Democratic Indonesia pivotal for the region

Democratic Indonesia pivotal for the region

Helen Clark, Prime Minister, New Zealand

Indonesia is an immensely more complex society than New
Zealand. Keeping a strong sense of national identity and purpose
will always be a more difficult task for this nation than it is
for New Zealand.

Yet, difficult as that task is, it is vital for Indonesia and
its neighbors that this nation is prosperous and stable.
Indonesia with its huge population and national resources can be
a powerful economic force in the region and a powerful force for
stability.

It is no secret that in the past New Zealand has at times
differed sharply with Indonesian governments over the measures
they have taken to hinder the evolution of democracy and to
suppress dissent. It would also be too much to suggest that our
concerns over issues like human rights and justice have entirely
disappeared since 1998.

But what we do acknowledge is what has been achieved and in
how short a time frame. It is not yet four years since Indonesia
left behind a long period of authoritarian rule and began
experimenting with new freedoms. I do not believe that shift will
be reversed. As this audience well knows, Indonesia now has a
vigorous news media, and that is an essential part of the
democratic transition.

A number of developments have enabled the relationship between
New Zealand and Indonesia to improve significantly in the past
two years. The democratic transition here means that our
governments have more shared values now than in the past.
Indonesia's acceptance of East Timor's desire for independence
also removed a significant obstacle to warmer relations.

New Zealand has been very involved in peacekeeping in East
Timor since the referendum on independence. The deployment of our
forces there has caused us sorrow, with three soldiers dying in
accidents, and one being murdered by a militiamen operating out
of West Timor. I can say, however, that the Indonesian
authorities's willingness to prosecute the killer demonstrated
their determination to ensure that justice was done, and that act
of good faith in itself has been very positive for our
relationship.

In recent times our trade relationship has grown strongly.
While New Zealand's exports to Indonesia dropped sharply after
the 1997 Asian financial crisis, they have since recovered to
record levels at NZ$533 million in the year to December 2001. In
that year, our two-way trade grew by 25 percent to reach almost
NZ$1 billion.

When President Abdurrahman Wahid visited New Zealand last
year, we were in the process of reviewing our aid program in
Indonesia.

The outcome of the review has been both to strengthen and to
refocus the aid program. It has increased in value by around 50
percent. There will be a strong focus on the eastern region from
Lombok to Papua and on poverty elimination in general. We will
also support governance reform which strengthens Indonesia's
civil service, judiciary, electoral system, and human rights
institutions.

While New Zealand is inevitably a small player in Indonesia's
trade and development, we want to be engaged as a friend and
neighbor in seeing Indonesia and her peoples move ahead. Our
human rights advocacy should be seen in this context. We wish to
see the Indonesian government and separatist groups resolve their
differences peacefully, and we welcome the special autonomy
measures for Papua and Aceh. In Aceh our aid program has
supported Peace Brigades International which facilitates
humanitarian and human rights activities by local NGOs in
conflict zones.

We also look forward to continued Indonesian government
support for implementation of the peace accords signed by the
leaders of the Muslim and Christian communities in Sulawesi and
Maluku. In the past two years we have helped fund humanitarian
and conflict resolution projects in the Malukus.

An issue on which we have had increased dialogue with
Indonesia is that of people smuggling. New Zealand sent two
ministers to the Bali conference on people smuggling in February,
and our officials are co-ordinating a working group established
by the conference on building closer regional and international
co-operation. People smuggling is a major international problem
and can only be addressed effectively by nations working
together. The same applies to resettlement of the worlds
refugees.

New Zealand acknowledges that refugees recognized by the UNHCR
have ended up stranded in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, and
in the Pacific nations of Papua New Guinea and Nauru. What we
will not tolerate are those who seek to smuggle people into our
country.

I must also warn that the success rate of asylum seekers
applying for refugee status in New Zealand is very low, at under
twenty percent of those who apply. While New Zealand seeks to
treat asylum seekers in a humane and fair way, it is also firm in
seeking to deport those who have no legal right or claim to stay
in New Zealand.

Another of the new issues on which New Zealand and Indonesia
need to maintain a dialogue is terrorism. Since Sept. 11 New
Zealand has reviewed all its counter terrorism policies and
procedures, and like Indonesia, we have new counter terrorism
legislation before our Parliament. Common approaches to these
problems can also be advanced through the ASEAN Regional Forum.

We support Indonesia's initiative for a South-Western Pacific
dialogue, which would bring Indonesia and New Zealand together
with Australia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and East
Timor. New Zealand was also a supporter of Indonesia becoming a
dialogue partner for the Pacific Island Forum, which happened for
the first time last year.

We are a developed country with a predominantly European
population, which links us to North America and Europe, but our
geographical location links us strongly to the Asia-Pacific, as
do the growing numbers of Asian migrants to New Zealand.

We are inextricably linked to the South Pacific through the
heritage of the indigenous Maori population and the significant
Pacific peoples migrant populations in our country.

Our long standing advocacy for nuclear disarmament has seen us
work across the old boundaries of North and South in the New
Agenda grouping with Sweden, Ireland, South Africa, Egypt,
Brazil, and Mexico for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

We are, in summary, a small and geographically remote nation
which is determined to be internationally involved. We are an
export-oriented nation which seeks to advance open trade.

It is our desire to reach outwards and build relationships
which encouraged me to accept President Megawati's invitation to
come to Jakarta. I want to encourage more links between our
countries. We need to get to know each other better as neighbors.

What I know is that the process of democratic reform in
Indonesia has created new opportunities for us to work together
and for New Zealand to support the development of this country.
That and our shared interest in a prosperous and stable Asia-
Pacific should serve to draw us ever closer together.

The article is an excerpt of the prime minister's speech at
the Jakarta Editors Club in Jakarta on May 7.