March 30, 2003	Sunday	Muharram 26, 1424

JAKARTA: The Indonesian government is treading an increasingly perilous path in balancing its own anger — and the wrath of its mostly Muslim population — with pragmatic economic and political interests that require it to avoid openly alienating the US government.

So far, Indonesians say, Washington has shown it wants the support of the world’s most populous Muslim nation. A day before the UN Security Council meeting Wednesday, US President George W Bush telephoned President Megawati Sukarnoputri to ask for support.

What kind of support is not clear. But the rumours making the rounds here is that Bush asked Megawati to ban the local broadcasts of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera television because this coverage is undermining the US and British war on Iraq.

The US government has also asked Indonesia, as it has asked of other countries, to close down the Iraqi embassy office, but Jakarta has stood firm against this.

“I told Mr Bush that Indonesia’s stance has been firm and clear. We are against the war. We demand an immediate stop to it. And we press for emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to do it,” Megawati was quoted as saying by Roy Janis, a spokesman for her party, the Indonesia Democracy Party-Struggle.

Just as well, says journalist Taufiqurrahman because Megawati would have faced an eruption of protests if she had bowed to Washington’s request.

The rumour about Washington’s request about Al Jazeera may or may not be true, but there is no doubt that the broadcasts by TV 7 of Al Jazeera’s material from Iraq and the Middle East has made the Qatar-based channel the most popular foreign television station in Indonesia.

But even with Jakarta’s public opposition to the war, it is finding it far from easy to deal with growing pressure from local groups for Indonesia to do more to express its objections to the US-led invasion. In some cases, groups like the Defenders of Islamic Front have begun signing up volunteers to go over to Iraq and fight with the Iraqis.

Other Muslim and social organisations are calling for a freeze on diplomatic ties with the US, a pullout from the United Nations, or a boycott of US products.

But Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda says some of these moves could harm the interests of Indonesia more than those of the United States. “Things should be put in perspective. There are many other ways to help resolve this human tragedy. And we should find the best way,” he said.

One way is for Indonesia to help with humanitarian relief, including medical aid, to Iraq, which will be sent from the country next week, Wirajuda added. “We will work together with the humanitarian organisations in Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq for this,” he added.

Many say that it is unlikely that the Indonesian government, looking at the country’s long-term interests, would go as far as cutting ties with the United States and boycotting US products.

The fact is that Indonesia is very dependent on institutions dominated by the US government like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank. A boycott of US products will hit Indonesia’s own economy, says Riza Sihbudi, an expert on the Middle East.

That is because the factories producing US brands and goods here are actually owned by Indonesians through share ownerships or franchise agreements, says Pos Hutabarat of the trade and industry ministry.

A boycott of products like Coca-Cola or McDonald’s, will send Indonesian businessmen involved in those business into bankruptcy, he says. —Dawn/InterPress News Service