'Kangaroo 95' brings neighbors together

'Kangaroo 95' brings neighbors together

By Dewi Anggraeni

MELBOURNE, Australia (JP): Kangaroo 95, or the K-95 defense
exercise in Australia which involved 17,000 navy, army and air
force personnel, 16 ships, 110 aircraft and large numbers of
wheeled and tracked vehicles, just ended. Despite protests in
various places in Australia, the exercise went smoothly and was
visited by Indonesian Minister of Defense Edi Sudradjat and
Indonesian Armed Forces Commander Feisal Tanjung.

When asked how the exercise effected the relationship between
Indonesia and Australia, chief defense force spokesman, Brigadier
Adrian D'Hage, unreservedly said it had been an outstanding
success. Not only did it promote greater cooperation to achieve a
more secure region, it also helped the two countries' forces
develop camaraderie on an informal level.

Australia organizes Kangaroo exercises once every three years.
This was the first Kangaroo exercise that included countries
other than the U.S and New Zealand. More significantly, Indonesia
was the second largest guest, after the Americans, with
approximately 160 of its paratroopers taking part. The other
participating countries were Malaysia, Singapore, Papua New
Guinea, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Since the objective of K-95 is to test the ability of the
combined force to defend Australia with little warning, there is
an implicit recognition that Indonesia is not regarded as a
possible aggressor. In his news release, the Chief of the
Australian Defense Force, General John Baker, stated that
Australia had invited regional countries to participate in K-95
in keeping with the policy of engaging "our near neighbors in
closer defense cooperation as outlined in the 1994 Defense White
Paper."

The Australian Defense Force seemingly regards its
relationship with the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) as solid.

When asked what impact the protests had on the exercise,
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Reynolds, the head of Media Liaison
Office of K-95, simply answered, "None whatsoever. The Defense
Force in Australia is apolitical. We only carry out what has been
decided by the politicians."

It is curious that, following the first flag-burning incident
in front of Defense Minister Robert Ray's electoral office in the
Melbourne suburb of Nunawading, it was ABRI that denied its
occurrence. Most probably, because the Australian media were not
aware of the incident, ABRI thought the report had been
fabricated by a mischievous stirrer with a vested interest in
damaging Australian and Indonesian relations.

The flag burning was then literally blown out of proportion in
the Indonesian media. ABRI's immediate damage control strategy
was to deny everything. However, subsequent flag-burnings on
Indonesia's Independence Day two weeks later were widely reported
in Australia, and even copied by a group of protesters who burnt
an Australian flag in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.
ABRI, however, continued to react soberly. This contrasted with
the outrage expressed by many non-ABRI individuals.

In the meantime, K-95 was in full swing, seemingly oblivious
to all the noise and controversy surrounding it.

Every year there are at least five protests involving public
flag burnings in Australia. They have invoked nothing stronger
than a frown from a passerby. This time it was different.

Robert Ray was so disgusted by the insensitivity of the flag-
burners that he proposed that burning foreign nations' flags be
outlawed. This warranted a reaction from the Opposition Leader
John Howard, who confessed to being annoyed by the same
insensitivity which disgusted Robert Ray. However, John Howard
opposed a legal ban, saying it was against the democratic right
of the people to protest. Howard even quoted Voltaire, "I don't
agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your
right to say it."

In an exclusive interview, answering my question about the
rather troublesome relationship between the two nations, Federal
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Gareth Evans said, "The
relationship between us is just too substantial and too important
to be allowed to be blown off-course by what are essentially a
few protest groups on each side. At the governmental level,
whether one is talking about foreign relations, economic
relations or defense relations, I still believe that the
commitment is very strong. Each side realizes that we'd have an
enormous amount to lose if we allowed the relationship to be
blown off-course."

Indonesia helped defend Australia from the fictitious enemy
Orange Land in an exercise stretching from Derby in Western
Australia across the Northern Territory to Queensland on the east
coast, including international and territorial waters.

"Who then is Orange Land?" wonder political observers. One
thing is sure, it isn't Australia's near neighbor Indonesia.

Senator Evans assured: "The days of regarding all the
countries to our north as a source of threat rather than
opportunity for Australia, are over. Most Australians want
friendship with Indonesia. They want a good economic and
political relationships with Indonesia."