Australian media lacks insight into Indonesian affairs

Australian media lacks insight into Indonesian affairs

By Sukawarsini Djelantik

CANBERRA (JP): The relationship between Indonesia and
Australia can be compared to a roller coaster, because of its
cyclic nature of difficulties. Since the East Timor self-
determination ballot was held on Aug. 30 this roller coaster has
been at its lowest level. The sharp turn happened after Australia
declared it was deploying troops from Darwin.

Several factors have caused the ups and downs of the
Indonesia-Australia relationship, the primary factor since 1975
being the East Timor issue. The second factor is social and
political unrest, together with the economic situation, which has
been widely covered by the Australian media.

No one would argue about the present significant role of the
mass media, especially in an industrial country like Australia.
Public opinion on the East Timor issue has heightened anti-
Indonesian, and especially anti-"Javanese" sentiments.

The Australian media has often presented the current regime as
Javanese. They obviously have a lack of knowledge about the
multiethnic composition of Indonesia which means that the
Indonesian Military (TNI) troops in East Timor were not identical
to the Javanese.

Anti-Indonesian sentiment in Australia is not only growing
among bluecollar workers but has even spread to whitecollar
workers. The strong role of the Australian Trade Union has
significant influence on the Australian government.

Coupled with the cooperation of the media, they both could
become a pressure group lobbying decision makers at government
level.

Ordinary people cannot distinguish between good and
responsible officers and the corrupt ones in TNI. Neither can
Australians distinguish between TNI and corrupted officers and
apolitical civilians.

Some cases have shown that Australians stereotype all
Indonesians as killers and looters who deserve condemnation. This
generalization is caused by both a lack of understanding and an
uninformative background, especially in relation to the
Indonesian political system.

Unfortunately this lack of information is also apparent among
the editors and journalists of the Australian media. The two
countries' media differences became more obvious during the New
Order regime when the government applied a strong suppression of
the media.

The David Jenkins Affair in 1986 became a classic example of
the role of the media in the formulation of government Policy.
After Jenkins' article was published in the Sydney Morning Herald
daily, ties between Indonesia and Australia declined sharply. It
took a long time and tireless efforts of the two countries'
diplomats to return the relationship to normal.

Currently, the widespread coverage of East Timor and Indonesia
by the Australian mass media show how they have shaped public
opinion against Indonesia.

The coverage is usually biased, unbalanced, and more pro-East
Timorese. They fail to view the East Timor issue within a broader
political context. There are factions within TNI, as well as the
struggles for power, which have never been explained to the
Australian public.

Television interviewers usually side with the proindependence
group and support the "East Timor lobby".

Australian leaders like John Howard and Alexander Downer at
the earlier stages of the conflict tried to give more diplomatic
and "neutral" comments on the issues.

Yet journalists cornered both of them into giving strong
comments and making condemnations, which has led to growing anti-
Indonesian sentiments in Australia. This attitude could explain
the actions of the Indonesian envoy to Australia, Wiryono
Sastrohandoyowho, who had just ended his term when he walked out
of an interview at one of the Australian TV commercial stations
in early September.

Ever since the reform movement took place in Indonesia, the
Australian media has covered the social and political unrest
triggered by the economic crisis. The ongoing crisis has been
viewed as TNI's failure to overcome unrest, causing the further
decline of TNI's image in Australia.

The Australian public believes that TNI stands behind the
prointegration militias of East Timor who are at war with the
proindependence militias. As a whole, the standing of the
Indonesian government within the international community has
declined sharply. Those bad images bring uneasiness to
Indonesians living abroad, especially those in Australia.

Australia is worried that the civil war in East Timor will
have direct and indirect implications for Australia. Therefore,
days before the popular consultation was held, Australia, through
Defense Minister John Moore, stated that Australia was ready to
deploy its troops in Darwin within 24 hours. Some staff of the
United Nations Mission in East Timor are Australians and the
government is obliged to protect its citizens.

However, many Indonesians feel that such statements indicate
Australia's arrogance. The situation was worsened by media
coverage, which eventually resulted in negative responses from
both sides.

The unbalanced reporting contributed to demonstrations and
flag burning incidents, both in Australia and in Indonesia.
Banning of Indonesian goods in Australia followed. However, all
these demonstrations have been too emotional and out of context,
as well as destructive and ineffective. These demonstrators seem
to have forgotten that previous crises in Australia-Indonesia
relations, have only been temporary. Therefore it is important to
restrict ourselves from actions which might be regretted in the
future.

Indonesians' protests were derived from the Australian
government's "double face" policy with regard to East Timor:
while the Australian government had previously recognized
Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor, its public were more
supportive towards the East Timorese struggle movement.

However, geographic proximity makes two countries neighbors
forever. It is thus most important to prevent the implications of
the crisis broadening into other issues.

The Indonesia-Australia relationship is not limited to just
the East Timor issue. There are other issues of economic,
political, social, and cultural importance.