Indonesian diplomats poor debaters: Alatas

Indonesian diplomats poor debaters: Alatas

JAKARTA (JP): Compared with other countries in the region,
Indonesian diplomats are often hampered by their limited debating
skills and language proficiency, says Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ali Alatas.

Speaking at the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening,
Indonesia's number one diplomat lamented the fact that Indonesian
envoys are often poor debaters.

"We are not taught, from an early age, to debate. On the
contrary, it is considered poor behavior if we talk too much,"
Alatas said.

Given their upbringing, Indonesian diplomats experience
"culture shock" when they are thrown into the international arena
where debating is the norm, he said. "Only a few of us are able
to adapt quickly and become good debaters," he added.

Various criticisms have arisen about the diplomatic corps
since Alatas, on the eve of the foreign ministry's 50th
anniversary, called for diplomats to be more proactive and
articulate in responding to foreign criticisms of Indonesia.

The comment unleashed a debate about the quality of the
country's diplomats, focussing directly on their ability, or
inability, to defend Indonesia's interests abroad.

"In general, Indonesian diplomats are not debaters as, say,
diplomats from the West are, or other people around us who have
been educated in the English language," Alatas said.

"For them, debating is second nature, for us it has to be
taught," he added.

The ability to debate is apparently impeded further by
diplomats' limited mastery of foreign languages.

"The proficiency in foreign languages of our graduates from
Indonesian universities is felt to be lacking," Alatas said.

Such complaints are not new, having been frequently raised by
legislators and officials.

During a recent science congress, Minister of National
Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, in speaking of the
need for scientists to master English in order to master new
technology, commented that even Indonesian diplomats, who are
supposed to use English on a daily basis, often pale in
comparison with the abilities of some African diplomats.

Alatas said that, apart from providing language tutoring, one
way of attracting eloquent diplomats is to recruit from people
who have studied abroad.

"Efforts to acquire diplomats who are proficient in foreign
languages are focussing on the recruitment of the sons and
daughters of Indonesian families who have tasted education
abroad," he said.

While lamenting diplomats' failings in the areas of language
proficiency and debating skills, Alatas dismissed criticisms
regarding standards of professionalism among the current
generation of diplomats.

"I cannot accept an overall judgment which holds that our
diplomats are far behind, compared with previous ones," he said,
adding that "many of our young diplomats give us much hope."

He further contended that the level of professionalism among
diplomats is actually rising.

B.N. Marbun of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction asked
the minister why it seemed Indonesian diplomats were mainly
preoccupied with preparing to go abroad or to come home, rather
than with their professional duties.

Alatas conceded that there were such tendencies, but contended
that such a fact should be viewed in the context of the nature of
the diplomat's job.

Diplomats are paid in foreign currency according to the living
standard of the country in which they are posted, but they
receive the average civil servant's wages in rupiah once they
come home.

"When they are at home they hope to go abroad. Those who are
abroad start asking their wives after two years 'how about our
kitchen when we get to Indonesia?'" Alatas remarked. (mds)

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