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| Southeast Asia |
| Indonesians upset at Lee's remarks |
| 2002-06-05 |
| Seizing on recent comments by Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew about Muslim militancy in the region, including in Indonesia, Indonesian politicians, Muslim clerics, and even a minister launched a fresh barrage of criticism against him for what they say is interference in their domestic affairs. A bit touchy, are they? Mr Lee, opening a regional security conference last Friday, spoke, among other things, of terrorist Islamic groups in the area and the challenges faced by Indonesia. And since they're right next door, by Singapore and Malaysia as well... Justice and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra dismissed as 'laughable' concerns that the government felt threatened by Islamic militant groups. Speaking to the Media Indonesia newspaper, he said the government could overcome any problems which such groups posed. 'I think Lee Kuan Yew has talked about this issue one too many times - we don't feel any threats from any militant group,' he told the newspaper in remarks carried on Monday. "Nope. Us pious Muslims don't feel any threat at all. Wanna see my turban?" Others said Mr Lee was again meddling in Indonesia's affairs by suggesting it was not doing enough to rein in militant movements and that politicians were cosying up to militant groups to garner political support ahead of the 2004 presidential election. Yeah. Noticing what's going on the other side of the fence is meddling. Just... Just... Just don't look! Said Mr Syafii Maarif, head of Muhammadiyah, the second-largest Muslim organisation: 'Lee should be warned that he is interfering with our affairs, but the government has been reluctant to signal him that we were unhappy with his statements on us.' Ummm... And sponsoring, aiding and abetting subversive organizations in his country isn't interference in his internal affairs? And he has nothing to be unhappy about? Political analyst Azyumardi Azra said Mr Lee was only thinking of Singapore's interests without considering that his statements often hurt Indonesia's feelings. There'll be a lot more than feelings hurt when Jemaah Islamiyah and Lashkar Jihad are cutting people's heads off for not being Wahhabis. And as Mr Solahuddin Wahid, deputy chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Muslim group, saw it: 'Lee is either paranoid or wants to please the United States in its international campaign against terrorism.' Or correct. He could be correct, you know... Two men identified as leaders of Jemaah Islamiah - the terrorist network based in Indonesia and which spans Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore - are Indonesians. One of them, Abu Bakar Bashir, remains in Indonesia and was recently visited by Vice-President Hamzah Haz. The other, Hambali, is on the run. Isn't that some sort of an indication that Indonesia's got some sort of, y'know, significance in all that mess? The Indonesians who commented on Mr Lee's remarks, conceded that radical groups exist here. But they said these received little support from the country's mostly moderate Muslims population. They doubted that such groups had the capability of achieving the goal of establishing an Islamic state of Indonesia - and even warned that any unjustified crackdown on them could backfire on Singapore. Loosely translated, that means they're not taking the threat seriously. "I mean, what cheek! These guys call themselves bol'sheviks, but they don't have anywhere close to a majority..." Said former foreign minister Alwi Shihab: 'This kind of things do not need to be said in public. Even if there are indications that he was right, it should be communicated through diplomatic means.' Oh. Very fastidious. Ineffectual, but fastidious. Mr Lee's remarks did not, however, generate as much response in the media - unlike earlier comments he made that terrorist leaders were still in Indonesia. The Media Indonesia daily was the only newspaper of note which responded. In an editorial headlined 'Seniority Syndrome', it said that as one of the region's most senior leaders, 'Mr Lee seems to suffer not only from paranoia but also seniority syndrome, which makes him feel as if he is entitled to interfere in other country's affairs'. It said this could radicalise anti-Singapore sentiments in Indonesia. Either that, or he's been around long enough to recognize a serious threat at first glance. Want to be which it is? As for his call for Washington to start working with the armed forces again, the newspaper said such as move could end up pitting Islam against the Indonesian military. I thought they ran to orangs and such. I never knew Indonesia had ostriches. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 It is always interesting how the perpetrators of domestic bad policys always try to find external villains once the chickens come home to roost. Singapore has about as much to fear from Indonesia today as Austria does have to fear Russia. Indonesia's military couldn't even put down a half dozen separatist rebellions over a decade. Meanwhile these Islamic radicals act like they are framing national foreign policy. The whole situation is a joke, with Megawatti acting like the Queen of Hearts controlling her courtiers. |
| Posted by: Tom Roberts 2002-06-06 06:48:37 |