'RI should not over-react to foreign criticism'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A senior military officer said yesterday that
\nIndonesia should not be overly sensitive to foreign criticism nor
\nhastily brand critics as enemies.<\/p>\n
The commander of the Army Staff and Command College, Maj. Gen.
\nArifin Tarigan, argued that criticism and negative comments
\nshould be treated proportionally.<\/p>\n
\"While not all criticism thrown in Indonesia's way may be
\ntrue, we should still consider expressing a more proportional and
\nprofessional reaction based on legal ethics, as well as cultural
\nand universal norms,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tarigan spoke at the seminar, \"Indonesia and International
\nDynamics\", sponsored by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
\n(LIPI).<\/p>\n
\"Let's react proportionately. If there are some universal
\n(debates), let's accept them,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
In turn, Tarigan had some criticism for Indonesia's diplomatic
\ncorps. Indonesian diplomats abroad, he said, are not doing
\nenough to assert Indonesia's position on various thorny
\ninternational issues.<\/p>\n
Specifically, he called for Indonesian diplomats to take a
\nmore active stance in countering the lobbying efforts of
\ninternational non-governmental organizations (NGOs).<\/p>\n
\"There's a lack of approach toward important world
\norganizations, including certain NGOs that continue to campaign
\nto box Indonesia into a corner,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tarigan said Indonesia's diplomatic response abroad to various
\nissues is often less than optimal.<\/p>\n
Indonesia often fails to anticipate foreign intervention in
\ndomestic affairs, he argued, because of inadequate analysis.<\/p>\n
\"This is caused by our limited ability to absorb information
\nand our weakness in diplomacy abroad,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The most recent example of this problem occurred when
\nIndonesian envoys failed to anticipate the awarding of the Nobel
\nPeace prize to East Timorese separatist leader Jose Ramos Horta.
\nWithout anticipating events such as this in advance, it is
\ndifficult for a country to formulate policy or international
\npublic relations strategies in advance.<\/p>\n
Tarigan maintained that there is nothing wrong with the
\ncountry's conceptual approach. Rather, it is the implementation
\nthat leaves much to be desired.<\/p>\n
\"Diplomatic activity is not intensive enough and there's a
\nlack of coordination with other aspects,\" he charged.<\/p>\n
Communities of Indonesians living abroad, he said, are
\nvaluable resources and should be mobilized to help defend
\nIndonesia's interests.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's Ambassador-At-Large on Law of the Sea, Hasyim
\nDjalal responded that foreign policy and domestic developments
\nare inseparable.<\/p>\n
Diplomats cannot keep on defending the country when there are
\nproblems at home. \"He (the diplomat) can't just go on defending
\nwhile there's problem at home. What else are you going to
\ndefend?\" remarked Hasyim, a former ambassador to Germany.<\/p>\n
Diplomacy, and how it can defend or advance the country's
\ninterests, is a perennial problem, he said.<\/p>\n
According to Hasyim, the most important aspect of diplomacy is
\ncoordination between the various governmental institutions in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
\"You can defend and explain something when that something is
\nclear and understandable. When it's not, then you have to make it
\nup. If the make-up is good, then it looks good, but when it
\nstarts to wear off, then it looks bad,\" Hasyim said of the
\ndelicate situation often faced by envoys. (mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-should-not-over-react-to-foreign-criticism-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}