17th April 2001:
At the Presidential Palace today, President Try Sutrisno welcomed the arrival of Prime Minister of Laos Bounnhang Vorachith who was freshly elected to the office at the Laos National Assembly Session. Bounnhang, accompanied by new Laos Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongloun Sisoulith both came to introduce themselves.
After a meeting with the President, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ginandjar Kartasasmita, and State Secretary Edi Sudrajat to discuss Indonesian-Laos relations, Try and Bounnhang held a joint press conference. When asked about the delay in the holding of the Vietnamese Communist Party National Congress, the President said that that’s a matter for the Vietnamese. What’s concerning is that it seems to be the case that the delay is due to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party. When asked about his thoughts on Indonesia, Bounnhang said that Indonesia goes from strength to strength.
“First one out of the crisis, impressive growth figures last year…surviving this downturn and sustaining its economic growth will be icing on the cake”, said Bounnhang.
18th April 2001:
Overseeing preparations for the 2002 Elections at the PNI Headquarters, Chairwoman of PNI Megawati Soekarnoputri said to the press interviewing her that the policy package announced by the President would be unnecessary if the Indonesian economy was self-sufficient. Such a policy package only goes to show how integrated, instead of self-sufficient, the Indonesian economy has become in the world economy.
Minister of Forestry and Environment Barnabas Suebu held a press conference to explain the “Forestry Amnesty” policy. Barnabas said that essentially the Government’s giving the forestry industry 15 months to get itself in order. 3 months to inform “everybody” about the policy and 12 months for people to get themselves in order.
“If we look at every illegal logging case, illegal sawmills, smuggling whatever, that would take too much time”, said Barnabas “So we’re going to give them time to sort themselves out so they’re not shocked when we do take action.”
19th April 2001:
At Bandung, West Java today at the Sate Building, the President opened a Work Meeting with the nation’s Governors, Regents, and Mayors. With Minister of Home Affairs Harsudiono Hartas and State Minister of Regional Autonomy Oemarsono, the President delivered a speech calling on the regional officials to have a twin priority over the next 24 months: the successful implementation of the 16th April Policy Package and the maintenance of security and stability to create a conducive situation for the 2002 Elections.
From this event, he then went went to tour the head office of PT Pindad, the State Owned Army Industry company. There, accompanied by Commander of ABRI Wiranto, Army Chief of Staff Luhut Panjaitan, State Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Bacelius Ruru and State Minister of Research and Technology Indra Bambang Utoyo, the President inspected Pindad’s project, in particular a prototype of a light personnel carrier called the APR 1V.
The President, however was more interested in the conversation going on behind him between Minister of Defense and Security Wismoyo Arismunandar and State Secretary Edi Sudrajat. Wismoyo said that when he purchased the Sukhoi back in Moscow, he did not get face time with President of Russia Yevgeny Primakov or Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin. Wismoyo felt like “they didn’t really care about us”.
20th April 2001:
The President held a luncheon at the Presidential Palace for the nation’s most prominent businessman. Vice President JB Sumarlin, Chairman of KADIN Aburizal Bakrie, and Chairman of Apindo Sofyan Wanandi sat beside him as he explained the 16th April Policy Package. The policies were generally well-received though the President detected a few frowning faces in the crowd, especially those with interests in forestry or as Edi Sudrajat joked later “those with luxury cars”.
As the luncheon came to an end, the Try chatted with Sofyan Wanandi. Sofyan joked that the Government was still missing its best policy to ensure continuing economic growth. When Try asked what it was, Sofyan said the best Government policy to ensure continuing economic growth would be if the President announced that he would like to stand for re-election. Try smiled.
23rd April 2001:
Agus Dwikarna and Parlindungan Siregar, two men arrested in relation to their links to Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah, begin to have their cases heard at court in closed sessions. Attorney General Soedjono C. Atmonegoro said that the closed sessions were to avoid situations that are not conducive. Chief of BAKIN Ari Sudewo and Commander of Jakarta Regional Military Command Prijanto kept tabs on the movement of a group of demonstrators throughout the day and managed to keep them as far away as possible from court.
24th April 2001:
The President accompanied by State Minister of Youth and Sports Hajriyanto Thohari and Chairman of KONI IGK Manila visited the Gelora Senayan Stadium where the Indonesian National Football Team were training. He shook hands with the Manager Glenn Hoddle with the team. The team asked the President for his attendance during their 2002 World Cup Qualifying matches.
“I’m saving up my appearance for the big match”, said the President.
25th April 2001:
OCDS Sugeng Subroto and Inspectors General of Development Moetojib, Sintong Panjaitan, Irsyad Sudiro, Baharuddin Lopa, and Bambang Sudibyo came out of a meeting with the President. Sugeng said that the President instructed all of them to be more vigilant when conducting supervision of Government projects, calling on them not only to ensure speed but that the funds are used properly without being pocketed by officials.
Minister of Education Fakry Gaffar and Chairman of BP-7 Agus Widjojo in a joint press conference said that the President has approved of
Budi Pekerti taking over the place of Pancasila Moral Education for kindergarten to 6th grade starting from the next educational year. Fakry said that the BP-7 has been involved so that
Budi Pekerti would still be linked to the P4 Training but he said the emphasis now will be getting the “morals” right first for younger students as a preparation for them being ideologically sound.
26th April 2001:
Discussions about the Zakat and Wakaf Bills in the DPR today turned heated today as Minister of Religion Quraish Shihab introduced the Government’s amendments to the Zakat and Wakaf Bills:
*For the Zakat Bill, the Government proposed an amendment which would see management of zakat be be entrusted to a National Zakat Agency. This is contrary to the initial bill proposed by the PKPB which would allow non-governmental and societal groups to establish their own Zakat institutions.
