Four out of Five Indonesians Do Not Trust Bush
Tuesday, 21 November, 2006 | 12:32 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Washington D.C.: The results of a survey by The Pew Research Center this year says four out of five (80 percent) of Indonesians do not trust United States President George W. Bush.

According to the non-partisan survey organization based in Washington DC, America’s popularity started going up and down dramatically from the Indonesian perspective a few years ago. This year’s research says most Indonesians (67 percent) have a negative impression of the US.

The attitude of resisting the superpower country in Indonesia or in other parts of the world—especially Muslim countries—according to Pew, rocketed since the US led coalition troops invaded Iraq in 2003.

In that year, only 15 percent out of the total Muslim respondents ( total respondents was not stated) in Indonesia viewed Bush positively. However, in 2002, the survey found that six out of ten Indonesians (60 percent) admired Bush.

In 2005, Indonesia viewed America positively again (38 percent) as the country helped Indonesia recover from the tsunami in Aceh.

“As many as 79 percent of respondents said the tsunami aid led them to regard America more positively,” says the research.

However, 59 percent of the respondents viewed that the aid was related to America’s effort to recover its bad image in the international world. Only this year’s research, according to Pew, the same question was not put forward.

Regarding fighting terrorism, in 2003, as many as 23 percent of the respondents supported America’s effort.

The number soared to 50 percent last year, but then dropped to 39 percent this year. On the other hand, sympathy for Osama bin Laden, the Al Qaeda mastermind, also dropped along with the flaring up of terrorism in Indonesia in the last few years.

In 2002, the research said 60 percent of respondents support the Osama’s goals. This year, only 33 percent of respondents sympathized with Osama.

Pewresearch.Org and Andree Priyanto