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Unfortunately, now that the tsunami has receded from the media spotlight, Washington and Jakarta are using the tragedy to push for restoration of military ties. A long-time U.S. ally, Indonesia has been under a military embargo for over a decade because of its military’s brutal track record of repression and human rights abuses. After the September 11 attacks, Jakarta vowed cooperation in the war on terrorism. The Bush administration is seeking to restore military ties as a reward.
With help from friends in the Pentagon and White House, Jakarta donned a “moderate Islam” mantle and the Bush administration is heralding it as the world’s largest Muslim democracy. While Indonesia revamps its image and repairs relations with the U.S., it isn’t addressing the reasons military aid was suspended in the first place. Instead, the Asian country continues its pattern of abusing human rights, engages in corruption and allows the military to act with impunity.