Mega tour

Ms. Megawati Sukarnoputri's clout in Indonesia's neighbourhood depends on her performance internally. Amit Baruah on her nine- nation ASEAN tour.

BY TRAVELLING to nine ASEAN capitals in eight days, the Indonesian President, Ms. Megawati Sukarnoputri, signalled the regional grouping's centrality in her foreign policy approach.

Ms. Megawati, whose visit to South East Asia ended in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, set off on her first tour abroad a month after she took power in July, when the Indonesian Parliament ousted Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid as President.

Her stops in Manila, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Bangkok, Yangon, Bandar Seri Begawan, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur were a signal to the rest of the region that Indonesia remains relevant to ASEAN and South East Asia.

The reality of Indonesia, once the unchallenged leader of ASEAN, was not lost on the new President. Addressing Indonesians in Malaysia, Ms. Megawati stated that she was ``ashamed'' to have taken over a poor country begging for help from its neighbours.

``If I were an ostrich, I would bury my head in the sand in shame... We have to ask for help... Even countries like Myanmar are offering rice supplies to feed our people,'' the President said.

``Can you imagine how it feels asking help from your neighbours when you come from a country said to be the biggest in the region, and with the most potential?''

There is little doubt that Indonesia is looked upon poorly in the region; more as a problem than an asset though a change in leadership in Jakarta has generally been welcomed in the region. The President is upset at poor Myanmar offering Indonesia ``rice'' - but that, as she must have found out for herself, is part of the current perception that Jakarta is in need of help.

``Ms. Megawati was signalling by her visit that Indonesia believes that ASEAN remains the cornerstone of the country's foreign policy,'' says Mr. Endy M. Bayuni, executive editor of The Jakarta Post. The President, he says, believed ASEAN was the ``main vehicle'' of foreign policy. In his view, the President's tour also sent out the signal that, in time, Indonesia would be ready to take on a leadership role in ASEAN once the current problems of corruption, collusion and nepotism (or KKN in Indonesian parlance) and a wobbly economy were addressed.

Mr. Endy Bayuni also believes that Ms. Megawati was distancing herself from the policies pursued by Mr. Wahid, who had proposed the formation of a West Pacific Forum. Such a Forum, comprising Australia and New Zealand, among others, it was felt, would undermine ASEAN. Now, the President had again stressed the centrality of ASEAN.

Mr. Wahid's threatening remarks about Singapore, including a call to turn off the nation's water supply, had disturbed many in the region. Given its size and importance, a temperate Indonesia is seen as vital for stability in the region.

While there is a sense of relief at the political change in Indonesia, it is still early days in Ms. Megawati's presidency. Her clout in the neighbourhood hinges on her performance internally.

If she is able to take the economy forward and address some of the burning separatist questions, then her reputation will be on the upswing.

Talking to reporters on her way back to Indonesia, Ms. Megawati made specific reference to an issue that seems to have caused her concern; international terrorism and illegal arms trade in the region. She discussed this issue with ASEAN leaders during her different stops.

``We need to prevent the spread of terrorism,'' Ms. Megawati was quoted as saying, adding that there was a need for intelligence officers of ASEAN countries to meet before the region's leaders held their own summit in Brunei in November.

It may be recalled that Malaysia recently arrested one of its nationals for a bomb blast in Jakarta. The authorities believe that he is a member of the Malaysian Mujahideen Group, a radical outfit.

Given the number of unresolved bomb attacks in Indonesia, and radical Islamic outfits active in the Philippines and now, perhaps, in Malaysia, security cooperation does appear to be a priority for ASEAN.

By proposing a meeting of intelligence officials, Indonesia has taken the initiative to evolve cooperation on ways and means to deal with this problem.

Given the fact that Indonesia has been obsessed with itself for the last three years, such a proposal indicates that Jakarta is looking outward at last. And it is willing to make specific suggestions in a bid to address problems.

During her visit to Singapore, top Economic Ministers joined Ms. Megawati, indicating the importance of Singapore's economy to that of Indonesia.

There is little doubt that with Ms. Megawati in Indonesia, the Philippines under Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Thailand led by Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra there should be more domestic stability and, hence, more cooperative endeavours through the ASEAN process.

Within many countries in ASEAN, continuity of leadership in individual nations is equated with political stability. In that sense, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, hopefully, will be ``stable'' for the next few years.

Forward-looking leaders like Ms. Megawati can definitely make a difference in revitalising ASEAN, which has been unable to do much in the last few years. The 1997-98 economic crisis and the political changes have all contributed to ASEAN's loss of sheen.

But, as the new Indonesian President probably knows, the hard part of her job is at home, not abroad.

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