Expatriates stay calm amid anti-Australian sentiment

Expatriates stay calm amid anti-Australian sentiment

By Mehru Jaffer

JAKARTA (JP): Gone are the days when Australians would happily
hop into anything that promised to keep them afloat to breeze
into Indonesia at a whim or at will. Such was the spontaneity
involved in the passionate love affair between the two neighbors.

Made Wijaya first sailed in 1973 to Bali from Western
Australia on a leaking 35-foot ketch. Born Michael White, Made's
first sight of Indonesia was the tip of Bali's Mount Agung rising
from the Indian Ocean. "After a childhood of arid plains, and
five days without food on a becalmed Indian Ocean I was moved to
tears," one of the country's most famous Australians recalled.

Made Wijaya has not looked back since that fateful weekend
several decades ago when he traded his tape recorder for a red
Lurex sash and a batik to join in the Kuningan festivities, the
most joyous day in the Hindu Balinese calendar. To be able to
stay forever on the island and "be more Balinese than the
Balinese", the Australian, also known as "stranger in paradise"
taught tennis, gave English lessons, wrote columns for the Sunday
Bali Post and designed scores of gardens and dream homes.

Darwin to Bali has remained a favorite route for scores of
other travelers as well. However in recent days, it is East Timor
that is spoken of in the same breath as Darwin; it is Darwin
which has been grabbing the headlines instead of beautiful Bali.
As for the love affair between Indonesia and Australia, it seems
at the moment to be languishing somewhere in the deep freeze.

Ever since the referendum in East Timor there has been
widespread criticism in Indonesia of Australia. The deployment of
the Australian-led multinational peacekeeping force to East Timor
(Interfet) has exacerbated tensions between the two countries.

Officials at the Australian Embassy warn that the security
situation in Indonesia has deteriorated over recent weeks and may
affect the welfare and safety of Australians living here. There
have already been demonstrations at the embassy and the consulate
in Bali, as well as the consulates in Balikpapan, Kupang and
Medan. A number of threatening phone calls, including bomb
threats, have been received by both Australian businesses and
individuals, while the grounds of the Australian International
School were firebombed early this month.

"It is not nice to have molotov cocktails thrown at you. But
no, we have no plans of leaving the country," says Penny
Robertson, principal of the Australian International School.

Penny is extremely proud of the work that the school is doing
in Jakarta and would hate to give it all up just because some
misguided citizens of both countries are spoiling relations
between Indonesia and Australia.

"The problem at present is a problem between the governments
of both countries. Why should we the people also create
differences and hatred amongst ourselves and destroy what is a
very precious relationship?" ponders Penny, who heads the school
of 200 students between the ages of three years and 18 years,
from 31 different countries.

Penny finds it very difficult these days to explain even to
her Indonesian friends that Australians are not barbarians and do
not want to colonize this country; that Interfet is a multi
international force that has come to East Timor only with the
consent of this government.

Before the economic crisis hit the country, the school had
almost 300 students. Many expatriate families have now left, not
just out of fear, but also because business is no longer booming
in the country. They have moved on to other places, where the
chance of earning a living is probably far more opportune. Out of
a population of over 7,000 Australians in the city during the
precrisis days, it is calculated that not more than 3000
Australians continue to live in Jakarta.

After trade, education remains one of the most important links
between the two neighbors. There are more than 17,000 Indonesians
studying in Australia this year with Australian aid continuing to
support 300 students annually.

Appealing to people in both countries not to overlook the
wisdom in concentrating on further strengthening economic ties,
Sabam Siagian, president of the Indonesia Australia Business
Council (IABC) insists that it is important for both governments
to remain aware of the strategic significance of the bilateral
relationship. He says the relationship is particularly important
as his country slowly recovers from the disastrous consequences
of the 1997 monetary crisis. Two-way trade between Indonesia and
Australia is worth about US$3.52 billion annually.

An Indonesian wife of an Australian citizen and mother of two
tiny tots feels no fear for her family. "It is those Australians
who read only Australian newspapers and magazines who are afraid
of us," she said, looking forward, as usual, to her annual
vacation in Sydney in December.

Most members of the expatriate community talked to in the
city, especially those of Caucasian descent, said that they have
no plans to flee Indonesia in the near future unless, of course,
their job was threatened. But they did confess to being much more
careful these days about the taxi they hop into. They also try
not to wander the streets of the city at odd hours, especially
after dark, a precaution they would take in many other cities of
this increasingly big bad world.