Aid and politics

With the billions of dollars of international aid -- following the tsunami disaster that hit Aceh province on Dec. 26 -- flowing across international borders, people are beginning to ask whether much of this aid is politically motivated. The answer to this is of course: It is!

The real question should be whether or not the motivations of the individual countries behind the aid are going to be beneficial for the region. Once again the answer is a resounding yes.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard doesn't get out of bed in the morning unless there is going to be some form of political gain. As such, Australia's donations to tsunami-affected countries and especially Indonesia will be viewed correctly as being politically motivated. The fact that Australia is the world's largest donor shows that its government feels it has to make up for its past indiscretions.

The Australian government reaching out to Indonesia should only be viewed as a positive step. Not only for the battle against terrorism, but also for the socioeconomic wellbeing of both countries. It is important to remember that both of these battles are not mutually exclusive but are in fact intertwined.

Through increased trade in the region we can improve the living conditions of both countries. It is an all to easily forgotten fact that international trade is not a zero sum game.

Labor intensive Indonesia would benefit greatly from an increased pooling of resources with capital intensive Australia. This would in turn filter through to increased socioeconomic conditions for both countries (but more notably Indonesia) and thus remove a large element of desperation in impoverished regions that can sometimes lead to terrorism.

MARK BRUNY, Sydney, Australia