[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 18 (Wednesday, February 12, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E224-E225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNITED STATES-INDONESIAN RELATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 12, 1997

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask permission to include in the Record 
an exchange of letters with the State Department regarding United 
States relations with Indonesia.
  Mr. Speaker, Indonesia, which is the world's fourth largest country 
in terms of population, will almost certainly play an important role in 
Asia in the 21st century. An effective American presence in Asia will 
be far more likely if our relations with Indonesia are on a sound 
footing. Unfortunately, there are a number of issues--most notably, 
East Timor, human rights, and labor rights--that at present limit our 
ability to develop strong across-the-board ties with Indonesia.
  Given the actual, and even more the potential, importance of this 
bilateral relationship, I encourage my colleagues to read the enclosed 
exchange of letters.
                             Committee on International Relations,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                Washington, DC, November 20, 1996.
     Hon. Warren M. Christopher,
     Secretary of State,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Secretary: I write in order to share with you some 
     of my thoughts on the U.S. relationship with Indonesia.
       I believe it is very much in the U.S. interest to have a 
     fundamentally sound relationship with Indonesia. 
     Unfortunately, I fear that we are reaching a point where it 
     may be impossible to sustain political support in the 
     Congress for such a relationship. Certainly a repetition of 
     the events associated with the Jakarta riot last July, and 
     the government's subsequent crackdown on its critics, would 
     undermine congressional support for solid relations with 
     Indonesia.
       For this reason, I would urge you and other senior 
     administration officials to make certain that President 
     Suharto understands that the maintenance of a cordial U.S.-
     Indonesian relationship depends upon the avoidance of any 
     further upheavals in either East Timor or the rest of 
     Indonesia.
       Given the importance of the East Timor issue to many 
     Members of Congress, you might suggest specific steps Jakarta 
     could take to ease tensions in East Timor and assuage 
     congressional concern in Washington. Reducing the number of 
     Indonesian troops and police in East Timor would be an 
     invaluable first step. In addition, you might encourage the 
     Indonesian government to:
       Continue and accelerate Indonesia's dialogue with Portugal 
     regarding East Timor.
       Recognize the importance of bringing the East Timorese 
     themselves into a dialogue regarding the future of the 
     province.
       Grant increased access by international human rights 
     organizations to all areas of Indonesia, including East 
     Timor.
       Provide for a full accounting for those who have been 
     killed or ``disappeared'' in recent years.
       Ensure that if the security forces do commit abuses, 
     punishments are carried out in a manner that will act as a 
     deterrent to future abuses.
       Finally, Mr. Secretary, I would urge you and your 
     colleagues in the administration to pay particular attention 
     in the coming months to the need for informing Members of 
     Congress of the many ways in which a constructive 
     relationship with Indonesia serves U.S. interests. Many 
     Members of Congress think of Indonesia almost exclusively in 
     terms of either East Timor or worker rights issues. Certainly 
     these are important issues, but they are not the only issues 
     which ought to drive U.S. policy toward what is, after all, 
     the world's fourth largest state. I would urge the 
     administration to give a higher priority to the need for 
     articulating the case for a cooperative relationship between 
     the United States and Indonesia.
       I believe that the President's reelection two weeks ago 
     gives us a crucial opportunity to lay the groundwork for an 
     effective American presence in Asia well into the 21st 
     century. Indonesia will almost certainly play a leading role 
     in Asia in the years to come, and I look forward to working 
     closely with the administration over the next four years to 
     strengthen our ties with this important country.

[[Page E225]]

       With best regards,
           Sincerely,
                                                  Lee H. Hamilton,
     Ranking Democratic Member.
                                  ____



                                     U.S. Department of State,

                                 Washington, DC, January 30, 1997.
       Dear Mr. Hamilton: Thank your for your letter of November 
     20 in which you commented on the U.S.-Indonesia relationship.
       We appreciate your thoughtful comments. We share your 
     concerns, both about human rights violations in Indonesia and 
     the continued tension in East Timor, and the problems these 
     issues could pose as we work to preserve Congressional 
     support for a relationship that has contributed so much to 
     the stability of the Southeast Asia region and has proven so 
     beneficial to U.S. security and economic interests.
       Indonesia is entering a protracted period of political 
     transition that will determine the country's future in the 
     post-Soeharto period. The widespread arrests of political 
     dissidents that occurred in the aftermath of the July 27 
     riots in Jakarta are particularly troubling. Although it is 
     the Indonesian people and government who ultimately will 
     shape their nation's future, we believe we can and should 
     help encourage the development of civil society in Indonesia. 
     To this end, we have worked to promote a greater respect for 
     human rights and democratic principles of governance.
       We concur with your view that we must ensure as well that 
     the Indonesian Government understands that sound U.S.-
     Indonesia relations depend on improvements in the human 
     rights situation and progress toward resolution of the East 
     Timor question. Secretary Albright, Acting Assistant 
     Secretary Kartman, and Ambassador Roy have and will continue 
     to underscore at every opportunity that our bilateral 
     relationship is important but cannot reach its full potential 
     until Indonesia's human rights performance improves.
       With regard to East Timor, we strongly support the ongoing 
     UN-sponsored talks between Indonesia and Portugal and the 
     intro-Timorese discussions. We have consistently urged the 
     Indonesian Government to implement tension reduction measures 
     and will continue to do so, drawing on the excellent advice 
     include in your letter. These initiatives as well as a 
     growing realization that the world is watching seem to have 
     had a positive effect in East Timor, as the Indonesian 
     authorities recently have maintained considerable restraint 
     in the face of large demonstrations in support of Bishop 
     Belo.
       Recently, the Indonesian military has taken steps to try to 
     correct its human rights shortcomings. Abuses by troops, for 
     example, have been followed up by courts martial and in some 
     cases by prison sentences. Furthermore, in some instances the 
     military honor boards have been headed by graduates of U.S. 
     International Military Education and Training (IMET) 
     programs. These same officers also have helped incorporate 
     human rights materials in Indonesian military training 
     courses and, in the province Irian Jaya, have been 
     responsible for issuing new rules of engagement manuals that 
     include human rights principles.
       Your suggestion that we should continue to pay special 
     attention to informing Members of Congress of the benefits 
     the U.S. derives from our relationship with Indonesia is 
     well-taken. In this regard, we have and will continue to 
     press the Indonesian government to authorize Congressional 
     travel to East Timor so that members can assess first-hand 
     the human rights situation and economic development there.
       Although the Administration is strongly committed to 
     advancing the cause of human rights in Indonesia, we must 
     also craft our initiatives in a balanced manner that 
     preserves and promotes the cooperative relationship from 
     which both countries derive important benefits. To accomplish 
     this and to enhance our limited influence on internal 
     developments in Indonesia, we will have to approach the 
     Indonesian first as a friend--a nation which recognizes their 
     contributions and can, therefore, speak frankly about what 
     further progress is needed to allow the relationship to reach 
     its full potential.
       We greatly value your counsel on the challenges we face and 
     look forward to working with you to pursue a course that 
     advances the full range of interests that characterize our 
     bilateral relationship with Indonesia.
       Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of 
     further assistance.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Barbara Larkin,
     Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs.

                          ____________________