PM Howard's visit
PM Howard's visit
The offer from the Australian side to postpone the scheduled
visit by Prime Minister John Howard in the event the Indonesian
government is too preoccupied with handling the consequences of
the recent flooding in Jakarta should be appreciated.
On the other hand, the Indonesian government's response that
it should go ahead as scheduled reflects Jakarta's keenness to
manage the bilateral relations between the two countries on a
rational basis.
Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda visited Australia in December
to acquaint himself with John Howard and the prominent members of
his cabinet, in particular his counterpart Alexander Downer.
The visit displayed Jakarta's realistic approach toward the
fact that, although the Coalition parties' political platform
promulgated during the November election was unpalatable for many
Asians, including Indonesians, they won the election and the
outside world should deal with the Coalition government under
Howard's leadership.
It is obvious that in his election campaign John Howard used
the impact of the 9/11 events in the United States to maximum
effect. The same can be said for his handling of the controversy
surrounding the Tampa, which was carrying South Asian and Middle
Eastern refugees hoping to settle in the promised land,
Australia.
As Hilman Adil wrote in his perceptive article on Indonesian-
Australian relations, quoting the historian Werner Levi (The
Jakarta Post, Jan. 22), "Fear is the leitmotif of Australian
thinking on foreign policy." The events of 9/11 and the Tampa
affair naturally reinforced this fear of foreign intrusion
threatening the idyllic Australian way of life.
This concern for Australia's uniqueness as a wholesome piece
of Western civilization "down under" that has motivated Canberra
to pressure Indonesia to act as a first line of defense to stem
the flow of "illegal immigrants", is objectionable to Jakarta.
The collapse of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the
elimination of the al-Qaeda network in that country have
diminished the urgency of this problem. Besides, the Australian
government has offered free passage home for those Afghans now in
refugee camps throughout the Pacific region. However, what has
been happening at the Woomera refugee detention center has of
course not helped Australia's image in the international
community.
All in all, the Bali conference at the end of this month,
which was originally slated to discuss the entire problem of the
refugee flows from South Asia and the Middle East, has lost its
urgency. Indonesia as a co-host should be aware that Australia,
as the other co-host, should not be allowed to use the Bali
conference purely for its own self-interest and to improve its
standing in the world.
Judging from the critical voices in the House of
Representatives regarding Howard's visit, the nationalist streak
is apparently still strong in the Indonesian political culture.
It expresses itself by displaying a strong sense of nationhood
that seeks to preserve the territorial integrity and national
unity of Indonesia.
The parliamentarians are of course wrong in objecting to
Howard's visit. If they are concerned that Australia has some
hidden agenda regarding the future status of Irian/Papua, they
should have all the more reason for welcoming this visit and see
it as an opportunity to convey their concerns directly.
All in all, we regard Howard's visit to Indonesia as most
useful in strengthening our bilateral relationship. If the prime
minister is willing to learn, he will understand that the best
defense for Australia's future is the creation of a secure
geopolitical environment. That means, first and foremost,
assisting Indonesia in a significant manner in order that it may
become a prosperous and united nation conducting a responsible
foreign policy.