Ambassador and press

I was astonished to read a report in The Jakarta Post on July 14, 1995, attributing comments to me in a casual conversation during the lunch break at an Indonesian Institute of Sciences seminar.

In a discussion of the qualities needed by an Indonesian ambassador in Canberra, I was reported to have made a very negative judgment on the performance of Rear Admiral Roesman Nurjadin.

I personally hold Pak (Mr) Roesman in the highest regard. Soft-spoken and unfailingly courteous, Pak Roesman was a low-key ambassador who embodied the values often identified with the Javanese. The point I was making, however, was that Pak Roesman's non-combative Javanese style did not equip him well to deal with aggressive Australian journalists who have no appreciation of Javanese subtleties.

It was Pak Roesman's approach to the Australian press which was "quite hopeless", not his overall performance as an ambassador. I also did not intend to give the impression that Pak Roesman normally said things that were untrue. My point was that he was not regarded as convincing by Australian journalists.

In contrast, the good relations enjoyed by both August Marpaung and Sabam Siagian with the Australian press made it easier to overcome the usual problems which inevitably arise between neighboring countries.

HAROLD CROUCH

Canberra, Australia