[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 162 (Tuesday, November 16, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2396]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    PRESIDENT ABDURRAHMAN WAHID TAKES IMPORTANT STEPS TO STRENGTHEN 
                DEMOCRACY AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN DEMOCRACY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 16, 1999

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, this past week His Excellency Abdurrahman 
Wahid, the newly elected President of Indonesia, paid a brief visit to 
Washington, where he met with President Clinton and other officials of 
our government.
  This was an important visit, Mr. Speaker, because it reflected the 
desire to strengthen Indonesia's relations with the United States. 
President Wahid--both in private in conversations with President 
Clinton and publicly in statements to the press and to friends of 
Indonesia who welcomed him to Washington--affirmed Indonesia's desire, 
as he said ``to make sure that we are still great friends of the United 
States.'' I am pleased that President Clinton affirmed our friendship 
with Indonesia and emphasized our interest in a stable, prosperous, and 
democratic Indonesia.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to reaffirm my own commitment to strengthening 
our nation's relations with Indonesia. Indonesia is the fourth largest 
nation in the world, and it is a country that has recently taken the 
first important steps in the direction of greater democracy. The 
Indonesian elections held last June were an important step forward, the 
first democratic elections in Indonesia in nearly half a century. The 
next important step in strengthening democracy was the action of the 
Indonesian parliament just three weeks ago in voting to elect 
Abdurrahman Wahid as President of the country.
  Mr. Speaker, in the few short weeks since President Wahid has been in 
office he has taken a number of important steps to strengthen democracy 
in his country. There are still difficulties ahead, but he has started 
out on the right foot, and it is in our interest to support his 
efforts.
  The President has announced an effort to fight corruption, which has 
been one of the serious and persistent problems that faced Indonesia 
under its previous authoritarian leaders. Questions have been raised 
about certain actions of three members of President Wahid's cabinet. 
The President has announced that if the Attorney General finds evidence 
of corruption, the ministers will be investigated, charged, and 
relieved of office. That kind of integrity and moral leadership is what 
is required, and I believe President Wahid has these qualities.
  Mr. Speaker, President Wahid has also sought to establish civilian 
control over the military--an important democratic principle. The 
President appointed a civilian as his Minister of Defense, the first 
civilian to hold such a position. Democratic control of the military 
has been a serious matter of concern in Indonesia. The military has 
played an important role in the integration of Indonesia, but it has 
also acted outside the control of elected officials, as was 
particularly evident in the mishandling of the referendum in East 
Timor. Decades of the precedent of the military acting independently 
and abusing the human rights of Indonesians will be difficult to 
reverse overnight, but the direction taken by the President is clearly 
the right one.
  The President also has indicated his intention to speed the return of 
East Timorese refugees to their home. It is estimated that some 180,000 
refugees from East Timor remain in Indonesian-controlled western Timor, 
but they have been unable or unwilling to return because of fear for 
their lives. The President's intention to see the return of these 
refugees reflects his pragmatic and principled interest in resolving 
this difficult issue.
  President Wahid has also taken steps in the foreign policy area that 
reflect his desire to involve Indonesia more positively in the world. 
He has indicated his intention to establish trade relations with the 
State of Israel. Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim nation, and 
such a decision reflects a serious interest to change past practice in 
the face of considerable opposition. President Wahid has the authority 
and credibility to make such a decision, since his is a highly 
respected Muslim religious leader.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in welcoming the 
enlightened leadership of Indonesia's new President. In the few short 
weeks that he has been in office, he has taken a number of important 
steps to strengthen democracy, to improve economic conditions, to 
restore the rule of law, and to deal with the difficult problems of his 
country. President Wahid assumes the leadership of this important 
country with integrity and a commitment to democratic values that we 
here in the United States admire and share. We wish him well in the 
challenges he faces, and we should work with him in meeting them.

                          ____________________