The U.S. presidential election is the center of attention in international media because U.S. foreign policies are far-reaching. The U.S. is a powerful player on the world stage. The Indonesia-U.S. connection is critical, and deserves clear policy direction in this election.

But is that what the world is hearing? For many Indonesians paying close attention to the debates and other discourse, a vote for Mitt Romney is viewed as a step backwards in regards to U.S.-Indonesia relations. If that happens, it could result in a ripple effect around the world.

According to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the number of visa applications by Indonesians has increased in America by one-third. Direct, person-to-person ties are critical to deepening the friendship between American and Indonesian people. “That is something President Obama is personally very committed to, based on his own relationships,” Clinton said when she addressed the third annual U.S.-Indonesian Joint Commission Meeting.

Ali Salmande Harahap, a law journalist from Jakarta said, “Although I am Indonesian, I don’t care about Obama’s background, when he spent his childhood in Indonesia. I just want to see his international policy objectively.”

“Obama uses a dialogue approach in his foreign policy. He tries to start a dialogue between the west and Muslim majority countries,” Harahap said. “It was different with the Republican foreign policy that I saw in the George W. Bush era which resulted in horrible wars. I see Romney as not different from George W. Bush.”

In a recent presidential debate, Mitt Romney has admitted that America needs to strengthen relationships with countries like India and Indonesia. “Our objective is not to build an anti-China coalition. Rather it is to strengthen cooperation among countries with which we share a concern about China’s growing power and increasing assertiveness and with whom we also share an interest in maintaining freedom of navigation and ensuring that disputes over resources are resolved by peaceful means. It is yet another way of closing off China’s option of expanding its influence through coercion,” Romney said on his campaign website.

But the statements are confusing. Romney doesn’t want to “build an anti-China coalition,” but favors ways of “closing off China.” It’s this type of mixed messages that leaves the world confused about his true intentions.

Romney said, “Look at Indonesia in the 60s. We helped them move toward modernity.” This controversial claim was made would be a good model for how the United States should engage Pakistan today.

For many Indonesian people, what Romney refers to as a good model led to the most painful decades in Indonesian history. In 1965, Indonesia’s first President, Sukarno was deposed in a coup. The truth behind the coup is still hotly debated. General Suharto, supported by the United States at that time, became Indonesia’s president for 32 years. It came at the cost of military dictatorship, long jail terms without fair trials and targeted killings. Roughly 500,000 Indonesians were mass murdered in 1966.

The Indonesian people hope that the U.S. election result will lead to positive impacts around the world. Ari Mustikawati, a journalist from Bali, said she wants the next President to treat Asian countries fairly, as equals. “For example, the contract with Freeport, the biggest gold mining company in Papua, should be renewed since the existing one gives little benefit to the Indonesian government and the local community in Papua, which finally triggered unsolvable conflict,” Mustikawati said.

Eliyan Umamy, a student from Pierce College, added, “In the case of relationship with Asian countries, we can build a better mutual understanding. Hopefully the next president will spread the spirit of peace, not war, which means no more military attacks.”

Although international students can’t vote in the U.S. Presidential election, we are watching. The world is watching, as there is much at stake. Rather than roll the dice and see where they land, the United States would do well to elect a leader who has a clear direction.