A test-water visit

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.