|
|
|
|
|
Obama's Indonesia
Visit
James Van Zorge
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
More than just a homecoming
US President Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta early next month, but beyond the media's fixation on
the return of Indonesia's most famous prodigal son and the ceremony it entails, there should be no mistaking the
fact that a serious mission is afoot.
Obama's visit reflects his administration's determination to establish a solid footing and greater influence in
the world's most dynamic region. Obama is acutely aware that his predecessor was lax and delinquent in his Asia
policy, and Washington is extraordinarily keen to make up lost ground.
Foremost in Obama's mind is China. Asia's premier power is, and will more than likely remain, a major concern over
the coming months and years. Beijing's unflinching territorial claims in the South China Sea, its intransigence
over currency policy and ambitions to leverage its economic prowess to expand its sphere of influence are contentious
issues that are sparking a heated debate inside Congress and the White House.
Yet, a consensus in Washington on how to interpret and respond to Beijing's flexing its muscles is lacking: While
some policy makers view China primarily through the lens of a cold war mentality and believe that the Communist
Party cannot be trusted, others are convinced that China is more of an opportunity than a threat and should be
treated as a partner.
In either case, the Obama administration's ties with Indonesia figure prominently in the strategic calculus of
its dealings with Asia.
Because Indonesia is Southeast Asia's largest country and sits astride strategic waterways,
a closer US-Indonesia relationship would offer Washington an important counterweight against China.
Jakarta is willing to oblige: While Indonesia has benefited from warmer relations with Beijing over recent years,
there is little doubt that its foreign policy establishment views the United States as a critical hedge against
China risk.
As in the United States, many Indonesian policy makers would like to think positively about Beijing's grander designs,
but there is also underlying discomfort and wariness about Asia's uberpower.
What most Indonesia watchers don't realize, however, is that the country's importance to Washington extends beyond
the Pacific Ocean.Although it is far removed from Arab nations in terms of distance and culture, Obama will use
Indonesia as an ideal platform after his Cairo speech to talk about Islam.
Mecca is the spiritual center of Islam, yet Indonesia contains as many Muslims as the entire Arabian Peninsula.
Indonesia has its share of extremists and religious violence, but for the most part the country's Muslims are known
for their moderation.
Obama must surely realize that with the steady stream of news on war and strident fundamentalism in the Middle
East, Indonesia offers a refreshing contrast.
Since he entered the palace in 2004, Yudhoyono has sought a more prominent spot for Indonesia in Middle Eastern
affairs and interfaith relations.
Although Indonesia is no Turkey and cannot similarly serve as a potential bridge between the Western powers and
the Middle East, Yudhoyono believes that the sheer size of his country's Muslim population and its “soft” reputation
should be sufficient reason for him to earn a place at the table when it comes to sorting out conflicts between
the West and the Islamic world.
The other major theme we can expect Obama to touch on during his visit is Indonesia's democratic consolidation.
Obama, like most US presidents before him, believes that the spreading of democratic values and free elections
is a worthy goal of America's foreign policy.
Not long ago, Indonesia was the world's third-largest dictatorship.
Since Suharto fell from power in 1998, Indonesia has left behind its authoritarian past and has emerged as the
world's third-largest democracy.
Since then, Indonesia has had four new presidents, and only India and the United States can boast of holding larger
elections. If Obama wishes to showcase a sterling example of democratization, he could find none better than Indonesia.
Indonesia stands to benefit from Obama's visit because it is a unique opportunity to capture the attention of the
international media in a positive light.
Rather than appearing in the news headlines – as it has so many times in the past – because of natural disasters
or terrorist attacks, Obama standing shoulder to shoulder with Yudhoyono in a spirit of cooperation will provide
a huge boost for Indonesia's reputation and facilitate a longer narrative about the country as an important Asian
nation.
ndonesians are acutely aware that the rise of China and India has defined Western thinking about the region's
future.
Asian countries much smaller than Indonesia – even the tiny city-state of Singapore – have evoked more recognition
in the streets of New York and Brussels.
Given the vastness and riches here, Indonesians are perplexed that their country has failed to excite the Western
imagination beyond the usual mention of Bali as an exotic holiday retreat.
Nonetheless, opinion polls have revealed that Indonesians have become much more confident in recent years about
their immediate and long-term future as players on the global stage. Local elites are proud of their nation's new
status in the prestigious club of G-20 economies.
And economists' predictions that Indonesia could emerge to become the world's seventh-largest economy before the
middle of this century has not gone unnoticed by the international business community – over the past year, heads
of multinational corporations that previously viewed Asia primarily through the lens of their China operations
have started to consider the possibility of making Indonesia a larger part of their portfolios.
Business and politics aside, perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Obama's upcoming visit is symbolic.
Obama coming back to the place where he spent part of his formative years as a child, and now the world's most
powerful man, is a story that is not lost on Indonesians.
When Obama arrived in Jakarta for the first time in 1967 with his mother, Ann Dunham, and his Indonesian stepfather,
Lolo Soetopo, the country was very different from the one he will see when he steps down from Air Force One: Steeped
in poverty and still recovering from the deep wounds of chaos and violence that marked the country in 1965, there
seemed to be little hope in those years for Indonesia's future.
Yet Indonesia – like Obama – has proven that the audacity of hope is not, as cynics might contend, blind optimism.
Just as a chubby and unremarkable kid known as Barry by his Indonesian classmates would one day become the president
of the United States, so Indonesia has emerged as one of Asia's success stories in the 21st century.
James Van Zorge is a political and business consultant in Jakarta.
This first appeared in the Jakarta Globe, with which Asia Sentinel has a content-sharing agreement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. EMBASSY
PRESS RELEASE
October 19, 2009
White House Announces Presidential
Delegation to Jakarta
for the Inauguration of His Excellency Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Washington, October 17 -- President Barack Obama on Saturday, October 17, 2009, announced the designation of a
Presidential Delegation to Jakarta, Indonesia to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
President of the Republic of Indonesia, on October 20, 2009.
The Honorable Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency will be the head of the delegation.
Members of the Presidential Delegation:
The Honorable Cameron Hume, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia
The Honorable David N. Merrill, President of the United States-Indonesia Society
|
|
|
|
Commentary:
Mr. President, next stop Jakarta
By Arsalan Iftikhar
Special to CNN Tue April 7, 2009
Editor's Note: Arsalan Iftikhar is an international human rights lawyer,
founder of TheMuslimGuy.com and contributing editor for Islamica magazine in Washington.
During his visit to Turkey, President Obama sought to officially reach out to the Islamic world
after eight years of tension
by declaring in a speech to the Turkish Parliament that he is determined to have a lasting "partnership with
the Muslim world."
"Let me say this as clearly as I can: The United States is not -- and will never be -- at war with Islam,"
President Obama said toward the conclusion of his remarks delivered in Ankara to Turkish members of Parliament
on Monday.
---------------------------------------------
Now, the focus shifts to how (and where) President Obama will fulfill his promise to address the Muslim world from
a major Muslim capital.
