Inadequate fund and skill impede envoys

Inadequate fund and skill impede envoys

JAKARTA (JP): Legislators identified more funding and
diplomatic skill as the keys to help the foreign ministry improve
the country's image.

Abu Hasan Sazili from the Golkar-faction said yesterday that a
lack of funds often stops diplomats from informing people of the
Indonesian perspective.

"Diplomacy needs sufficient funds, thus these funds should
receive proper attention," said the vice-chairman of the House of
Representative's Commission I on foreign policy and defense.

According to Sazili, incidents like the recent spat between
Indonesia and Australia are due in part to a lack of
understanding of each other's culture and political systems.

A more aggressive media and community campaign will hopefully
curb future misunderstandings, he said.

Preparing brochures and other media campaigns to inform the
world of Indonesia's social and political stance takes money, he
stressed.

The ministry of foreign affairs has allocated Rp 2.4 billion
(US$ 1.06 million) from the current state budget for external
relations programs aimed at enhancing foreign ties in the
political, economic, social-cultural and technological fields.

About Rp 875 million is appropriated to the "promotion of
Indonesia's image" under the directorate general for social and
cultural relations and foreign information.

Apart from financial constraints, Sazili also touched on the
skill of Indonesian diplomats.

"We don't close our eyes to the fact that there are still some
of our diplomats who have performed their jobs poorly," he
remarked. He said the government must pay special attention to
the problem.

"Although the appointment of ambassadors is a presidential
prerogative, we hope that higher quality people will be
assigned," he said, while noting the high standard of past
Indonesian ambassadors.

Aisyah Amini, chairperson of Commission I, joined in the call
for better quality and more active diplomats.

"They are actually already active but it needs to be elevated
further. If we stagnate like this while others are improving,
then it won't be balanced," the legislator from the United
Development Party told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

Both Aisyah and Sazili were speaking after a closed hearing
with the Indonesian charge d'affaires Zakaria Sumitamadja to get
first hand information of the recent Indonesian flag burning
incidents in Australia.

Legislators said the hearing, usually open to the public even
at a ministerial level, was closed to the public on the request
of the government.

The legislators said the nomination of a new ambassador to
Australia was not discussed.

Zakaria said that relations were not effected by Indonesia's
withdrawal of nominee Lt. Gen. (ret.) H.B.L. Mantiri.

Zakaria also rejected rumors that he would be nominated as the
next ambassador.

"There's no such thing as a second man becoming number one,"
he retorted.

Putting aside the question of a civilian or military
candidate, Zakaria said the main quality for any nominee is the
ability to bridge the interests of both countries. (mds)