RI-Australia ties: From East Timor to Aceh

Rob Goodfellow, New South Wales, Australia

On Sept. 16, 1999, in the aftermath of the East Timor crisis, Indonesia formally withdrew from their Security Treaty with Australia.

This highly symbolic gesture marked a low point in bilateral relations.

At the time, the former Indonesian Ambassador to Australia, Sabam Siagian warned: "The popular view in Indonesia is that while we are cornered by the economic crisis and undergoing a period of political fluidity, Australia is exploiting the situation..." (to advance a range of interests).

This feeling of national humiliation was never fully understood in Australia. It was not the INERFET operation per se that caused offense, but the widely held belief amongst most Indonesians that Australia was taking advantage of its neighbor at a time of great vulnerability.

In the eyes of many Indonesians, the landing of the Australian-led force was the first time a foreign army had occupied their sovereign territory since Dutch Colonial forces withdrew at the end of the Indonesia Revolution in 1949.

Australia's unprecedented contribution to disaster relief in Aceh represents a historical opportunity to develop a new nation- to-nation friendship, at a time when Indonesia is again facing hardship and heart break.

Indeed in Jakarta last week Prime Minister Howard announced a long term government aid packed to Indonesia worth in excess of A$500 million.

However, any level of intervention in the affairs of the Indonesian State comes with a caveat. With Washington and Canberra now openly stating a range of aid-related political objectives, great care must be taken not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Indonesia is not simply a "security priority". Using disaster relief as a means of "keeping Indonesia from turning into a breeding ground for Islamic radicalism", particularly as part of a wider "war on terrorism", is not only diplomatically unsophisticated. It is dangerous talk.

Assisting Indonesia through the tsunami disaster can be successfully linked with economic development, democracy, the rule of law, bureaucratic transparency and the integrity of the unitary Indonesian State. However, both must be seen by the Indonesian people as a consequence of aid, not its raison d'etre. Any suggestion of using the "opportunity" created by the disaster to undermine the so called "attraction of militant religious fundamentalism", no matter how well-intentioned, must be handled with extreme sensitivity.

In particular, Australian government support can not be seen to have "strings attached". Such will almost certainly awaken the bitterness of the East Timor experience and potentially result in a grave misrepresentation of the honest goodwill of millions of ordinary Australians.

The deep concern of Australians for their neighbors in Aceh cannot be understated. Australians have inundated Asian disaster funds with the most generous appeal response in the country's history.

Of equal significance, Australians are demonstrating a maturing sense that we are not "the odd man out" in South East Asia. This is our region too. We are in this together.

The proof: Everyone from the national cricket team to, social clubs, to schoolchildren have donated more than A$60 million to the relief effort since appeals began over a week ago.

Donations have in fact already exceeded the total raised by appeals in the wake of the 1999 humanitarian crisis in East Timor and the 2002 Bali bombing.

In addition, private industry has made generous contributions, with Qantas Airways contributing over A$1 million, and the Melbourne-based Lonely Planet publications donating A$500,000 -- a sizeable donation for a small private company.

There is no question that Indonesia appreciates Australia's assistance. In Canberra this week Indonesian Ambassador Imron Cotan was quoted as saying:

"I would like to sincerely thank the Australian Government and the Australian people for their generosity, because without them I believe that it would be very difficult for us to cope with this dire situation".

Indonesia has friends. The Australian people have proven this, so have tens of millions of ordinary Americans, Japanese, British, Chinese and Europeans. Indonesia is not alone in the world.

The writer is Fellow of the University of Wollongong's CAPSTRANS Institute researching risk factors in the Australia- Indonesia relationship. He can be contacted by e-mail on robgoodfellow@ozemail.com.au