Sign in Subscribe
Indonesia

Indonesia Rejects Australia as Peacekeeping Force Member, Raising Tensions with UN and International Donors

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Indonesia's military and parliament have rejected Australia as a member of a future peacekeeping force in East Timor, sparking a new confrontation with the United Nations and international donors. The rejection, which also includes troops from the US, New Zealand, and Portugal, has raised concerns about the integrity and timeliness of the peacekeeping force. The Indonesian military's objection to Australia comes after President Bill Clinton and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan rejected Indonesia's right to influence the composition of the force.

Key Takeaways:

  • Indonesia's military and parliament have rejected Australia as a member of the future peacekeeping force in East Timor, citing concerns about bias in favor of pro-independence groups.
  • The Indonesian military wants the majority of the force to come from ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
  • The US, Britain, and Australia have rejected Indonesia's right to influence the composition of the peacekeeping force, with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan insisting it is the UN and security council's decision.
  • President Bill Clinton stressed that the Indonesian military has no say in the composition of the peacekeeping force, citing concerns about integrity and delay.
  • John Howard, Australia's prime minister, stated that Canberra had been asked by the secretary-general to lead the force and had agreed to do so.
  • Indonesia's powerful military is seen as trying to buy time to complete a scorched earth policy in East Timor, which has left hundreds, possibly thousands, dead.
  • The UN and international donors have urged Indonesia to allow a peacekeeping force to enter East Timor quickly, with Britain's foreign secretary, Robin Cook, stating that peacekeepers should be ready to start work in about a week.
  • Indonesia's recent protest demonstrations against Australia, including the ransacking of an Australian representative office, have been seen as partially orchestrated by the military.
  • The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund will hold up aid disbursements to Indonesia until the country clears up a corruption scandal over government funds paid out to Bank Bali.
  • The European Union has agreed to impose a four-month embargo on arms sales to Indonesia, and Standard and Poor's has placed Indonesia's sovereign and senior unsecured foreign currency credit ratings on Credit Watch with negative implications due to concerns about aid and debt relief.

Statistics:

  • Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people are dead as a result of Indonesia's scorched earth policy in East Timor.
  • A week is the timeline for peacekeepers to start work in East Timor, according to Britain's foreign secretary, Robin Cook.
  • The four-month embargo on arms sales to Indonesia, imposed by the European Union, is set to last until June.
  • Indonesia's sovereign and senior unsecured foreign currency credit ratings have been placed on Credit Watch with negative implications by Standard and Poor's.

Sources:

  • Financial Times Limited, 1999.
  • Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General.
  • Bill Clinton, President of the United States.
  • John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia.
  • Robin Cook, British Foreign Secretary.
  • Sandy Berger, US National Security Adviser.
  • James Wolfensohn, World Bank President.

Read more