February 13, 1999
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| February 13, 1999 | atimes.com | |
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| Southeast Asia ANALYSIS: Habibie ruffles feathers in Singapore Global Intelligence Update Feb. 12, 1999 Summary In an interview with the Taiwan media broadcast and published onFebruary 8, Indonesian President B.J. Habibie discusseddiscrimination against ethnic Chinese in Indonesia. Emphasizinghis position that there is no longer any discrimination inIndonesia, Habibie said: ''The situation in Singapore is worse. InSingapore, if you are a Malay, you can never become a militaryofficer. They are the real racists, not here." Although intended to demonstrate the progress Indonesia has made in human rightsunder Habibie, the comments were quickly pounced upon by theSingapore press, which listed several instances contradictingHabibie's claims. The unforeseen consequence of the statementdemonstrates the extent to which Indonesia's domestic situationis hampering relations with its neighbors. While this instancewill not likely create a serious breach in relations between thetwo nations, it does serve to illustrate the unpredictability ofIndonesia's international relations as it is overwhelmed by aturbulent domestic situation. Analysis Habibie discussed the treatment ofethnic Chinese in Indonesia with Taiwanese journalists onFebruary 6. In the interview, aired on the Chinese TelevisionNetwork and printed in the China Times on February 8, Habibiesaid there were no longer any discriminatory practices againstethnic Chinese, as he had rid Indonesia of any remainingdiscriminating policies. Expressing how fair things were inIndonesia compared to elsewhere, Habibie said, ''The situation inSingapore is worse. In Singapore, if you are a Malay, you cannever become a military officer. They are the real racists, nothere. You can go and check it out." Habibie's comment drew sharp, albeit unofficial, criticism fromSingapore. The New Paper, a government-linked newspaper, wrote onFebruary 10: ''Obviously there is something about Singapore thatirks Dr. Habibie. How else do you explain his latest outburstagainst Singapore?'' The paper also said, ''With general electionsand presidential elections casting a dark shadow on the politicalplayers in Indonesia, Singapore can always be used as theconvenient whipping boy.'' The New Paper included a list of quotesfrom some of Singapore's Parliament members, contradictingHabibie's remarks. The Singapore paper Straits Times refutedHabibie's remarks by listing relevant figures and commentsprovided by Singapore's military. Indonesia quickly tried to downplay Habibie's remarks and allaythe concerns of Singapore. Indonesian Education Minister JuwonoSudarsono, who happened to be in Singapore for a conference,passed off Habibie's remarks as innocuous. Juwono said: ''I thinkSingaporean leaders understand that President Habibie has a lotof learning and unlearning to do about Singapore. He may know alot about technology but he may not know about the social andeconomic context and since he's a bubbly person, the president, Ithink Singaporeans will understand.'' While Juwono smoothed overthe potential bump in relations between Singapore and Indonesia,this event brings to light a fundamental problem facingIndonesia. Indonesia's intense focus on internal strife is interfering withits ability to demonstrate finesse in dealing with other nations.Singapore and Indonesia have had fairly smooth relationsrecently, signing a 22-year gas supply deal on January 16. At thesame time, Singapore suggested that it would consider a watersupply deal with Indonesia, decreasing its dependence onMalaysia. With relations going well, Habibie's charge concerningrace relations in Singapore came as somewhat of a surprise. Whatshould be noted is that Habibie's comment was not really intendedto be a foreign policy statement. Instead, he was trying toanswer questions about domestic issues, and, in his attempt toshed a positive light on Indonesia, slammed Singapore withoutconsidering the consequences. This is a warning of things to come as Indonesia heads closer toelections and with them a magnification of civil unrest. Theintense introversion of attention by the Indonesian governmenthas led to a loss of focus on external relations. This creates astate of uncertainty around Indonesia's ability to remainconsistent in relations with its neighbors. While Habibie'scomments were not intended for Singapore to hear, much less takeoffense at, they demonstrate a lack of sensitivity to externalaffairs. This is just a small, easily bypassed incident. However,as the internal situation in Indonesia worsens, the moreunreliable Indonesia may become in its dealings with itsneighbors. _________________________________ For republication policy contact: STRATFOR, Inc. 504 Lavaca, Suite 1100 Austin, TX 78701 Phone: 512-583-5000 Fax: 512-583-5025 Internet:http://www.stratfor.com/ Email:info@stratfor.com | |||||||||
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