University of Indonesia international relations expert, Bantarto Bandoro, is quoted on page 8 of the March 16 edition of The Jakarta Post as saying, "Myanmar considers Indonesia its best friend ." and maintains this "special status" gives the Indonesian President an opportunity to encourage Myanmar's soon-to-visit Prime Minister General Thein Sein to show greater respect for human rights in his own country.

One is tempted to be flippant about all this and say, if Myanmar and Indonesia are really "best friends", then Indonesia would do well to be much more careful in future, about with which countries it chooses to be friendly. Indonesia's reputation as a gradually emerging civil society will certainly not be enhanced by proudly listing Myanmar among its "best friends".

On a slightly more serious note, however, Bantarto may well be right that the forthcoming visit of Thein Sein does provide Indonesia with the opportunity to do some real good in the world by encouraging Myanmar to show greater respect for human rights.

In this regard, it is to be noted that Thein Sein's visit comes at a time when the newly appointed US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton has just publicly acknowledged the abject failure of past US foreign policy in trying to change things in Myanmar with economic sanctions.

With the United States clearly uncertain about what to do next in terms of Myanmar, Indonesia would, unquestionably, be making a huge contribution to the greater good of the world if it were able to influence Myanmar, even ever so slightly, to improve its human rights record.

It is on regional issues such as Myanmar that Indonesia has the opportunity to carve out for itself an international role in promoting nonconfrontational solutions to otherwise seemingly intractable diplomatic problems. Progress on human rights in Myanmar is not, though, likely to be achieved by Indonesia simply emphasizing its "warm and fuzzy" friendly relationship with Myanmar. ASEAN, as a whole, has already tried this approach and experienced the same notable lack of success as the very opposite approach pursued by the United States.

Rather, this writer would suggest that Indonesia stands a better chance of success with Thein Sein by adopting what might be called the "Libyan approach" or the "North Korean approach" and cynically emphasizing the substantial and tangible financial and other personal benefits to be derived by Myanmar's reclusive leadership from establishing a more normal diplomatic relationship with the international community, conditional upon gradually improving human rights in Myanmar.

Anything less direct, personal and self-serving would seem to stand no chance whatsoever with a Myanmar leadership which is clearly focused on promoting its own personal advancement, regardless of the cost to the rest of the country.

Good luck, Indonesia, in your diplomatic efforts with Myanmar, you will certainly need it!

William A. Sullivan

Jakarta

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