Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa spoke out against the US ambassador to Indonesia on Monday for urging investigations into presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto's human rights records – calling the timing of his comments wrong and the perceived meddling unacceptable.
Ambassador Robert O. Blake Jr. wrote in an e-mail to The Wall Street Journal more than a week ago that whereas his country did not have a position on Indonesia's upcoming presidential election on July 9, "we do, however, take seriously allegations of human rights abuses, and urge the Indonesian government to fully investigate the claims."
To this, Marty said in a text message to the Jakarta Globe, "while the statement may be a reiteration of US' long-held and general view on addressing accusations of past human rights abuses, in Indonesia and elsewhere; however given the current context, its timing and nature reflect a lapse of judgement that is difficult to accept."
"I have thus raised the matter with the ambassador of the US," the minister added, without elaborating further.
Blake's statement is widely understood to concern Prabowo – former commander of Kopassus, the Indonesian Army's Special Forces Command – who is now facing off with Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo in the country's presidential race.
Prabowo has been accused of involvement in human rights abuses in East Timor during the early 1990s as well as the kidnapping of pro-democracy activists in Jakarta in 1998.
Wiranto, commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI) at the time, recently confirmed that Prabowo had been discharged from the force for ordering the abduction of the activists, 13 of who remain missing to this date.
Still, Blake's statement is perceived as an attempt by the United States to meddle in Indonesia's domestic affairs. Teuku Rezasyah of the Indonesian Center for Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense called Blake's remarks a "fatal mistake," "unethical" and "disrespectful" to the nation's democratic process.
Aleksius Jemadu, another foreign-policy observer, said in an opinion piece published by the Jakarta Globe on Monday that Blake's statement may indicate the United States' preference of Joko over Prabowo.
Joko is considered more accommodating toward US regional interests, which include disputed territory in the South China Sea and an objective for Jakarta to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade pact.
"Despite the fact that both presidential hopefuls emphasize the importance of economic independence in their platforms, over the last few days, Prabowo has spoken in a tone that can be interpreted as unfriendly toward major foreign corporations in Indonesia," said Aleksius, who is dean of the School of Government and Global Affairs at Pelita Harapan University.
Meanwhile, Joko, despite his own brand of economic nationalism, has a "trouble-free" background, making him "more likely to revitalize Indonesia's democracy by adding the most desired element of good governance," offering better legal certainty to foreign investigators, Aleksius added.
Aleksius said Blake's words may be perceived as the United States' "indirect rejection of Prabowo" and "a tacit endorsement of Joko" – which both he and Rezasyah said could possibly have the contrary effect, costing Joko votes and helping Prabowo win, given a nationalist current running through many Indonesian voters.
Former Indonesian ambassador to the United States Dino Patti Djalal, however, said earlier on Sunday that Indonesians should learn to ignore the commentary of foreigners on Indonesia's domestic affairs – which is common in any country's political process.
"Don't give outsiders room to make guerrilla maneuvers in our domestic politics," Dino said. "Overreacting may suggest we lack self-confidence and patriotism."
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesias-foreign-minister-speaks-us-envoy/