Associated Pressm, Washington – The United States gave Indonesia's fledgling democracy a vote of confidence on Thursday by substantially increasing aid to the world's fourth most populous nation.
State Department spokesman James Rubin said Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab at a meeting that aid in 2000 would increase by 66 percent from US$75 million to US$125 million and could go higher next year.
Ms Albright said Tuesday that besides Indonesia, Colombia, Nigeria and Ukraine will benefit this year from special attention and US aid. "The United States has and will continue to have strong support for the enormous and so far, successful democratic transition in Indonesia," Mr Rubin said.
President Abdurraham Wahid took office last October after successful parliamentary and presidential elections.
He has been trying to revive the moribund economy and reform its corruption-ridden institutions while dealing with multiple separatist and religious conflicts.
While Ms Albright had praise for the democratic transition, Mr Rubin said, she also told Mr Shihab that the United States was "watching very carefully" as an Indonesian commission investigates human rights abuses in East Timor. "We will be awaiting their work before deciding what additional steps may or may not be necessary," he said.
This was a reference to calls to set up an international tribunal to investigate the frenzy of violence that swept the territory in September after residents voted for independence from Indonesia.
An Indonesian government human rights investigation has accused General Wiranto, the former military commander and now Mr Wahid's senior security minister, and other officers of permitting the violence.
A separate UN human rights commission also has submitted a report on atrocities in East Timor, and three UN human rights investigators have recommended the Security Council establish a tribunal if Indonesia fails to carry out effective trials.
In a speech to Johns Hopkins University's School for Advanced International Studies before meeting Ms Albright, Mr Shihab said he would tell her, as he told members of the UN Security Council in New York Wednesday, that Indonesia opposes setting up an international tribunal.
"It would be counter-productive because it would trigger a xenophobic response and allow violators to wrap themselves in the flag in an excessive spirit of nationalism," Mr Shihab said.
He said Indonesia should have the chance to show that it meets international standards by conducting its own hearings. "If the commission concludes that Wiranto or others were involved in abuses of power, they will have to resign."
The United States warned Indonesia's military last week not to overthrow Mr Wahid and to cooperate with investigations into human rights abuses in East Timor.