Message from Australian Ambassador<\/p>\n
Australians celebrate their national day this year with the
\nmemory of one of our country's greatest tragedies fresh in our
\nminds.<\/p>\n
The terrorist bombs that tore through Bali on Oct. 12 last
\nyear left 88 Australians dead and hundreds injured, many with
\nterrible burns.<\/p>\n
The fact that so many innocent lives could be destroyed in
\nbeautiful Bali - a place known and loved by so many Australians -
\nis testament to the reach and blind hatred of terrorists.<\/p>\n
The perpetrators of this most cowardly of crimes may have
\nthought that their actions would strain the relationship between
\nour two countries. In this they have been proven quite wrong.<\/p>\n
Combating this hatred and protecting ourselves from further
\nattack is now a national priority for both of our countries. The
\ndesire for our governments to cooperate both bilaterally and
\nregionally to overcome this threat has never been stronger.<\/p>\n
The power of this cooperation has been amply demonstrated in
\nthe police investigation into the Bali bombings. Australian
\nFederal Police have worked side by side with their Indonesian
\ncounterparts to track down those responsible and bring them to
\njustice.<\/p>\n
The cooperation has also extended to countering terrorist
\nfinancing and money laundering with Indonesia and Australia co-
\nhosting a major regional conference last month in Bali aimed in
\npart at denying terrorists access to finance.<\/p>\n
Of course we also work together on a broad range of other
\nareas, and have done so since the birth of Indonesia as a nation.<\/p>\n
When Indonesia was struggling for independence Australia was
\none of Indonesia's strongest allies, championing the case for
\nIndonesian independence in the newly-formed United Nations.<\/p>\n
Those links, forged half a century ago, are with us today.<\/p>\n
The Australian Prime Minister has repeatedly emphasized the
\nvery high priority that Australia attaches to its close and
\nsubstantial relationship with our close neighbor and friend.<\/p>\n
Australia provides more than A$120 million a year to help
\nIndonesia implement its reform agenda - to alleviate poverty, to
\ndeliver health services, and to develop Indonesia's human
\nresources and technical capabilities.
\n Our programs aim to deliver practical assistance where it is
\nmost needed.<\/p>\n
As a close neighbor we have been able to respond quickly to
\nprovide emergency assistance to people in need of immediate help
\nduring civil strife or natural disasters.<\/p>\n
Long term assistance is also a key part of Australia's
\ncommitment to Indonesia. Recent health programs, for example,
\nhave included assisting with the immunization of 1.3 million
\nchildren against polio, and training 320 midwives in basic safe
\ndelivery care. This is an investment in the next generation of
\nIndonesians.<\/p>\n
Australian technical experts are also here working with the
\nIndonesian Government in areas as diverse as economic development
\nto regional autonomy and the protection of human rights.<\/p>\n
One of the most visible aspects of Australia's development
\nassistance programs here is the funding of 360 post-graduate
\nscholarships to study in Australia.<\/p>\n
While the government to government links are strong and
\ngrowing stronger, it is the people-to-people links that provide
\nthe foundations to the relations between our countries.<\/p>\n
The friendships forged through education, business, tourism
\nand the vast network of other contacts between Indonesians and
\nAustralians are the heart of the relationship between out two
\ncounties.<\/p>\n
Up to 18,000 Indonesian students choose to study in Australia
\nevery year and more and more Australians are coming to study in
\nIndonesia (practicing their Bahasa Indonesia which many started
\nlearning in primary school). This is important in business and in
\ndevelopment terms. But the greatest benefit comes perhaps with
\nthe attitudes and friendships that are forged when people really
\nget to know each other.<\/p>\n
There are always going to be those that wish to push the
\nnegatives and contribute to promoting misunderstanding between
\nus.<\/p>\n
We should not let this distract us from the reality of our
\nfriendship.<\/p>\n
The Bali bombings have brought Australia and Indonesia, as the
\nprimary victims of the tragedy, even closer together.<\/p>\n
Australians were overwhelmed by the outpouring of sympathy and
\nfriendship from Indonesian after the bombs. Floral tributes were
\nstacked high around the Embassy in Jakarta and the Consulate in
\nBali. We also saw tens of thousands of Indonesians filling the
\nstreets of Bali to pray and to pay their respects to the Bali
\nvictims and their families (families who came to Bali as the
\nguests of the Indonesian Government).<\/p>\n
Average Australians responded by donating more than $10
\nmillion to help the people of Bali recover from the economic fall
\nout. Other Australians and Australian companies donated tonnes of
\nmedical and other supplies.<\/p>\n
These are the true images of Bali. They also point to the true
\nnature of the deep and abiding friendship that exists between
\nAustralians and Indonesians.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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