A test-water visit<\/p>\n
Vice President Try Sutrisno is now in Australia on an
\nunofficial visit. Because he is the highest level Indonesian
\nleader to visit our neighbor to the south since President
\nSoeharto's visit there in 1975, his trip holds great significance
\nas a sign of improving Australia-Indonesia relations.<\/p>\n
Since 1975, when Gough Withlam was in Australia's saddle,
\nprime minister after prime minister have visited Indonesia. Some
\nof them -- such as the current Prime Minister Paul Keating --
\nhave visited up to three times, but President Soeharto has not
\nbeen able to find a suitable time to return the visits.<\/p>\n
The imbalance in the frequency of visits should not be
\ninterpreted as meaning that the bilateral relationship is at a
\nlow ebb, particularly now. In fact, ties have been boosted
\nsignificantly since Keating adopted his constructive Asia policy.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Keating has evidently made Australia's
\nrelations with Asia -- Indonesia in particular -- top priority.
\nAnd he has proven that his decision to make his country a part of
\ndynamic Asia is workable. The world is witnessing impressive
\neconomic growth in the Asia-Pacific region. And judging by its
\nlocation, Southeast Asia has the potential to be an ideal partner
\nfor Australia in the future.<\/p>\n
The relationship with Indonesia in particular, seems to be
\npleasingly complementary. Indonesia is a developing country,
\nwhich is modernizing itself, and which has abundant human and
\nnatural resources, while Australia has mastered modern
\ntechnology.<\/p>\n
Keating's style and approach appear to indicate that he does
\nnot care so much whether many top level Indonesian national
\nleaders have been able to spare time to visit his country or not,
\nor whether Jakarta may have moved three steps forward and one
\nstep backward in its political development. Neither does he seem
\nto be much concerned by the fact that there are many elements in
\nhis country that still see Indonesia as a potential threat.<\/p>\n
In the past, the way Indonesia handled East Timor and the way
\nthe Australian press viewed the Jakarta political elite
\ncontributed a great deal to the worsening of relations. Today,
\nwith the Australian government managing to demonstrate the
\nsignificance of the bilateral ties, the press there seems to have
\nunderstood that it is in the interest of all Australians that the
\nrelations should not be disturbed.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto apparently views sending his Vice
\nPresident, Try Sutrisno, as a reasonable move in light of the
\nfact that although bilateral relations have improved immensely,
\nsome Australians are clearly still brooding over what they feel
\nas unfinished business between the nations. Some even harbor
\nunpleasant memories about the Indonesian Vice President. They
\nremember that Try was the Armed Forces commander who said he
\nbelieved that only 19 people were killed in the clash between
\ndemonstrators and the military in Dili in November 1991. Those
\nAustralians believed the number had to be higher. And, in fact,
\nafter an in-depth investigation, a national fact-finding
\ncommittee appointed by Soeharto later announced that at least 50
\npeople had been killed in the tragedy, while many others were
\nmissing.<\/p>\n
However, for the thinking people up here and down-under, Try's
\nvisit should be taken as a positive, reasonable and wise
\npolitical gesture on the part of Soeharto and the people of
\nIndonesia. It is true enough that President Soeharto has not
\nvisited Australia for almost two decades himself. However, it is
\nalso true that he has consistently responded positively to any of
\nAustralia's efforts to cement a stronger bilateral relationship.<\/p>\n
So, at the very least, Try's visit to Australia should be
\ntaken as a testing of the waters for future expansion of cordial
\nrelations.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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