PNG Ambassador Oaisa is no stranger to RI

PNG Ambassador Oaisa is no stranger to RI

By Prapti Widinugraheni

Ambassador Alan I. Oaisa recently presented his letter of
credentials to President Soeharto as head of the Papua New Guinea
mission in Indonesia. He agreed to this interview with The
Jakarta Post to reflect on his views about his new position.

JAKARTA (JP): "Selamat pagi, silahkan duduk," (Good morning,
please have a seat.) were the first words that came from Papua
New Guinea Ambassador Alan I. Oaisa when The Jakarta Post
reporter met him for this interview.

The precise Bahasa Indonesia came unexpectedly given that the
ambassador has barely been in the country one month.

Oaisa extended his letter of credentials to President Soeharto
on June 18, making his new position as Papua New Guinea's
ambassador to Indonesia, replacing Angoea J. Tadabe, official.

He had previously worked in Kuala Lumpur and has been with his
country's foreign services for about 20 years.

Oaisa said he started his diplomatic career "by accident."

"After finishing university in 1972, I got a job with the
department of defense," he said. At that time, Papua New Guinea,
which gained its independence in 1975, was still under Australian
rule.

Some Australian diplomats he met that year suggested he apply
for a post as a Papua New Guinea diplomat. "So I put in my
application and at the end of the week I was told I was
accepted."

In 1974, Oaisa arrived in Jakarta, where he served as
chancellor. He recalled how he helped establish the Australian
embassy, which at that time was located on Jl. Thamrin.

It was during that time, Oaisa revealed, that he learned his
Bahasa Indonesia.

It was also during his term here that he met his future wife,
Catherine, originally from Irian Jaya.

Since then, Oaisa has worked in Canberra, and moved back and
forth between Port Moresby, Britain, New Zealand and Malaysia,
before returning to Jakarta.

Since he had studied Bahasa Indonesia seriously during his
first stay here in 1974 -- he took a six-week crash course in
Melbourne, a three-month course in Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada
University (where he lived with a family who spoke no English)
and received much help from his Indonesian wife -- he was well
prepared for the ambassadorial posting in Indonesia.

"I had always enjoyed my posting here," he said. "Indonesia
was in a way special for me, and I have always wished I could
come back here as an ambassador."

And now that he is back in Jakarta, Oaisa intends to focus on
strengthening trade, investment and cultural ties between the two
countries, especially since relations are "not like they were in
the past."

"Some Indonesians don't know where Papua New Guinea is," he
pointed out.

He acknowledged that since the two countries have almost no
border control problems, such as illegal crossings, which still
occurred until as recently as 1984, there have been opportunities
to divert from discussing political affairs to developing
economic relations.

Oaisa said that for island countries such as his, fisheries
are among the most important economic considerations, and often
the only natural resources, for supporting a nation's economy.

Fishing is also a favorite pastime of Oaisa, a father of two
sons, Chris, 20 and Daniel, 9.

He also enjoys golf, rugby and cricket. Soccer "is only good
for watching after five minutes," he said.

He admitted that although he has not yet found a good fishing
location around Jakarta, he has already found a golf club,
playing with other foreign diplomats of the Jakarta Ambassadors
Golf Association.

Asked about his personal ambitions, the graduate of political
science from Papua New Guinea University, said he has none.

"Well, maybe I do have (political ambitions), but the time is
not right yet, because I enjoy doing what I am doing now. So when
I stop enjoying this, maybe I'll go into politics, maybe do
business. I don't know."

Oaisa is now starting his job in Jakarta, a city he has no
complaints about as yet. "So far, so good" -- hopefully it will
always be that way.