Ambassador and press

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