Howard sets back RI-Canberra ties

By Ikrar Nusa Bhakti

JAKARTA (JP): Australia-Indonesia relations have always gone through their ups-and-downs, but they have never been as bad as their current state. In the last three months, the two countries' relationship dropped off to its lowest level.

Again, East Timor was the central issue, and it has been since 1975. During the last three months, Australia has become a target of criticism in Indonesia, notably after the Aug. 30 referendum in which East Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence.

Australian citizens in East Timor -- journalists, diplomats or staff of the United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) -- were threatened to be killed by pro-Indonesia militias.

The Australian Embassy in Jakarta and its Consulate General in Surabaya were targeted by demonstrations from the masses and the students, including the sons and daughters of former war veterans of East Timor who took part in the Seroja Operation (Indonesian military operations to integrate East Timor in 1975/1976).

The Australian flag was set on fire. Worse still, a few members of the Indonesian Importer Association threatened to stop importing from Australia. Australia was pushed to not send its troops to East Timor as part of the International Force for East Timor (Interfet). Some irrational people also demanded Indonesia cut its diplomatic ties with Australia.

There are some reasons why Indonesians were very disappointed with Australia. First of all, Australia -- which for so many years has been seen by Indonesians as a good friend of Indonesia -- is now accused of taking unfriendly attitudes and actions toward Indonesia.

During the last 50 years, Australia has been a good friend to Jakarta in good and bad times. But suddenly, under the John Howard administration, Australia has become a bad friend at a bad time.

This is apparent from the attitude and actions of quite a number of Australian citizens who supported East Timor's independence. The Australian government was accused of placing intelligence service members in UNAMET. Australian staff members of UNAMET were also not neutral in dealing with the referendum. For several days, Australia's maritime and air transport unions boycotted Indonesian ships and Indonesia's flag carrier Garuda Indonesia.

Second, as a friend of Indonesia, Australia was also less than sensitive with the problems being faced by Indonesia. For example, Indonesia was in a difficult period of transition from an authoritarian government into a democracy.

If Australia becomes a target of criticism in Indonesia for a protracted period of time, it will shift Indonesians' attitude from being anti a military regime into supporting the military. If this occurs, it will endanger democratization in Indonesia.

Third, as a middle power in the Asia-Pacific region, Australia was also accused of taking advantage of Indonesia's weaknesses -- politically, economically and militarily.

It seems that Australian Prime Minister John Howard wanted to show to Asian countries and the world that Australia is a middle power who is able to maintain stability in Southeast Asia.

Australia's ultimatum toward Indonesia on Sept. 7, 1999, that if the Indonesian Military (TNI) could not handle the situation in East Timor (killings, torture, and total destruction by pro- Indonesian militias) within 48 hours, Australian troops would be deployed in Indonesia with or without Indonesian agreement, was seen by quite a number of Indonesians as a "statement or a plan of war toward Indonesia".

Although most Indonesians have been very critical toward TNI, particularly regarding its inability and unwillingness to stop the killings, torture and total destruction in East Timor after the referendum, most Indonesians were also unhappy with Australia's military involvement in East Timor.

For more than eight years (1988-1996) Indonesia and Australia enjoyed a close relationship when the Labor government was still in power. During that time, Australia implemented a multidimensional approach toward Indonesia, namely of a political-diplomatic, economic, cultural and military and defense nature.

The Indonesian government and people have been surprised about why a change of government in Australia has also changed Australia's attitude toward Indonesia.

The two countries have not only tried hard to strengthen the government-to-government relationship, but also people-to-people relationship. For example, there is a hot line between the prime minister of Australia and the President of Indonesia, and between the two countries' foreign ministers.

Australia and Indonesia also established a ministerial forum in 1992 to discuss economic issues. They also signed many agreements relating to economic issues, double taxes and financial policies. Military cooperation was also strengthened through the signing on Dec. 18, 1995, of the Agreement on Maintaining Security.

Apart from that, Australia has become the main source of scholarships for Indonesian students to study in Australia. Every year almost 3000 Indonesian students receive scholarships from the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID). Australia is a popular destination choice for Indonesian parents to send their children to study abroad.

The establishment in 1998 of the Australia-Indonesia Institute has also strengthened people-to-people relationships. Australian and Indonesian entrepreneurs have been able to strengthen economic cooperation through the establishment of Australia- Indonesia Business Councils in the two countries.

More and more Indonesian students are interested in studying in Australia because of the activities of the Australia Study Center at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. The center has promoted Australia by providing public lectures, conferences, and special lectures by university lecturers from the two countries.

All of these good policies and actions seem to have been damaged by the Australian coalition government's policy on East Timor and Indonesia. It seems that it will be difficult for the two governments and the people to restructure the foundation of the two countries relationship. It will take more than a decade to reestablish trust between the two countries and its people.

When he was still chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, Abdurrahman Wahid, who is popularly known as Gus Dur, said that if he was elected president, he would like to put Indonesia's relations with Australia at their lowest level, but not to cut the relationship.

On Oct. 20, 1999, Gus Dur was elected as the fourth president of Indonesia. In order to recover the two countries relationship, Howard has no choice but to make a courtesy visit to Indonesia and explain directly to the new President and Vice President Australia's policy toward Indonesia and East Timor.

However, during his visit to East Timor in the third week of November 1999, Howard once again said that he did not want to ask for forgiveness from Indonesia about his government's policy on East Timor.

The statement has led to some difficulties for Australia to recover its relationship with Indonesia. It also led President Abdurrahman to issue a statement that unless Australia changed its childish attitude toward Indonesia, Gus Dur would have no intention of visiting Australia in the near future.

So far, Abdurrahman has visited other neighboring countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), followed by Japan and China, and will visit Papua New Guinea in the near future. Such an itinerary demonstrates that Abdurrahman is still hesitating about salvaging Indonesia's relationship with Australia.

It appears that Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer will soon visit Indonesia. There are at least four subjects he would like to discuss with Abdurrahman and other Cabinet ministers during his visit to Indonesia.

First, he wants to explain Australia's policy toward East Timor. Second, Australia wants to resume its military cooperation with Indonesia. Third, Australia also wants to resume biyearly Indonesia-Australia economic minister meetings, and fourth, Australia wants to continue its economic assistance to Indonesia.

From the security point of view, by the end of this year the United Nations mandate for Interfet will end; new UN Blue Helmet troops will replace Interfet in East Timor.

While Abdurrahman urged Thailand or Malaysia to become the commander of the UN Blue Helmet troops in East Timor, Australia is still trying to explain to Indonesia why it wants to continue its commandership of the UN peacekeeping force.

Australia has interests in appeasing Indonesia in order to maintain good neighborly relations with Indonesia and other ASEAN countries. However, if Howard continues to implement the 1950s Australian foreign policy style toward Asia, it will be difficult for Indonesia and other ASEAN countries to trust Australia as a "good friend in a bad time".

Ikrar Nusa Bhakti Ph.D is a senior researcher at the Center for Political and Regional Studies at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences. He graduated from Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia.