United we stand<\/p>\n
Relations between Indonesia and Australia are strained once
\nagain, less than one month after the two countries were united by
\nthe horror of the terrorist attacks in Bali.<\/p>\n
The two countries have shown a never before seen spirit of
\ncooperation and neighborliness in the aftermath of the Oct. 12
\nBali bomb attacks, as both tried to come to terms with the
\nreality that terrorist organizations were operating in their
\nbackyards.<\/p>\n
Both knew that together, rather than individually, they stood
\na better chance of dealing with terrorism, particularly in
\ncatching the perpetrators of last month's barbaric act that left
\nmore than 180 people dead and caused untold destruction and
\ngrief.<\/p>\n
Admittedly, given that relations between the two countries
\nthese last four decades have been marked by turbulence, it was
\nprobably too much to expect that such a spirit of cooperation
\nwould last. Sooner or later, some events or some remarks were
\nbound to upset or touch the sensitivity of the people or
\ngovernment on the other side, and send our love-hate relationship
\nsouth again.<\/p>\n
What triggered the latest row were the raids against
\nIndonesian citizens or migrants in Australia last week.<\/p>\n
Canberra has defended its action, saying that the raids were
\ntargeted at people suspected of having links with Jemaah
\nIslamiyah, which has now been proclaimed a terrorist organization
\nby the United Nations. They were not targeted at Indonesians or
\nMuslims specifically, as portrayed by some media in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The official reaction in Jakarta has been that while it fully
\nrespected Australia's right to do what it saw proper in keeping
\nits national security, Jakarta feels that the matter could have
\nbeen handled less excessively, and certainly more sensitively.<\/p>\n
Images of an Indonesian family being harassed and held at
\ngunpoint as Australian federal agents raided their home did not
\nbode well for the relations between the two countries, especially
\nsince Canberra has yet to find any incriminating evidence.<\/p>\n
This episode followed Canberra's warning to all its citizens
\nnot to travel to Indonesia because of the threat of terrorism, an
\nact which many in Jakarta also felt was excessive and was not
\nhelping Indonesia's situation at all.<\/p>\n
Accusations that Canberra has acted excessively have also come
\nfrom some Australian quarters who knew the importance of having
\ngood relations with Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Not surprisingly, the reactions among some politicians in
\nJakarta have been blunt. They have called on the government to
\nsevere relations with Australia, or at least to severe trade
\nties. On Tuesday, some 300 university students protested outside
\nthe Australian embassy in Jakarta, and they made their point by
\npelting rotten eggs at the mission's building.<\/p>\n
The combination of Australia's excessive actions on the one
\nhand, with the overreaction from politicians in Jakarta on the
\nother, is bound to hurt the relations once again.<\/p>\n
At this stage, leaders in both countries might want to ponder
\nwhether any of this is serving any purpose at all. Both countries
\nhave still not recovered from the Bali bomb attacks. As long as
\nthe perpetrators are still not known, and still at large, no
\ncountry can proclaim itself to be safe from terrorist attacks.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Australia have everything to gain and little to
\nlose by combining their forces to face the common enemy. Today's
\nterrorists know no state boundaries. While working together does
\nnot guarantee that the two countries are safe, at the very least,
\nit reduces the terrorists' room to maneuver.<\/p>\n
As for politicians in Jakarta who want to see ties with
\nAustralia severed, they might want to consider the interests of
\nthe people in Bali, East and West Nusa Tenggara, and Papua, for
\nonce. For people in these provinces, Australia is their most
\nimportant foreign relation, whatever people in Java and Sumatra
\nhave to say. Severing ties with Australia may serve to heal the
\nbruised egos of a handful of politicians and generals in Jakarta,
\nbut it would cause untold and irreparable damage to the lives of
\nmany people in these provinces. Bali's tourism, for one, cannot
\nrecover without the Australian dollar. The economies of most of
\nthese provinces are also tied to Australia.<\/p>\n
Common sense, and not emotion, and cool heads should be the
\nmain guides in our conduct of foreign relations, especially in
\nour relations with Australia at a time like this.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/united-we-stand-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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