*For the Wakaf Bill, the Government proposed an amendment that all references to “Sharia financial institutions” in the bill proposed by the PKPB be replaced to “profit-sharing banks”. This caused more of a stir with Leader of the PKPB in he DPR Hartono saying that “The Government is allergic to the term Sharia”.
27th April 2001:
After Friday Prayer, the President, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ginandjar Kartasasmita, State Minister of National Security Soerjadi, Edi Sudrajat, and Governor of Jakarta Sutiyoso inspected the Jakarta Convention Center’s readiness to hold the G-15 Summit the next month. Ginandjar said that all of the heads of states/governments will be in attendance, some even coming in days prior to the event. Ginandjar also pointed out that the summit will be the largest gathering of non-aligned nations since John McCain and Yevgeny Primakov took office in the United States and Russia.
The President’s ears were listening to the conversation of Edi and Soerjadi behind him. Edi talked about Wismoyo’s experience in Moscow when purchasing the Sukhois. Soerjadi explained that Primakov came to the Russian Presidency with the mindset that it will take an alliance of Russia, China, and India to stand up to the United States. The President kept a poker face as Ginandjar guided him around the building.
30th April 2001:
Try’s guest today, arriving for a visit was Vice President of the United States George W. Bush. After welcoming him at the Presidential Palace, they went in for talks. Try accompanied by Sumarlin, Ginandjar and Edi while Bush was accompanied by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Paul Wolfowitz.
Bush began by going over the McCain Administration’s strategic goals. Dismissing the Clinton Administration for failing “to stand up to China” and allowing for the “emergence of Primakov”, Bush said that the McCain Administration will provide leadership the world needs and would not be soft like the previous one. It became something of a lecture.
Regarding Southeast Asia, Bush said that the US is focusing on Northeast Asia saying that it was a bad year when the Prime Minister of Japan and the President of Taiwan tends towards China. The US wanted to correct this, strengthen links with South Korea, and encourage Japan and Taiwan to “rebalance” their relationship towards China.
The conversation first went tense when they began discussing about the international economic situation. Bush said that developing counries seeking assistance during economic times should unconditionally adhere to IMF’s conditions. The change between the Clinton and McCain Administrations, Bush said, will also include stronger support for the IMF in enforcing its conditions. In this regard, Bush argued, he regrets Indonesia’s role in calling for leniency for Turkey at the D-8 Summit. Try said that the misfortune for the IMF here is if because the IMF’s conditions are too strict, Turkey collapses.
“Your and a few other nations’ cases are aberrations and we want to keep it that way”, snapped Bush “We’d like to ask you not to urge other nations to ask for the special favors you got.”
The next tense conversation was Bush saying that the McCain Administration had gotten the message from the Japanese Government about “applying pressure” to Freeport about divesting shares in its mines at Irian Jaya. Bush said that Freeport had made their case to him and his office had conducted a review of the situation and had determined that Freeport in Indonesia has no legal obligations to divest its shares to Indonesia. Bush said that if Indonesia had a problem with that, it was free to take Freeport to international arbitration but Freeport is equally free to take Indonesia to international arbitration if it felt that the Indonesian Government was trying to force the issue with Freeport.
At each opportunity, Wolfowitz, former Ambassador to Indonesia as he was tried to soften the blow but Bush would insist on delivering the news in the bluntest way possible. Try, Sumarlin, and Ginandjar managed to remain calm though Edi could not hide the fact that he was not liking what was happening.
Try managed to smile his way through a press conference with Bush and then to sit next to Bush and deliver speeches during dinner with the American Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia. Privately he was dejected, feeling that he had failed on many aspects with Bush, especially with regards to Freeport.
1st May 2001:
As television screens showed Bush, Sumarlin, and Ginandjar having a business breakfast with KADIN at Bush’s hotel, the President, Edi Sudrajat, and Soerjadi watched all this on television.
“So Freeport’s a no go for now”, said Try massaging his head “That and the fact that the McCain Administration’s Southeast Asia policy is to focus on Northeast Asia.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t mention anything about the treaty the President signed in February with Thailand”, said Edi.
“That probably shows the extent of how much they’re focusing on Northeast Asia instead of our part of the continent”, said Soerjadi.
There was silence in the room as Bush cracked a joke in his keynote address.
“So the US doesn’t see us as a priority, the Russians don’t see us as part of the equation…” began Try “I suppose the next question is how the hell do we look from China’s point of view?”
“China’s ambivalent towards us, Mr. President”, said Soerjadi “Premier Zhu Rongji thinks China should take us seriously and treat us as a friend, Chairman of NPC Li Peng thinks China has bigger fish to fry in the United States, and President Jiang Zemin is somewhere in between.”
Try continued to watch Bush make his speech. The other two officials watching the television with him.
“If they want to count us out and not want us to be part of the equation, then let’s just enjoy the ride”, said Try “We’ll work on our agenda when they’re not looking and then they’ll be surprised at how strong we’ve gotten when they realize what’s going on.”
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Megawati Soekarnoputri’s comments here shows the difference between ITTL and OTL’s Megawati. OTL Megawati found herself implementing the IMF’s reforms during her presidency and seems to be quite pragmatic in terms of economic policy. ITTL Megawati, who still has a relatively politically outsider status is in a position to be more Soekarnoist.
Primakov and the notion of a strategic triangle may be found at:
https://www.rbth.com/blogs/2015/06/27/primakov_the_man_who_created_multipolarity_43919
Essentially this update is about ITTL Indonesia’s stature in the ITTL world. It’s a dominating presence in Southeast Asia, it’s attracting respect from the third world, but it’s underrated and perhaps underestimated in the eyes of of the likes of the United States and Russia.