In a January 2009 sit-down television interview with Arab news channel Al-Arabiya (the first network interview
of his administration); he again emphasized his promise: "...We're going to follow through on our commitment
for me to address the Muslim world from a Muslim capital...."
In my opinion, President Obama should pick Jakarta, Indonesia, as the location for his first
major address from a Muslim capital for several reasons.
Indonesia is the largest Muslim nation in the world, with more than 244 million people. If he delivers a Jakarta
speech, his words will carry
special meaning with the Muslim world because of his own experience living within a multireligious and multiethnic
Muslim nation.
It would be a politically wise choice in an increasingly diverse world. By giving a speech from a large Southeast
Asian Muslim nation that is
also a racial and religious melting pot for diversity within greater Asia, he can speak to the post-racial Obama
generation around the world.
Both Cairo, Egypt, and Amman, Jordan, could very possibly (and rightfully) make the president's short-list of venue
locations.
However, although Egypt has a population of more than 81 million, it has had Hosni Mubarak as its not-so-democratic
leader since the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981.
|
|
|
|
|
|
London, April 2, 2009
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
sitting beside s American President Barack Obama,
delivers a speech during the G20 Summit in London on Thursday.
In his speech, Yudhoyono expressed a desire for the summit to
produce a concrete strategy for tackling the global financial crisis.
Photo Courtesy of Presidential office/Dino Pati Djalal
New
economic world order emerges
Mustaqim Adamrah , THE JAKARTA POST , LONDON | Fri, 04/03/2009 8:48 AM |
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, sitting beside US President Barack Obama,
delivers a speech during the G20 Summit in London on Thursday.
Yudhoyono expressed a desire for the summit to produce a concrete
strategy for tackling the global financial crisis.
Courtesy of Presidential office/Dino Pati Djalal
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friday, 21 November 2008 | 18:13 WIB
Yudhoyono Visits America
As of 14 November 2008, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono paid official visits to the United States,
Mexico, Brazil and Peru. Yudhoyono attended G-20 Summit in Washington, USA, and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) Summit in Lima, Peru.
|
|
|
|
Obama talks to Indonesia, Saudi
leaders on economy
Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:18pm EDT
Email | Print | Share| Reprints | Single Page[-] Text [+]
1 of 1Full SizeWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama discussed the global economic crisis with his Indonesian
counterpart on Friday and explained his commitment to forging better relations with the Islamic world, the White
House said.
The U.S. president also discussed the economic crisis and the upcoming Group of 20 summit of developed and developing
nations in phone calls with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and President Gloria Arroyo of the Philippines, the White
House said in a statement.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Indonesian President Bambang Yudhoyono, Obama spoke of the need for close cooperation
in confronting the economic crisis, it said.
"They agreed to advance our comprehensive partnership with a focus on issues, including education, health
care, climate change and counterterrorism," the statement said.
"The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues, including the president's commitment to
a new and different kind of relationship with Islamic communities around the world," it said. "They also
discussed how to make progress on democracy and human rights in Burma."
Obama spent part of his childhood in Jakarta and attended school there. After a previous conversation, Yudhoyono
told a local newspaper that Obama had greeted him in Indonesian.
The U.S. leader has stressed his wish to improve ties with the Islamic world and has promised to give a major speech
from the capital of a Muslim country during his first year in office.
His first interview after becoming president was with al-Arabiya, the Dubai-based Arabic television station, and
he will travel to Turkey after the G20 summit in early April.
Obama spoke with King Abdullah about the need to coordinate international efforts to restore economic growth, the
White House said.
"The president and King Abdullah also reaffirmed the importance of a strong U.S.-Saudi relationship in promoting
peace and security in the region," it said.
The call was his second with Abdullah since taking office on January 20.
Obama also discussed the economy with Arroyo, and the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the long-standing
U.S.-Philippines alliance, including the visiting forces agreement governing the handling of visiting U.S. military
personnel, the White House said.
"The president commended President Arroyo on her country's efforts in countering terrorism and modernizing
the armed forces," it said.
(Editing by Peter Cooney)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
|
|
|
|
Obama asks Indonesia to join hands in tackling
global issues
14 March 2009 | 06:19 | FOCUS News Agency
Jakarta. U.S. President Barack Obama expressed Washintong's willingness to involve Jakarta in tackling global issues,
including the environment and the financial crisis, an Indonesian government spokesman said, as cited by Xinhua
News Agency.
The expression was made by Obama in a 10-minute phone conversation with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Friday evening, during which they discussed some issues including Indonesia and U.S. comprehensive partnership
and the G-20 summit,
Antara news agency on Saturday quoted presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal as saying.
"President Barack Obama at 7:45 p.m. called President Yudhoyonoand discussed among others the comprehensive
partnership between the U.S. and Indonesia and preparations for the G-20 summit in London early next month,"
he added.
"President Obama said he wanted to work together with Indonesia in coping with global issues, such as climate
change," Dino said.
President Yudhoyono contacted President Obama early in November2008 when Obama had just won the U.S. presidential
election.
At that time Yudhoyono asked Obama to visit Indonesia on the sidelines of the APEC meeting in Singapore in October
this year.
|
|
|
|
President Yudhoyono in Brazil
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hillary Clinton visit to Indonesia
18-19 February 2009
Washington Post Photo Gallery
Hillary Clinton
reached out to regular Indonesian citizens,
appearing on the popular “Dahsyat” show
discussing everything from U.S. policy towards the Middle East
to her preferences in music.
|
Hillary Clinton on "Dahsyat"
Part 1
|
Hillary Clinton on "Dahsyat"
Part 2
|
|
|
|
US Embassy Jakarta
Photogallery of the visit
|
|
|
|
Jakarta Post - Indonesia:
President invites Obama to visit
19 February 2009
Jakarta, 19 Feb. (AKI/Jakarta Post) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has re-extended an invitation to his
US counterpart Barack Obama to visit Indonesia. He made the invitation through
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, a presidential spokesman said Thursday.
|
|
|
|
Yudhoyono, Hosting
Clinton, Asks Obama to Indonesia
By Leony Aurora and Indira A.R. Lakshmanan
Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono invited Barack Obama to visit in November
amid speculation the U.S. leader may choose his childhood home to address divisions with the Muslim world.
Yudhoyono, Indonesia’s first directly elected president, made the formal invitation at a meeting today with U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, presidential spokesman Dino Pati Djalal told reporters in Jakarta. Obama lived
in Jakarta for four years with his mother and Indonesian stepfather.
Obama is reaching out to the Islamic world to repair ties damaged by the Bush administration’s invasion and occupation
of Iraq. Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda yesterday told Clinton that his country “could be a good partner”
in that effort.
|
|
|
|
|
Obama, Yudhoyono discuss economic crisis
13 March 2009
AFP/POOL/File – US President Barack Obama on Friday spoke to Indonesia's
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, seen …
. Play Video Barack Obama Video:Lula warns US about protectionism BBC .
Play Video Barack Obama Video:Obama Meets Brazilian Prez To Talk Custody Case CBS 2 New York .
Play Video Barack Obama Video:Obama's Focus on Food Safety ABC News .
