investors.

In these days where the health of a country is measured internationally by its ability to create the right conditions for foreign capital, Indonesia has a long way to go.

But, as has been stressed by several international players, Indonesia's new Cabinet, especially the economic Ministers, are the ``right'' people for the job.

Given such a view, international lenders are likely to take a ``softer'' position on extending assistance to Indonesia.

Clearly, this is a time for foreign leaders to gauge Ms. Megawati and tap her for views on regional and international issues. The Indonesian President's views on key issues are largely unknown, and her meetings would be an occasion for others to ascertain her opinions.

There is little doubt that Ms. Megawati is taking on a positive approach on foreign relations by visiting all nine ASEAN capitals in one ago. The visits signal that ASEAN remains the key focus area for Indonesia.

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Section  : International
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