President Susilo's breakthrough visit to Australia

President Susilo's breakthrough visit to Australia

Bela Kusumah Kasim, Melbourne

In October 2003, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono -- who at that time
was coordinating minister for political and security affairs --
appeared in a public forum at the Sydney Myer Asia Centre. The
forum was jointly organized by ABC Television and Asialink in
Melbourne. The master of ceremonies introduced Susilo to the
audiences as Mr. Clean, and as one of the best candidates for the
2004 Indonesian presidential election.

Australian businesspeople in the audience responded positively
when Susilo described the need for Australian investors to help
the Indonesian economy to grow and his determination to eradicate
corruption, collusion and nepotism, or KKN as it is called in
Indonesia. When he was told that more then 145 million eligible
Indonesian voters would like to know just how clean he really
was, Susilo smiled and answered diplomatically: "I will try to do
my best and for me it's better to answer by proving it in
action."

When answering a question on how he would tackle a fragile
Australian-Indonesia relationship, his reply seemed to support
Australian Prime Minister John Howard's political stance. He
stated that if he became president of Indonesia he would bring
bilateral relations closer.

When Susilo was declared winner of the first direct
presidential election in Indonesia in September last year,
millions of supporters hailed him as a new leader who would put
the Indonesian economy back on track and crack down on government
officials who were continuing to embezzle state funds during
Megawati Soekarnoputri's tenure.

For Howard, improved bilateral relations with one of
Australia's closest neighbors would be politically fruitful as
his government had been consistently criticized by the opposition
for not doing enough to engage Australia's neighbors.

From an Australian political standpoint, Susilo's visit to
Australia last month was a high point in Howard's foreign policy
achievements. Despite criticism from political opponents in both
countries, Howard proved that he could rebuild the relationship
with Indonesia.

The President's visit coincided with criticism from Malaysian
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi that Australian foreign policy is
overly disposed to U.S. interests. Howard did not need to
respond; the criticism was buried by headlines in the Australian
press about the importance of Susilo's visit.

The Age wrote PM hails pact with Indonesia, and the front page
of The Australian read SBY Looks South To New Era.

Howard's political foe, the leader of the Australian Labor
Party, Kim Beazley, had no option but to commend the visit.

The 2004 tsunami catastrophe, the recent earthquake on Nias
Island and an Australian relief helicopter crash that killed nine
people, have brought the two leaders closer than ever. Disaster
and tragedy have prompted sympathy from the Australian media in
response to Susilo's visit. Howard's much-criticized Asian policy
and Susilo's military background are no longer considered the
main issues, and the possible implications of the signing of a
security pact have largely been ignored.

Susilo's visit to Australia was scheduled for March 30th. When
the earthquake hit Nias on the 28th, the President postponed his
visit. Canberra again offered generous assistance. It ordered the
HMAS Kanimbla to turn back to Nias. The Kanimbla's crew had been
in Banda Aceh for nearly three months. They were on their way
home.

The response of the Indonesian Military to the deaths of the
Australian men and women on Nias has been seen by the Australian
public as a remarkable gesture. Australians from all walks of
life have been touched to see pictures of Indonesian soldiers
comforting their Australian counterparts. The tragic crash
provided more common ground for cooperation between the two
leaders.

The Australian media's positive reaction to Susilo's visit is
testimony to Howard's skill in revamping the relationship. And
the President's promise to bring the relationship closer has been
realized. His visit in the last few days has been politically
fruitful for both leaders, while a succession of tragedies has
helped to shield negative perceptions about the signing of the
security pact.

The writer is a journalist for Multicultural Radio based in
Melbourne and can be contacted at belakusumah@optusnet.com.au.