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama on Friday spoke to Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
about the global economic crisis, underscoring warming relations between the two countries.
"The President had a wide-ranging telephone discussion with President Yudhoyono of Indonesia this morning,"
a White House statement said.
"The President consulted with President Yudhoyono on the global economic crisis and affirmed the need for
close cooperation, noting the upcoming G-20 Summit that both leaders will attend."
Obama and Yudhoyono also discussed avian influenza, climate change,
counterterrorism and how to bring democracy and human rights to Myanmar during the call, the White House said.
The president, who lived in Indonesia for four years as a boy, also spoke about his policy of reinventing US relations
with the Muslim world, the White House said.
In the early months of the Obama administration, US ties with Indonesia have markedly improved.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took a nearly 6,000-kilometer (3,500-mile) detour to Indonesia between stopping
in Tokyo and Seoul on her first official visit abroad and said Washington wanted a "comprehensive partnership"
with Jakarta.
While Indonesia was a Cold War ally of Washington, relations were held back for years by disputes over human rights
abuses under former dictator Suharto who fell in 1998.
Obama and Yudhoyono will meet face to face at the G-20 economic summit of developed and developing nations in London
on April 2.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
State Secretary Hillary
Clinton and
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
at the presidential office in Jakarta February 19, 2009.
|
Indonesian President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
greets US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on february 19, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
US Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton
accompanied by Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda (right) and
US Ambassador to Indonesia Cameron R. Hume (behind), says hello to journalists upon arriving at the Pancasila Building,
Jakarta, Wednesday. (JP/J. Adiguna)
18 February 2009
|
Hillary Clinton
waves as she poses for photos with students
from the elementary school where US President Barack Obama studied in his youth, upon her arrival at Halim airport
in Jakarta
on Wednesday. Clinton arrived in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, on a mission to start
mending
US ties with the Islamic world. (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)
18 February 2009
|
|
|
|
|
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
listens as ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan speaks during a joint press conference ,
Jakarta 18 February 2009
Photo: AFP
|
Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
talks with Indonesian students upon her arrival at Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday.
Secretary of State Clinton is hoping to rehabilitate America's
image abroad, especially with Muslims, during a visit to
Indonesia and to strengthen economic and development
ties with Southeast Asia. (AP/Achmad Ibrahim)
18 February 2009
|
|
|
Video:
CNBC: Future of US-Asia Relations
February 2009
The fact that the U.S. secretary of state's first official trip is to Asia
shows that Obama views this region as of inherent importance to the U.S.,
says John Brandon, director of international relations at Asia Foundation.
He talks to CNBC's Maura Fogarty & Rebecca Meehan
|
|
|
|
The
Tonight show with Jay Leno - President Obama
19 March 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. EMBASSY
PRESS RELEASE
February 20, 2009
SECRETARY CLINTON VISITS INDONESIA
Jakarta, February 20 – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Indonesia on February 18 and 19 during her
first official overseas trip, demonstrating a clear U.S. interest in developing the already strong relationship
with Indonesia into a long-term partnership based on shared values. Her first trip to the country since she visited
as First Lady in 1994, Secretary Clinton exchanged views with both senior government officials, a cross-section
of civil society representatives, and ordinary Indonesians.
Secretary Clinton met with both President Yudhoyono and Foreign Minister Wirajuda, and discussed the two countries’
intentions to develop a “comprehensive partnership,” highlighting the fact that the global economic crisis and
other challenges create an opportunity for deeper cooperation and the promotion of shared interests bilaterally,
regionally and globally. She also visited ASEAN Secretary-General Surin at the regional organization’s headquarters
and underscored U.S. commitment to the region and appreciation of Indonesia’s leadership role in ASEAN.
In addition, Secretary Clinton reached out to regular Indonesian citizens, appearing on the popular “Dahsyat” show
and discussed everything from U.S. policy towards the Middle East to her preferences in music. She also exchanged
views with seven Indonesian reporters who covered the recent Presidential elections in the U.S. She said after
a hard-fought election in any democracy, the candidates have a responsibility to pull together and work for the
betterment of the nation. Finally, she emphasized the need for more cooperation in higher education and for more
exchange programs.
Her schedule included a walk around Jakarta’s North Petojo neighborhood, where she talked with local residents
about their efforts to maintain a healthy environment. She saw firsthand how USAID and community partnerships collaborate
on a number of environmental and child health programs to provide safe drinking water and community-based waste
management.
|
|
|
|
US, RI pledge
closer, comprehensive ties
Abdul Khalik , THE JAKARTA POST ,
JAKARTA | Thu, 02/19/2009
The US and Indonesia have pledged to deepen cooperation, with visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telling
Indonesia it
played a key role in US foreign policy.
In a joint press conference Wednesday after a bilateral meeting with her Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirajuda,
Clinton said the
US new administration recognized Indonesia’s role in handling global problems, including terrorism, protectionism,
climate change
and the economic crisis.
“Building a comprehensive partnership with Indonesia is a critical step on behalf of the United States’ commitment
to smart power,” she said.
Clinton said it was not an accident her first trip abroad as the top US diplomat included Indonesia, the world's
biggest Muslim-majority country, as it was meant to show support for the country’s vibrant democracy and efforts
to fight terrorism while respecting human rights.
She said US President Barack Obama’s administration wanted to reach out to the entire world and Indonesia would
be an important
partner in that effort.
“Certainly Indonesia, being the largest Muslim nation in the world, the third largest democracy, will play a leading
role in the promotion
of that shared future. So we are looking forward to deepening our cooperation on a number of shared issues,” Clinton
said.
Hassan said the US was a very important partner for Indonesia, and their bilateral relations went from strength
to strength, with
Indonesia having every reason to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
“We have proven here that democracy, Islam and modernity can go hand in hand. And through Indonesia, the United
States can
reach out to the Muslim world,” he said.
Clinton also pledged a new American openness to ideas from abroad, especially the Muslim world.
“It's important to listen as well as talk to those around the world, to support a country that has demonstrated
so clearly that Islam, democracy and modernity cannot only coexist but thrive together,” she said.
She added the US stood ready to help Indonesia deal with the global economic crisis, saying concrete steps toward
fostering closer
and comprehensive relations had been taken, including the resumption of the Peace Corps program — where American
citizens
volunteer in villages — as well as cooperation in education by renewing a five-year Fullbright scholarship and
agreement to be signed
in science and technology.
In trade relations, Hassan said after the press conference that Indonesia expected the US to provide US$5 billion
in bilateral swap arrangement and contingency funds to bolster the economy should the crisis hit in the months
ahead.
“We need the same amount that other donors and countries, such as the World Bank and Japan, have pledged to us.
We need around $5 billion. We may not use the money, but we need it to show the world we have credibility,” he
said.
“We hope that during the crisis, the US and the rest of the world will avoid protectionism,” he said.
Clinton and Hassan also discussed how to help resolve various problems, including in the Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan
and Myanmar.
