Indonesia state of 'contradictions'

Indonesia state of 'contradictions'

JAKARTA (JP): Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating described Indonesia yesterday as a country of contradictions and one that Australia needs to understand better.

During a press conference announcing the plan to sign a defense agreement with Indonesia in Jakarta next week, Keating in Canberra reiterated his long standing view that "no nation is more important to us than Indonesia".

But later, according to a conference transcript made available by the Australian embassy here, Keating noted the "contradictions" in the opening up of Indonesian politics and the economy, and the restrictions on the local press.

The reach of Australian television into Indonesian homes was another example cited.

"There are satellite dishes popping up all over the country. This is a place which doesn't have that tightness that you see in authoritarian regimes.

"So I think we need to understand that contradiction. Yes, you will see examples of what we believe are incursions against free speech, but what you are also seeing is a massive opening up of the economy and a huge deluging of that society with news and views and information from all around the world.

"We can all nominate some exceptionally, tightly run societies, this is not one of them," Keating said. (emb)