Domestic interests may shape consensus

By Amit Baruah

SHANGHAI, OCT. 20. The U.S. President, Mr. George Bush, will get his ``anti- terrorism'' consensus at the end of the two-day Asia- Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Leaders' meeting tomorrow. But it will be a consensus driven by convenience. Both Indonesia and Malaysia, the two key countries for the ``grand coalition'' against terrorism, will go along with a general condemnation of the world's ``new'' menace, but will stop short at specifics.

For the moment, China has extended its support to the military strikes though it continues to stress the need to involve the United Nations. Russia, too, has taken the view that U.N. involvement is necessary. Given the fact that both China and Russia are members of the U.N. Security Council, this view is hardly surprising. According to available information, the ``anti- terrorism'' declaration will not have any specific references to the American military strikes against terrorism. This should satisfy Indonesia and Malaysia.

The Indonesians, especially, are walking a tightrope in addressing different constituencies - international and domestic. After a meeting between the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, and his Indonesian counterpart, Ms. Megawati Sukarnoputri, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Mr. Hasan Wirayuda, said: ``We both want the United Nations to play an active role in handling this problem, with special attention to humanitarian efforts based on the U.N. Charter and international law.''

According to him, despite the strong remarks made by Ms. Megawati at a Jakarta mosque on Sunday against the military strikes, there was no ``basic change'' in the Indonesian position against terrorism. Back home, in Jakarta, Mr. Hasan's colleague, the Co- ordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs, Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said: ``We question the way they deal with terrorism. We don't want to see the fight against terrorism claim the lives of innocent civilians and aggravate Islamic radicalism.''

With Islamist hardliners breathing down her neck, Ms. Megawati, who met the U.S. President, Mr. George Bush, in Washington in September, has decided she wants to ride two horses simultaneously. She cannot afford to alienate the hardliners at home but then she needs Western support for economic revival as well. The Malaysian position has been more consistent with the Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, opposed to the military strikes against Afghanistan from day one. However, his outspoken Trade Minister, Ms. Rafidah Aziz, was ``soft'' on the issue in the presence of the U.S. Secretary of State, Mr. Colin Powell, at a joint press conference.

In the meantime, the Russians, too, have come out with an interesting proposal. The country's Foreign Minister, Mr. Igor Ivanov, told reporters in Shanghai: ``We proceed from a premise that the international community should reply to the terror attacks in New York and Washington by forming a global system of countering new threats and challenges, which should operate on the basis of international law with a U.N. co-ordinating role.'' Addressing CEOs as part of the APEC meetings, the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, while reiterating his ``direct support'' for the U.S. war against terrorism, said the definition of terrorism was still absent from both national laws and international legal documents. He said the lack of legal instruments did not allow a proportionate and quick response to terrorist threats.

In a sense, the Chinese and Russian positions have converged. These two countries, which had taken a lead role in promoting the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) and its role in fighting terrorism in Central Asia, find that the United States is suddenly on the frontline in this battle.

A greater U.N. role, with the Security Council acting as co- ordinator, will give both countries the leverage and say in military actions and the shape of a new Government in Afghanistan - something which is of great concern to both Beijing and Moscow.

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Section  : International
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