Clinton, who first came to Indonesia as the US first lady in 1994 with her husband Bill Clinton to attend the APEC
summit, will pay a courtesy call on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday before leaving for South Korea
later that day.
|
|
|
|
Clinton
sees new role for Indonesia in US` smart power,
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said Indonesia -- as a democratic and
mainly Muslim country -- would play a key role in the Obama administration`s new commitment to "smart power".
In her first visit to a Muslim country as secretary of state, she said the US president "wants to reach out
to the entire world" and
Indonesia would be an important partner in that effort.
"Certainly Indonesia, being the largest Muslim nation in the world, the third-largest democracy, will play
a leading role in the promotion
of that shared future," Clinton was quoted by AFP as telling a press conference here alongside Indonesian
Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda.
"Building a comprehensive partnership with Indonesia is a critical step on behalf of the United States` commitment
to smart power,"
she said. She added that it was important "to listen as well as talk to those around the world, to support
a country that has demonstrated so clearly... that Islam, democracy and modernity cannot only coexist but thrive
together."
Clinton said the US looked forward to deepening cooperation with Indonesia on several "shared issues",
referring to areas such as the global economic crisis, climate change, security and human rights.
Wirajuda said Indonesia -- where Obama went to primary school from 1967 to 1971 -- looked forward to US support
as Asia-Pacific countries seek to shape a "new architecture" of diplomacy in the region.
"Indonesia will be a good partner of the United States in reaching out to the Muslim world," he said.
A US official, who asked not to be named, acknowledged that "the people of Indonesia obviously have a strong
affinity for this new administration" because Obama once lived here and Clinton "would like to build
on that good will."
The former first lady later met leaders of the Jakarta-based Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- a 10-country
bloc comprising
around 500 million people.
She said the Obama administration would start the process to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, which
promotes
regional peace and stability via cooperation in scientific, economic and other areas.
"We are taking this step because we believe that the United States must have strong relationships and a strong
and productive
presence here in Southeast Asia," Clinton said.
ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan welcomed Clinton`s announcement as "a reaffirmation of the US`s political
and security commitment to the region."
Fifteen non-ASEAN members have acceded to the 1976 treaty, including countries as diverse as New Zealand, Pakistan
and China.
Clinton will meet Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday before completing her four-nation trip
through Asia
-- her first outing as secretary of state -- with visits to South Korea and China.
The son of a white American mother and a black Kenyan father, Obama was born in Hawaii but moved to Indonesia when
he was six
after his divorced mother remarried an Indonesian.
The US president is hugely popular here and expectations are high that he will prioritise relations with Indonesia
as a possible bridge
with other Islamic countries and a democratic bulwark against extremism.
He has promised a new chapter in relations with the Islamic world after the ill-will generated by former president
George W. Bush`s invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Indonesia has seen its share of Islamist violence since 9/11 -- including the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that
killed more than
200 people -- and has worked closely with US and Australian police to track down terror suspects.
The vast majority of Indonesian Muslims -- about 90 percent of the archipelago`s 234 million people -- are moderates
but a small
extremist fringe continues to back "holy war" with the West.
About 50 Muslim students protested at the presidential palace earlier Wednesday, carrying banners reading "America
is a rubbish civilisation" and "America is the real terrorist".
Clinton said her talks with Wirajuda covered a range of issues from the economic crisis to climate change, the
threat of terrorism,
nuclear proliferation and human rights violations in countries like Myanmar.
The United States and Indonesia are among the top five emitters of greenhouse gases and Clinton applauded Jakarta`s
efforts to
"integrate deforestation into the broader climate negotiations".
Wirajuda said Indonesia "shared the joy" of Obama`s election and "cannot wait too long" for
him to return to the country as president
of the United States.
|
|
|
|
International Herald Tribune
Clinton: Obama may want
to wait to visit Indonesia
The Associated Press February 18, 2009
JAKARTA, Indonesia: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says President Barack Obama is so loved in Indonesia
and his job is so difficult that he might want to put off a visit there until he needs a break from the stresses
of work.
Indonesians claim Obama as one of their own and are eager for him to return to the country where he lived for four
years as a child, but Clinton told a group of civic leaders in Jakarta on Wednesday that her advice would be to
hold off for a rainy day.
"I have already been asked over and over again: When is he coming? Now, I know a little bit about the difficulties
of being a president," the former first lady said to laughter from the audience.
"The president has to cope with all kinds of pressures and hardships and challenges, so for a president, knowing
he could go somewhere in the world where he is so loved as he is loved in Indonesia, he may just want to wait until
he really needs that visit," she said to more laughter.
"You could lavish on him all of the love that you are telling me you feel for him," Clinton said
Speculation has run high that Obama might make an early visit to Indonesia, the world's most populous Islamic
nation, perhaps to deliver a major speech he wants to give in a Muslim capital. Clinton did not speak to the possible
address, but added on a serious note that she would tell the president "to look for the opportunity to come
as soon as his schedule permits."
Earlier, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters after meeting Clinton that his nation would
welcome a visit from Obama. "President Obama has a very strong constituency in Indonesia; of course, without
the right to vote," he chuckled.
"We cannot wait long," he said with a smile, noting that Indonesians shared the "joy" of Americans
when he was elected president.
Obama is wildly popular in Indonesia and among those who turned out at the airport to welcome Clinton were 44 children
from his former elementary school, singing traditional folk songs and waving Indonesian and U.S. flags.
|
|
Clinton meets Indonesia President
Wed Feb 18, 2009
By Muklis Ali
JAKARTA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held talks with Indonesia's president on Thursday on
a trip aimed at building ties with the Islamic world, before heading to South Korea for talks on the North's military
threat.
Clinton said on Wednesday she wanted to deepen cooperation with the world's most populous Muslim nation on counterterrorism,
climate change and security.
"It is exactly the kind of comprehensive partnership that we believe will drive both democracy and development,"
she said, adding it was "no accident" Indonesia had been picked for her trip.
Her talks also covered the global financial crisis and Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said Jakarta
had discussed the possibility of assistance from the United States in the form of a currency swap agreement and
possible contingency funding to support Southeast Asia's top economy.
Indonesia is already seeking to extend a $6 billion currency swap arrangement with Japan and has similar deals,
each worth $3 billion, with China and South Korea.
Clinton, dressed in a navy-blue jacket, was greeted by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at his office in the
white colonial-style presidential palace in Jakarta before the two headed inside for talks.
Yudhoyono, seeking a second term this year, is keen to showcase Indonesia's stability since its transformation
from an autocracy under former President Suharto -- who was forced to resign in 1998 -- to a vibrant democracy.
Clinton has held up Indonesia as proof that modernity and Islam can coexist as she visited the country where U.S.
President Barack Obama spent four years as a boy.
NEXT STOP SEOUL
She was due to visit a USAID project in Jakarta before flying out to South Korea later on Thursday as tensions
mount on the Korean peninsula.
North Korea has repeatedly threatened in recent weeks to reduce the South to ashes and on Thursday said it was
ready for war.
Pyongyang is thought to be readying its longest-range missile for launch in what analysts say is a bid to grab
the new U.S. administration's attention and pressure Seoul to ease up on its hard line.
