INDONESIA ISN'T READY

Indonesia is the latest country to seek a permanent seat on the UN security council:

NEW YORK - Indonesia is going for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, offering itself as a 'moderate Islam' voice that will give the powerful body more international legitimacy.

'We must reform the Security Council by making it more democratic in terms of procedure and representation in order to reflect today's geopolitical realities,' Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told the General Assembly on Monday. 'Moderate Islam must have a voice on the council. Indonesia would be that voice.'

How to expand the outdated 15-member council is a long-running issue and has been one of the recurring themes of the current 59th General Assembly debate.

All of the permanent five are currently secular states. Indonesia, which is also a secular state, should not be arguing that it deserves a place as an 'Islamic' nation.

If the UN were to decide that a 'Muslim' seat on the council was necessary, then Indonesia, Turkey or Malaysia would be the best choices. However, there is no reason a Muslim nation should have a seat any more than there is that an explicitly Christian or Jewish nation should be given one. If religions are to be represented as well as states, I suggest opening a place for Israel and the Vatican.

Indonesia has made a lot of progress in recent years, and the recent election was a good sign, but is not ready for a seat on the council. Democracy is not yet entrenched there and it is still an unstable archipelago with a questionable human-rights record. As the Australian notes:

The Indonesian military's reputation in the troubled provinces of Aceh and Papua has concerned international observers, and a human rights group this week alleged the armed forces had used torture and inhuman treatment to extract confessions from imprisoned separatists in Aceh.

I'd rather scrap the Security Council than rebuild it – but if the latter option is to be pursued, then the candidates should be of a higher caliber than Indonesia.