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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