Clinton said in Tokyo on Tuesday at the start of her first foreign trip since taking office that a North Korean
missile launch would be "very unhelpful."
(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammand, Sunanda Creagh, Olivia Rondonuwu and Telly Nathalia)
(Writing by Ed Davies Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
|
|
|
|
Clinton
visits Indonesia, urges partnership
Indonesia, President Obama's boyhood home, is seen as key to solving global problems.
Clinton says the Obama administration will sign a treaty that Bush declined.
By Paul Richter
February 19, 2009
Reporting from Jakarta, Indonesia --
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told Indonesians on Wednesday that she wanted to open a "robust
partnership" with their fast-growing country, President Obama's boyhood home.
Arriving here on the second stop of her first trip as the top American diplomat, Clinton also announced that the
Obama administration intended to sign a treaty moving the U.S. closer to a key regional group, the Assn. of Southeast
Asian Nations, or ASEAN,
The Bush administration declined to sign the treaty, a move that critics took as a sign of its lack of interest
in the region and
preoccupation with the Middle East.
Clinton's announcement was the latest signal of distance from the Bush administration and the new administration's
intention to
increase cooperation with other governments.
U.S. officials said closer ties to Indonesia are being sought because it is a regional powerhouse and a democratic
Muslim-majority
nation in a strategic location.
In a news conference with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda, Clinton said the country, which has the world's
largest
Muslim population, was proof that "democracy, Islam and moderation can not only coexist, but can thrive."
Indonesia's cooperation will be key to solving regional and world problems, U.S. officials said, including climate
change.
The country is the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases -- behind the United States and China -- largely because
of
deforestation, U.S. officials said.
"The United States must have strong relationships and a strong presence here in Southeast Asia," Clinton
said.
Clinton visited ASEAN's headquarters in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, and held a news conference with its secretary-general,
Surin Pitsuwan, to underscore her interest in regional cooperation.
Pitsuwan joined in criticizing the Bush administration, saying Clinton's visit "shows the seriousness of the
United States to end
its diplomatic absenteeism in the region."
Pitsuwan, like the Japanese leaders Clinton met this week, showed his concern about new signs of U.S. protectionism.
He said he welcomed Clinton's "strong commitment not to erect trade barriers."
Foreign Minister Wirajuda joked that Obama, who lived in Jakarta as a youth, enjoys a "strong constituency"
in Indonesia.
There has been speculation that Obama may deliver a long-promised speech to the Muslim world from Indonesia, perhaps
in
November, before he is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
Police had warned that Clinton's arrival could provoke protests, but only small groups of demonstrators showed
up.
Din Syamsuddin, the leader of Muhammadiyah, the country's second-largest Muslim organization, declined to attend
a dinner
with Clinton and civic groups, saying that the occasion was meaningless because Clinton was not going to discuss
substantive issues.
Clinton arrived at a military airport in the city and was serenaded by children from the school Obama attended.
|
|
|
|
IHT: Clinton
hammers home Obama message in Asia
The Associated Press: JAKARTA, Indonesia: 02/19/09
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham on Thursday relentlessly hammered home the Obama administration's message
that America is
under new management and ready to listen and engage the world.
"When the United States is absent, people believe that we are not interested and that can create a vacuum
that destructive forces
can fill," she told a group of journalists after meeting with Indonesia's leader on the second leg of a weeklong
Asia tour.
"We don't want to be absent. We want to be present."
Earlier, she took to the airwaves, appearing on a popular youth show in the world's most populous Muslim nation
to deliver her
message and bring greetings from President Barack Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Indonesia.
"There is so much excitement in the air here," she told an enthusiastic studio audience on the MTV-style
"Dahsyat" show,
which translates into English as "Awesome." She said she had just spoken with Obama who wished them all
well, drawing cheers.
Much of her appearance was lighthearted banter about her favorite music — the Beatles and Rolling Stones — and
her poor singing abilities, but she also made clear that Washington wants to address Muslim concerns about U.S.
policy in the Middle East and
elsewhere.
Asked about the topic, which has deeply troubled Indonesians, Clinton took a shot at the Bush administration when
explaining why
she and Obama had appointed a special envoy to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict immediately after taking
office.
"We felt like the United States had not been as active in trying to bring the parties together to resolve
the conflict," she said.
"We're going to work very hard to resolve what has been such a painful and difficult conflict for so many
years."
Clinton, who later left for South Korea and China, said she would attend a March 2 donors' conference in Egypt
for rebuilding Gaza.
The first stop on her four-nation Asia tour was Japan.
Though most of Indonesia's 190 million Muslims practice a moderate form of the faith, public anger ran high over
U.S. policy in the
Middle East and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush years, fueling a small but increasingly vocal
fundamentalist fringe. The country has been hit by a string of suicide bombings targeting Western interests in
recent years, but experts say an effective police crackdown has sharply reduced the terror threat.
During her two-day visit, Clinton praised the government for its efforts to fight terrorism while respecting human
rights and for its
ard-won multiethnic democracy.
She also visited a poor neighborhood in central Jakarta that has received American assistance for maternal health
and childcare,
sanitation and water purification. Hundreds of people lined the narrow roads to greet her.
Earlier, Clinton announced plans to restart Peace Corps programs in Indonesia that were suspended in 1965 after
volunteers were
accused of espionage and expelled. She also promised to cooperate on climate change, trade, education and regional
security.
She was warmly received, although small and scattered protests were held in several cities, with some Islamic hard-liners
setting
tires on fire and others throwing shoes at caricatures of the top U.S. diplomat.
After talks with Indonesian officials on Wednesday, Clinton said her choice of Asia for her first overseas trip
as secretary of state was
"no accident" and a sign of a desire for broader and deeper relations with Indonesia and the rest of
the continent on regional and global issues.
Clinton stressed the growing importance of Southeast Asia in particular, a region that often felt slighted by the
Bush administration.
She visited the Jakarta headquarters of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and promised to attend the group's
annual regional security conference, something that former Bush administration Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
skipped twice during her four years
in office.
ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan welcomed the move, saying "the road to reconnecting with the Muslim
world" might well run through this region.
Indonesia, a secular nation of 235 million people, is often held up as a beacon of Islamic democracy and modernity.
It also has personal ties for Obama, who spent four years here as a child. In her television appearance on Thursday,
Clinton pointed out
that she had met some children from Obama's former elementary school, who she said "were adorable" as
they sang and waved
Indonesian and U.S. flags on her arrival.
She made no official comment following her 45-minute talk with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday,
but presidential spokesman Dino Pati Djalal said a formal invitation had been extended for Obama to visit, hopefully
before the year's end.
|
|
|
|
Clinton Praises Indonesian
Democracy
New York Times
By MARK LANDLER
Published: February 18, 2009
JAKARTA, Indonesia
Reaching out to the world’s most populous Muslim country and the boyhood home of her new boss, Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Indonesia on Wednesday to pay tribute to its hard-won political freedoms.
“Indonesia has experienced a great transformation in the last 10 years,” she said, referring to the Asian financial
crisis of 1998, which led to the ouster of Suharto, its autocratic president, and set Indonesia on the path to
becoming a robust democracy.
