A test-water visit

Vice President Try Sutrisno is now in Australia on an unofficial visit. Because he is the highest level Indonesian leader to visit our neighbor to the south since President Soeharto's visit there in 1975, his trip holds great significance as a sign of improving Australia-Indonesia relations.

Since 1975, when Gough Withlam was in Australia's saddle, prime minister after prime minister have visited Indonesia. Some of them -- such as the current Prime Minister Paul Keating -- have visited up to three times, but President Soeharto has not been able to find a suitable time to return the visits.

The imbalance in the frequency of visits should not be interpreted as meaning that the bilateral relationship is at a low ebb, particularly now. In fact, ties have been boosted significantly since Keating adopted his constructive Asia policy.

Prime Minister Keating has evidently made Australia's relations with Asia -- Indonesia in particular -- top priority. And he has proven that his decision to make his country a part of dynamic Asia is workable. The world is witnessing impressive economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region. And judging by its location, Southeast Asia has the potential to be an ideal partner for Australia in the future.

The relationship with Indonesia in particular, seems to be pleasingly complementary. Indonesia is a developing country, which is modernizing itself, and which has abundant human and natural resources, while Australia has mastered modern technology.

Keating's style and approach appear to indicate that he does not care so much whether many top level Indonesian national leaders have been able to spare time to visit his country or not, or whether Jakarta may have moved three steps forward and one step backward in its political development. Neither does he seem to be much concerned by the fact that there are many elements in his country that still see Indonesia as a potential threat.

In the past, the way Indonesia handled East Timor and the way the Australian press viewed the Jakarta political elite contributed a great deal to the worsening of relations. Today, with the Australian government managing to demonstrate the significance of the bilateral ties, the press there seems to have understood that it is in the interest of all Australians that the relations should not be disturbed.

President Soeharto apparently views sending his Vice President, Try Sutrisno, as a reasonable move in light of the fact that although bilateral relations have improved immensely, some Australians are clearly still brooding over what they feel as unfinished business between the nations. Some even harbor unpleasant memories about the Indonesian Vice President. They remember that Try was the Armed Forces commander who said he believed that only 19 people were killed in the clash between demonstrators and the military in Dili in November 1991. Those Australians believed the number had to be higher. And, in fact, after an in-depth investigation, a national fact-finding committee appointed by Soeharto later announced that at least 50 people had been killed in the tragedy, while many others were missing.

However, for the thinking people up here and down-under, Try's visit should be taken as a positive, reasonable and wise political gesture on the part of Soeharto and the people of Indonesia. It is true enough that President Soeharto has not visited Australia for almost two decades himself. However, it is also true that he has consistently responded positively to any of Australia's efforts to cement a stronger bilateral relationship.

So, at the very least, Try's visit to Australia should be taken as a testing of the waters for future expansion of cordial relations.