United States Human Rights Foreign Policy the First Clinton Administration’s Foreign Policy Conduct Towards Mexico, Turkey and Indonesia 1993 - 1996

Abstract

This study explores the position of human rights as one of the variables in the United States' foreign policy during the first Clinton administration. It elucidates the level of human rights issues in international issues relevant over during the Clinton administration. The issues covered in this study embrace United States behaviour toward the Zapatista issue in Mexico, the Kurdish struggle in Turkey, and the East Timor problem in Indonesia. In order to understand the Clinton administration foreign policy on human rights, this study focuses on the explanation of linkages and interactions between US domestic interests, and bilateral relationships, and international human rights norms. The significance of these is based on the proposition that the conduct of foreign policy of any state is primarily an expression of its national interests. That Clinton found many difficulties in his foreign policy were apparent during his first term administration. This was demonstrated by a lack of vision and experience in foreign policy. As a consequence, Clinton could not implement a human rights foreign policy consistently. This study further argues that the human rights foreign policy of the Clinton administration toward those countries was a result of a contest between domestic and foreign policy interests. Contest between domestic economic, political, and strategic interests, and other American interest in democratization, US exceptionalism, and human rights pertinent to international community sentiments. In this study, it has been found that the Clinton administration foreign policy toward Mexico and Turkey rested more on the importance of politic, economic, and strategic interests than the concern of human rights. Conversely, US relations with Indonesia were more concerned over human rights. However, the cause of this different policy was not because the Clinton administration concerned more on human rights problem in Indonesia, but because the international situations were changing. This study also shows that factor other than traditional foreign policy interests also played an important role. The study found out that religious issue, especially in Indonesia/East Timor case, was clearly evident in influencing Clinton's human rights foreign policy.