“If you want to know if Islam, democracy, modernity and women’s rights can coexist, go to Indonesia,” she said
at a dinner of academics, journalists, environmentalists and women’s rights advocates.
Mrs. Clinton said her decision to come to Jakarta — a nearly 7,000-mile detour between stops in Japan and South
Korea — was also motivated by a desire to recognize the importance of Southeast Asia, a region that the Obama administration
believes was neglected by the Bush administration.
To underline that point, she announced that the United States would begin the process of signing on to a treaty
with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that would bind it closer to the 10-member group, which includes
Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
But Mrs. Clinton harshly criticized another Asean member, Myanmar, noting that the United States was reviewing
its policy of economic sanctions against the military junta that runs the country, formerly known as Burma. She
professed frustration that the government was seemingly impervious to pressure.
“Clearly, the path we have taken in imposing sanctions hasn’t influenced the Burmese junta,” Mrs. Clinton said
to reporters after meeting with Indonesia’s foreign minister, Hassan Wirajuda. “Reaching out and trying to engage
them hasn’t worked either,” she said.
Mrs. Clinton did not elaborate on what steps the United States was contemplating. Indonesia, which is also critical
of the junta, believes Myanmar’s neighbors need to exert more pressure against it, according to Mr. Wirajuda.
After President Obama’s recent, highly visible appeal to the Islamic world in an interview with Al Arabiya, the
Dubai-based satellite television station, and similar overtures by Mrs. Clinton, she seemed sensitive about focusing
on Muslims at the expense of other religious groups.
“There is no pigeonholing; there is no exclusivity,” she said. “We are reaching out to the entire world.”
The United States, Mrs. Clinton said, was seeking a broader partnership with Indonesia, particularly in areas like
climate change. Indonesia has become one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, largely because of
its extensive deforestation.
She announced that the Indonesian government had agreed to negotiations to allow the Peace Corps to return to the
country after a 43-year absence. Peace Corps volunteers were forced out of the country in 1965 in the turmoil that
culminated in a military coup by General Suharto.
Mrs. Clinton also praised Jakarta for its fight against Islamic extremism, echoing the annual threat assessment
submitted to Congress last week by the director of national intelligence, Dennis C. Blair.
The report said Indonesia’s counterterrorism efforts had led to the jailing of numerous operatives of Jemaah Islamiya,
a radical group responsible for the deadly Bali bombing in 2002. While the group still poses a threat, the report
said, its abilities have been significantly degraded.
Mrs. Clinton has asked colleagues whether Indonesia holds lessons for Pakistan, a large, but much less stable
Muslim country. The answer is far from clear, given the distinct differences in Pakistani and Javanese culture,
and the different role religion plays in the two societies.
Mrs. Clinton said Indonesia, as one of the Group of 20 nations, had a clear role to play in recovering from the
global economic crisis. Mr. Wirajuda said Indonesia still expected to eke out some growth this year, but the government
has expressed concern about rising protectionism in foreign markets.
Indonesia’s wrenching experience in the late-1990s — when its currency plunged and its banks fell into insolvency
— makes it feel especially vulnerable to the threat of cross-border economic contagion.
Still, Indonesia is in many ways a good-news story — and never more so than now. At the airport in Jakarta, Mrs.
Clinton was serenaded by children from the Besuki school, which Mr. Obama attended as a fourth grader in 1970.
She seemed tickled, and swayed in unison with the children.
“I’ve already been asked, over and over again, ‘When is he coming?’ ” Mrs. Clinton said, with mock exasperation.
She suggested that Mr. Obama save the visit for a time when his job was really getting to him and he needed a morale
boost.
|
|
|
|
China Daily: Hillary
Clinton's visit brings new
level of cooperation with Indonesia
02/18/09
JAKARTA -- The first visit of the newly appointed US Secretary of State Hillary Rhodam Clinton to Indonesia
is a "harbinger for closer and higher levels of engagement and cooperation between Indonesia and the US",
an Indonesian expert on international relations said Tuesday.
Jusuf Wanandi, senior fellow of the Indonesia's Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), wrote
an article in Tuesday's Jakarta Post to welcome Mr. Clinton's week-long four- nation visit.
He said Indonesia is "a decent democracy", with stabilized economy and a military that "has been
placed back in the barracks".
"Having the largest Muslim community in the world, ... Indonesia will be an important model for Muslims in
the world, if they are able to show that in practice Islam can be reconciled with modernity, democracy and economic
development, coupled with equality," he claimed.
By establishing strategic relations with Indonesia, he said, the US can strengthen regional security in the East
Asian region, promote a peaceful maritime environment, structure a stable balance of power in the region, regain
credibility in the Muslim world, and develop a stronger framework to counter terrorism and extremism.
He highlighted the US presence in the region, which is " critical for peace and stability and in providing
strategic choices for the countries of East Asia, especially Indonesia".
The US is also the "centerpiece of economic recovery for the world", which needs support and cooperation
from the region and Indonesia, he said.
Therefore, the two countries "need regular exchanges and dialogues," he said.
Secretary Clinton's visit will open a new era in the two countries' relations, he concluded. And a possible visit
by President Obama to Indonesia in November could be seen as an opportunity to "strengthen this new level
of cooperation", he said.
|
|
|
|
Clinton arrives in Indonesia on symbolic visit
Reuters, February 18, 2009
Stop in line with Obama desire to forge better relationship with Muslims
JAKARTA - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Indonesia on Wednesday for a goodwill visit to the
world's most populous Muslim nation, where President Barack Obama is a popular figure, despite some anti-U.S. protests.
Some rallies by hard-line Islamic groups and students opposing Clinton's visit are planned, but this leg of her
Asian tour is expected to
go smoothly given good government-to-government relations and Indonesian pride in the fact that Obama lived in
Jakarta for four years
as a child.
Clinton arrived in the Indonesian capital from Japan on Wednesday afternoon, as part of a four-country Asian tour
that also takes in
South Korea and China.
Obama's Indonesian ties
Playing on Obama's Indonesian ties, about 50 schoolchildren from the U.S. president's old school, waving U.S. and
Indonesian flags,
sang traditional Indonesian folk songs as Clinton walked across the tarmac at an airport in the suburbs of Jakarta.
"The people of Indonesia have a strong affinity for this new administration and he (Obama) would like to build
on that goodwill,"
a Clinton aide said during the flight from Japan.
Clinton wanted to hold Indonesia up as an example of a country that had made a successful transition to democracy
over the past
decade after decades of authoritarian rule, aides said.
Her visit to Indonesia is also in line with Obama's desire to forge a better U.S. relationship with the Muslim
world, where many of the policies of former president George W. Bush's administration, including the 2003 U.S.-led
invasion of Iraq, were deeply unpopular.
Indonesia was no exception to that, but Washington aided Jakarta in efforts to quash its own domestic militants,
Bush lifted sanctions
on military aid and sales imposed over human rights issues, and there was cooperation in other areas.
