Looking for synergy in Indonesian-Dutch ties<\/p>\n
By Kwik Kian Gie<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Queen Beatrix's on-going visit to Indonesia is
\nof great significance. This is the first visit by the Queen to a
\ncountry that rejected Dutch aid and dissolved the Inter-
\ngovernmental Group on Indonesia in 1992. IGGI was later replaced
\nby the Consultative Group for Indonesia without Dutch
\nparticipation.<\/p>\n
The incident did not cause a crisis, however. On the contrary,
\nIndonesia emphatically stressed that, because of this, relations
\nbetween Indonesia and the Netherlands would become more
\nautonomous. Prime Minister Lubbers' very mature behavior averted
\na crisis. His first move was to address the European Community in
\na letter urging them to support Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Following the stoppage of Dutch aid, both nations' elite
\nestablished a forum. In Holland the organization is known as the
\nNetherlands-Indonesia Forum, and in Indonesia it is called the
\nIndonesia-Holland Forum.<\/p>\n
These forums bolster long-term relationship between the two
\ncountries. The two forums have been instrumental in selecting
\nmaterials and the program of seminars during the Queen's visit.<\/p>\n
The forum comprises businesspeople, educators, bureaucrats,
\ntechnocrats, diplomats and other professionals. Some of the
\nprograms, however, concentrate too much on Indonesia and the
\nNetherlands.<\/p>\n
The number of Indonesian students in the Netherlands rapidly
\ndeclined when Indonesia gained independence. Apart from being
\nhandicapped by the Dutch language, students need a permit of stay
\nto study in the Netherlands which takes a year to issue. Many
\nstudents chose to study in Germany until it imposed visa
\nrequirements. The United States, attractive to many Indonesian
\nstudents because English is the universal language, has
\npractically delegated visa issuance to its universities.
\nA foreign student needs only to fill in Form I-20 and show it to
\nthe American Consulate to get a visa in about half an hour.<\/p>\n
About five years ago the Witteveen Dekker Indonesian
\nScholarship Foundation was established. It extended two or three
\nscholarships a year without obligation, to outstanding Indonesian
\nstudents for further studies in economics at Erasmus University
\nin Rotterdam. The Dutch business community, however, gives the
\nfoundation little attention or support. Students winning this
\nscholarship had to wait for three to five months for their visas.<\/p>\n
The goodwill of an university's alumni can make or break
\nrelations between nations.<\/p>\n
The drastic decline in Indonesian students in Holland means
\nthere is no longer a special tie between Indonesia and Holland.
\nThe present generation does not know the Dutch language at all.
\nThey are more familiar with countries like the United States and
\nJapan than Holland.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian language may become a compulsory subject in
\nAustralia. It is therefore misleading to think that the Dutch
\nknow Indonesia best. Rapid change in Indonesia has made their
\nknowledge obsolete.<\/p>\n
A study by Prof. J. Tinbergen and J.B.D. Derksen in 1938 found
\nthat the Netherlands derived from the Dutch-East Indian colony in
\ndividends and interests, pensions, shipping and exports, a total
\nof only NF353 million. That would be only 7 percent from the
\nnational income.<\/p>\n
Figuring the multiplying factor, the Dutch lost only NF600
\nmillion or 12 percent from their national income when they
\nreleased the colony. Hence the belief that the \"Indies is a cork
\npiece which keeps Holland afloat\" was a gross exaggeration.<\/p>\n
Between 1967 and March 1995, Dutch investments in Indonesia
\nwere US$2,8783 billion, placing Indonesia 10th behind Japan, Hong
\nKong, Taiwan, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea,
\nSingapore, Australia and Germany. Indonesia isn't very important
\nto the Dutch in terms of investment.<\/p>\n
Indonesian exports to Holland in 1993, amounted to $1,084621
\nbillion, while Dutch exports to Indonesia were $626,04 million,
\ncosting the Dutch a deficit of $460,39 million.<\/p>\n
The low economic profile of Indonesia to the Dutch is the
\nreason Indonesia-Netherlands relations were not under the
\nauspices of the Foreign Ministry in Lubbers cabinet but in the
\nhands of the Ministry of Cooperation with Developing Countries
\nunder J. Pronk. To the Dutch Foreign Ministry, China and India
\nare the most important countries in Asia.<\/p>\n
There are suggestions that the Dutch regard Indonesia as a
\ngateway to ASEAN countries. In reality, however, Singapore is far
\nmore attractive because of its sound infrastructure.
\nGlobalization and telecommunications has made direct
\ncommunication more efficient, pushing the Netherlands aside as
\nIndonesia's gate into Europe .<\/p>\n
There are now more centers in the U.S. and in Australia which
\nare more knowledgeable about modern Indonesia than centers in the
\nNetherlands.<\/p>\n
Indonesian speaking diplomats from the United States, Japan,
\nChina and Australia outnumber Dutch diplomats.<\/p>\n
Dutch businesspeople do know the corrupt business practices in
\nIndonesia, but compared to Asian countries, the Dutch lack
\nflexibility, their conflicting values handicapping them in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
It is important to bring this forth while both the Dutch and
\nIndonesian elite are gathered to find areas of cooperation. The
\nelderly on both sides, who have a host of private experiences and
\nwhose views are influenced by outdated personal experiences, tend
\nto dwell on nostalgia and romantic memories, not reality.<\/p>\n
Does this mean that there is no potential at all for a
\nprofitable relationship, to establish synergy?<\/p>\n
It is very possible. Indonesia is developing and has a rapidly
\ngrowing market potential because of its large population.<\/p>\n
The Netherlands, although a small country, does have large
\npotential since it is the site of many transnational
\ncorporations. Its experience in managing a welfare state is an
\ninvaluable source of knowledge to Indonesia which aspires to
\nsetting up an egalitarian and democratic nation.<\/p>\n
The Dutch have actually implemented the gotong royong (mutual
\ncooperation) and paragraph 33 of the 1945 Constitution regarding
\nsocial justice without even defining these concept as Indonesia
\ndoes.<\/p>\n
The potential to forge synergy between Holland and Indonesia
\nwill only be materialized when it is realized how each nation
\nbenefits the other. The benefits derived from the relationship do
\nnot differ much from benefits offered by other countries.
\nIdentifying all the factors in a realistic way will enable
\nsynergy to form without future disappointments.<\/p>\n
Although Indonesia is growing rapidly, has a large population
\nand is rich in natural resources, there are many other similar
\ncountries in Asia. Unless Indonesia seriously boosts its
\ncompetitive edge, all the fanfare accompanying Queen Beatrix
\nvisit will be for nothing.<\/p>\n
The writer is a Dutch-trained economist.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/looking-for-synergy-in-indonesian-dutch-ties-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }