Howard sets back RI-Canberra ties

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.