Small, radical fringe
However, while most Indonesian Muslims are moderate, the country has a small, radical fringe.
About 100 Muslim students some chanting "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) held a rally at Jakarta's presidential
palace, some
throwing shoes at a picture of Clinton.
"Do not let the U.S. dictate to us, especially on our foreign policy in the Middle East and Palestine,"
said a protester at another small rally in the capital.
The police have deployed 2,800 officers in the capital for Clinton's visit.
|
|
|
|
US pledges stronger Jakarta ties
By Lucy Williamson
BBC News, Jakarta 18 february 2009
BBC VIDEO
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has praised Indonesia for showing that "Islam, democracy and modernity"
can thrive together.
She spoke in the capital, Jakarta, on the second leg of her Asian tour, after talks with counterpart Hassan Wirajuda.
The two discussed building ties on issues such as climate change, trade, security and counter-terrorism.
Mrs Clinton said Indonesia shared both interests and values with the US, and had an important global role to play.
"Building a comprehensive partnership with Indonesia is a critical step on behalf of the United States' commitment
to smart power,"
she said.
What Mrs Clinton did not say much about, however, was what exactly she would like Indonesia's role to be.
Nor did she spell out the details of her government's "new way forward" in relations with the Muslim
world.
She did bring greetings from President Barack Obama, who spent some of his childhood in Indonesia.
She said that experience had given Mr Obama insight into how people from different backgrounds can live together.
"It's no accident that I'm here," she said.
Powerful symbolism
During her brief visit, she is also scheduled to meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and regional representatives.
The visit by America's top diplomat is being carefully watched for signs of a new US policy towards the Muslim
world, and a new engagement with South East Asia.
The symbolism of this visit is powerful - her first visit as secretary of state to a Muslim majority country; a
stable, democratic country,
half a world away from the Middle East.
Relations between the two governments grew markedly under former President George W Bush, with the normalisation
of military ties
and co-operation on counter-terrorism, following a series of bomb attacks by Islamist groups here.
But attitudes hardened among the population in general, as a result of US policies in the Middle East, and the
invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
That is still what defines most attitudes here. And many people say they are waiting to see what real changes Mr
Obama will bring.
|
|
|
|
VIDEO from Australia Network News
Indonesia Clinton
visit
US eager to strengthen ties
with Indonesia
Indonesia Clinton visit
radio Australia News
Thu, 19 Feb 20:25:41 PST 2009
Geoff Thompson, Jakarta
The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton says the US wants to deepen relations with Indonesia on a range of issues,
including the global economic crisis, security and human rights.
In Jakarta for her first official visit, Mrs Clinton also spoke of Washington's intention to increase its regional
engagement.
Hillary Clinton has announced in Jakarta that the United States was beginning a process towards acceding to the
Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in south east Asia.
"The Obama administration will launch our formal inter agency process to pursue accession to the treaty of
Amity and Co-operation in south east Asia," she said.
"This is the first time the United States has taken this step. "
While exceptions are negotiable, the treaty calls on signatories to renounce the use of force in south east Asia
and to respect non interference in member nations internal affairs.
Mrs Clinton is in Indonesia, as part of a four nation tour of Asia which began in Japan earlier this week and will
also take in South Korea and China.
The US secretary of state says Indonesia's leadership role in the world is just beginning.
'Comprehensive partnership'
After talks on Wednesday with foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda, Ms Clinton said the two nations would move forward
on a range of
issues including climate change, security and counter-terrorism.
"It is exactly the kind of comprehensive partnership that we believe will drive both democracy and development,"
she told a joint
news conference.
For his part, Mr Wirajuda said Indonesia provided a successful development model for combining Islam with democracy.
"Indonesia is not only the country with the largest Muslim population but, as we have proven here, democracy,
Islam and modernity
can go hand in hand," he said.
Referring to Mr Obama's popularity in a country where the new US leader spent part of his childhood, Mr Wirajuda
added:
"President Obama has a very strong constituency here in Indonesia."
Burma policies
Ms Clinton said the US is carrying out a fresh review of its policy toward Burma with a view to encouraging the
military regime to open up and move towards democracy.
"Clearly the path we have taken in imposing sanctions hasn't influenced the Burmese junta but ... reaching
out and trying to engage them hasn't influence them either," she said.
She also says the US Peace Corps will resume volunteer work in Indonesia, four decades after
it was evicted from the country under former President Sukarno.
Ms Clinton will leave Indonesia on Thursday for South Korea and China.
|
|
|
|
Hillary
Clinton courts Muslim world with Indonesia visit
Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has courted the Muslim world by visiting Indonesia and hailing its
blend of democracy and Islam.
Telegraph, UK
By Our Foreign Staff and Agencies in Jakarta
Last Updated: 1:38PM GMT 18 Feb 2009
Speaking after her arrival in the capital Jakarta, Mrs Clinton praised her hosts and said that the US believed
they could play a key role for President Barack Obama commitment to "smart power" in international diplomacy.
"Building a comprehensive partnership with Indonesia is a critical step on behalf of the United States' commitment
to smart power," she said, alongside Hassan Wirajuda, the Indonesian foreign minister.
She said it was important "to listen as well as talk to those around the world, to support a country that
has demonstrated so clearly ... that Islam, democracy and modernity cannot only coexist but thrive together".
In her first visit to a Muslim country as secretary of state, she said that Mr Obama "wants to reach out to
the entire world" and Indonesia would be an important partner in that effort.
"Certainly Indonesia, being the largest Muslim nation in the world, the third-largest democracy, will play
a leading role in the promotion of that shared future," she said.
"So we are looking forward to deepening our cooperation on a number of shared issues," she added, referring
to areas such as the global economic crisis, climate change, security and human rights.
Mr Wirajuda said that Indonesia - where Mr Obama went to primary school from 1967 to 1971 - looked forward to US
support as Asia-Pacific countries seek to shape a "new architecture" of diplomacy in the region.
Mrs Clinton later met leaders of the Jakarta-based Association of Southeast Asian Nations - a 10-nation bloc comprising
around 500 million people.
She will also meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday before completing her four-nation trip through
Asia.
|
|
|
|
Hillary
Clinton reaches out to Muslims in Indonesia
Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, has pledged a new willingness to work with the Muslim world during a visit
to Indonesia.
By Alex Spillius Washington Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:26PM GMT 18 Feb 2009
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) listens as ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan speaks during a joint
press conference Photo: AFP Small and scattered protests were held in several cities, with some Islamic hardliners
setting tyres on fire and others throwing shoes at caricatures of Mrs Clinton, but her message was warmly received
by the country's officials.
She said her choice of Asia for her first overseas trip as President Barack Obama's top diplomat was "no accident"
and a sign of the new administration's desire for broader and deeper relations with the continent on regional and
global issues. Indonesia and southeast Asia often felt overlooked by the George W Bush administration.
With President Barack Obama wishing to "reach out to the entire world", Mrs Clinton said Indonesia would
be an important partner in that effort.
"Certainly Indonesia, being the largest Muslim nation in the world, the third-largest democracy, will play
a leading role in the promotion of that shared future," she said.
