Indonesia is very near and dear to Japanese Ambassador Fujita
Indonesia is very near and dear to Japanese Ambassador Fujita
By Riyadi
Ambassador Kimio Fujita recently completed his tenure of
office as head of the Japanese mission in Indonesia. Before
leaving the country, Ambassador Fujita agreed to give an
interview with The Jakarta Post to reflect on his nearly two year
term in Indonesia.
JAKARTA (JP): A foreigner singing Indonesian songs on
television is nothing unusual, but when a foreign ambassador
sings them it becomes a very special occasion.
Outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Kimio Fujita, left
a deep impression on Indonesian TV viewers when he appeared on
TVRI to sing Melati Di Tapal Batas (Jasmine in The Border) and
Saputangan Dari Bandung Selatan (A Handkerchief from Southern
Bandung), both written by Ismail Marzuki.
"I can sing them without reading text," said 61-year old
Fujita, who served here for one year and eight months.
Although the ambassadorship was his first assignment in
Indonesia, he had visited the country on and off many times.
Fujita spent most of his 38 year career as a member of the
Japanese government, dealing with Asia in general and especially
Indonesian economic development cooperation.
His term in Indonesia has been relatively short as he has now
been designated to become president of the Japan International
Cooperation Agency.
"Indonesia has always been very close to me. As a visitor, I
have been here dozens of times, from 1969 up till now. So,
Indonesia has never left me," he said. "You know Indonesia has
always been very near," said the ambassador who lists golf as one
of his favorite pastimes.
Indonesia's democratization process was one of his major
concerns during his term here, he said.
"You know almost everything is printed in the newspapers," he
said. "Of course you have press bans and so on, but this is just
a side story (of democratization). But the general direction of
democratization is very impressive."
He quoted one of the most senior, high-ranking Japanese
officials who visited Jakarta as saying, "Well, Indonesian mass
media's reporting is just like in Europe or the U.S. Everything
is here, even opposition to the government is reported."
Fujita noted that one of the most impressive events during his
posting here was when President Soeharto, in his capacity as
chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, visited Tokyo last year for
a meeting with some of the leaders of the Group of Seven
industrial nations at their annual summit.
"This visit is an historic event because Soeharto tried to
resume and revitalize the North-South dialog. We Japanese and
other G-7 countries admire the courage and farsighted leadership
of President Soeharto. As ambassador to Indonesia, I was able to
be a witness on this historic occasion. I'm very happy to be
there."
Fujita said the state of bilateral relations between Japan and
Indonesia is more than satisfying. The two countries have always
been politically friendly and economically complement each other.
Indonesia supplies many basic raw materials to Japan including
petroleum, natural gas, timber and rubber.
Japan, besides being Indonesia's major trading partner, is
also an important supplier of capital, both official and private.
Indonesia is the largest recipient of Japanese Official
Development Assistance (ODA) and is considered the most
successful recipient. Almost all the ODA programs in agriculture,
irrigation, and construction of power stations and roads have
been successfully carried out.
Indonesia is also one of the largest destinations for Japanese
private investment.
In the cultural sector, more and more Japanese are learning
Indonesian. Correspondingly, more interest in Japan and the
Japanese language has grown here, especially among young
Indonesians.
"If you look back during my stay here, this trend has
developed quite satisfactorily. I'm happy with the current status
and of course there is more to be developed between the two
nations," Fujita said.
Commenting on the formation of Japan's new coalition
government, Fujita said that all the prime ministers and foreign
ministers in successive cabinets have again and again confirmed
that Japan's basic foreign policy will not be changed.
"So, I assure you that our basic foreign policy will not be
changed, especially our relationship with Indonesia. Even before
the formation of the new government, most parties in Japan shared
the opinion of the importance of maintaining and strengthening
the relationship with Indonesia."
Asked about his personal goals, the ambassador responded:
"Well, as I'm already 61, there are not so many years left for
me. So it's a little late to have ambitions."
"But I would like to maintain my personal interest in
Indonesia, and also keep up my relations with my Indonesian
friends and keep singing Indonesian lagu-lagu (songs)."