Impression from Australia

Impression from Australia

Images of Indonesia being a country in turmoil remain vivid
among Indonesians in Australia. The main reason is that
Australia's SBS TV station relays news every day from Indonesia's
TVRI in the Indonesian language.

The devastating effects of the earthquake in Bengkulu province
can be seen, in addition to complaints of the local population
that aid and rescue are coming in inconceivable slow, and too
little and too late to prevent more suffering.

Some Indonesians have criticized the head of state for not
waiting a little longer to embark on his foreign trip, which
would have allowed him time to inspect the quake-stricken areas.
Of course, prospective foreign investors are more important to
the country's economic recovery. Besides, there is still a Vice
President who can do the job.

In 1976 when, as a visiting Antara news agency journalist, I
was received at Parliament House by prime minister John Fraser
for an interview.

Indonesia was pressing hard for de jure recognition of its
occupation of the former Portuguese colony of East Timor, which
the Fraser government had refused to even discuss. The interview
broke the diplomatic impasse. John Fraser for the first time said
that Australia would be willing to take up the East Timor issue,
after talks between Indonesia and Australia on their sea
boundaries, believed to contain crude oil, had been resumed.

It was one of those rare occasions that a reporter of Antara
broke news of international significance that was seemingly worth
quoting by the Australian press and the Singaporean media.

A big surprise awaited me the other day when I met an
Australian family in a Japanese restaurant and learned for the
first time that kangaroos are laying eggs instead of giving birth
to their offspring (sic). Kangaroos are mammals, and yet they lay
eggs. It would be ideal for human beings to follow the biological
"practice" of this hopping species. Women would be spared much
labor pain during delivery and men would be spared more anguish
from spending more.

But to Australians today nothing matters more than the success
of the 2000 Olympic Games. Understandably, they are sparing no
effort to make it a great success.

Race discrimination is definitely a thing of the past, which
became evident when it was announced that the athlete to light
the Olympic cauldron in September will be an aboriginal woman
marathon runner and champion.

It is expected that more Indonesians will visit Sydney during
the Games.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Perth, Australia