Mrs Clinton, who arrived from a stop in Japan praised the country for its multi-ethnic democracy and efforts to
fight terrorism while respecting human rights. Today [thurs] she heads to South Korea and then China.
Indonesia has powerful personal ties for President Barack Obama, who spent four years in Jakarta as a child. Among
those who turned out at the airport to welcome Mrs Clinton were 44 children from his former primary school, singing
traditional folk songs and waving Indonesian and US flags.
"It gave him an insight into not only this diverse and vibrant culture, but also the capacity for people with
different backgrounds to live harmoniously together," said Mrs Clinton.
|
|
|
|
The
visit of State Secretary Clinton: What can we expect?
The Jakarta Post
Anak Agung Banyu Perwita , Bandung | Wed, 02/18/2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will arrive in Indonesia this week as part of her first official visit to Asia
in her new role. Many analysts argue that her visit to Indonesia indicates the significance of Indonesia in US
foreign policy.
However, how should we look at this visit from the point of view of our national interests?
One of the important issues that will be addressed by Secretary Clinton is the possibility of revising the US foreign
policy approach to Muslim global issues. Indonesia, as the country with the largest Muslim population, is indeed
significant for the United States in restoring its image to the Muslim world.
During the Bush administration, the image of the United States was at its worst due to the fact that former President
Bush tended to mobilize his hard power instruments in dealing with the Muslim world.
Several polls have shown an increasingly anti-American trend in most Muslim countries. Suspicion and antipathy
toward US foreign policy in the Middle East, including the decision to attack Iraq, Afghanistan and the US campaign
on the war on terror has caused relations between the United States and the Muslim world to deteriorate to its
lowest level, creating a deepening tension.
How crucial are the impacts of these worsening relations and what are the challenges facing the Obama administration?
The first challenge President Obama's new administration will have to face is a power shift at the global level.
The post 9/11 era has diminished the power of state-centered political and military rivalry to dominate international
relations. On the other hand, many non-state actors are now showing more significant global influence.
There is a process of reconfiguring power through which international security relationships are channeled; as
part of this process, the revival of political Islam has become a significant ideological force in the Third World,
particularly in the Muslim world.
The revival of political Islam is aimed at what the Islamists perceive as the global conspiracy against Islam both
as a religion and a culture.
Hassan Hanafi, a distinguished Egyptian Islamist scholar, has described globalization as the "new colonialism";
the revival of political Islam is also a reaction towards the modern Western-style - or American - capitalist development.
The second challenge will be at the state level. For the past several decades, the United States has been a strong
supporter of the status quo of autocratic regimes in many Muslim countries, and yet has become the enemy of democratic
regimes in Muslim countries such as Iran. While we saw a significant global movement toward freedom and democracy
in the last decade, the United States still maintained its traditional allies - authoritarian regimes in the Muslim
world.
As a result, the United States is seen as the guardian of oppressive regimes. Thus, there is a strong perception
that the US foreign policy does adopt a separate standard for the Muslim world when it comes to the advocacy of
values such as human rights and democracy.
The next challenge to US foreign policy - which is related to the first and second challenges - will be the concept
of establishing civil society in the Muslim world. The idea is crucial as it offers alternatives to autocratic
rule and religious radicalism.
In this context, the United States must determine how to assist local groups working toward democratization without
turning them into its agents.
US policy toward the Muslim world has tended to be incrementalist, a prudent approach that stemmed from a variety
of considerations.
First, the United States did not want to appear explicitly hostile toward political Islam, which it believed would
threaten its global interests.
Second, it was reluctant to give open political support to any Muslim country, whether moderate or radical, so
as to maintain a global balance of power.
Third, skepticism prevailed among US foreign policy makers on the compatibility between political Islam and democratic
values as perceived by the United States.
These considerations clearly show that there is a wide gap between the United States' official rhetoric and its
actions. This is mainly because the Muslim world is not monolithic, so the United States has no "one size
fits all" policy for the Muslim world.
In other words, the Western world - that is, the United States - lacks a comprehensive strategy to deal with the
Muslim world, largely determining their positions and policies on the particular conditions of each Muslim state.
The US involvement with the Muslim world, particularly in the Middle East, has been inconsistent, mainly due to
a complex interplay of historical, cultural, religious and political factors that cause many difficulties in managing
a "healthy" relationship.
These are some of the crucial challenges that Secretary Clinton should address in order to restore the image of
the United States and particularly in an effort to strengthen ties and take the United States-Indonesia bilateral
relationship to a higher level.
The writer is vice rector for Relations and Cooperation at Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung.
The opinions expressed are personal
|
|
|
|
Clinton
seeks to improve US image with Muslims
Matthew Lee , The Associated Press , Jakarta | Wed, 02/18/2009
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is continuing the Obama administration's efforts to rehabilitate America's
image abroad, especially with Muslims, during a visit to Indonesia that began Wednesday.
It is the second stop in her inaugural overseas trip as the top U.S. diplomat.
While in Jakarta, Clinton intends to announce plans to step up U.S. engagement with Southeast Asia, stressing the
growing importance of a region that often felt slighted by the Bush administration.
Her two-day schedule in Indonesia includes a visit to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations secretariat, and
she is likely to signal U.S. intent to sign the regional bloc's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Clinton will also
pledge to attend the group's annual foreign ministers' meeting in Thailand this year, U.S. officials said.
Development and climate change also will top the agenda during her meetings with Indonesian leaders, along with
the Iranian nuclear dispute and the war in Afghanistan.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Islamic nation, and it has personal ties for President Barack Obama, who
spent four years of his childhood here. Among those who turned out at the airport to welcome Clinton were 44 children
from his former elementary school, singing traditional folk songs and waving Indonesian and U.S. flags.
During Clinton's first stop in Japan, her two days of talks focused mostly on North Korea's belligerent rhetoric
and threats of a missile test, and on the global financial crisis. After 24 hours in Indonesia, she travels to
South Korea and China, where North Korea will again likely be a major topic.
But in Tokyo on Tuesday, Clinton previewed the new approach to dialogue she will try out in Southeast Asia. During
a town hall student meeting, she said the United States was under new management.
"America is ready to listen again," she said. "Too often in the recent past, our government has
not heard the different perspectives of people around the world. In the Obama administration, we intend to change
that."
Later, in response to a student question about the Bush administration's perceived "prejudice" against
Muslims in the war on terrorism, Clinton lamented that America's failure to communicate its intentions with the
world is "one of the central security challenges we face."
She also acknowledged that the task had gotten harder because of the hugely unpopular war in Iraq, which she supported
as a senator, but came to oppose. That conflict, she said, was "viewed as wrong by many in the world."
"I think that the war on Iraq made our argument more difficult because although they just had peaceful elections,
as you know, that they never would have had under Saddam Hussein, the process was extremely controversial,"
Clinton said.
Still, she stressed, the administration would not shy from the topic.
"I think you will see from President Obama and those of us in his administration a concerted effort to present
a different position to the Islamic world without in any way stopping our efforts to prevent terrorism," Clinton
said.
|
|
|
