RI-Australia ties: Now time to look forward again
RI-Australia ties: Now time to look forward again
This article is based on address of Australian ambassador to
Indonesia, John McCarthy, at the annual dinner of Ikama, The
Australian alumni group, Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta, on Nov. 12.
JAKARTA: Members of the Embassy and I have spent much of the
last three months seeking to reassure Indonesians of the motives
for our role in East Timor. Australia has been accused of having
acted in East Timor because of some grand strategic design or
economic ambition. We have sought to lay these notions to rest --
what occurred in East Timor presented us with no strategic
advantage and no economic benefit. We acted as we did because of
humanitarian concerns which touched a wide cross-section of the
Australian people, just as they did many Indonesians. We have
also stressed the importance we attach to our relationship with
Indonesia, notwithstanding disagreements over East Timor.
I know that I at least have at best only partially succeeded
in getting this message across. Neither Australia nor Indonesia
has fully comprehended the approach in each country to the other,
and the sentiments which underlie these approaches.
But I don't want to dwell at length about the crisis in our
relationship, but rather, to focus on what can be done to fix
things up.
Three things have happened that have in fact eased the crisis.
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) voted to accept the
outcome of the United Nations referendum in East Timor and to
separate East Timor from the Republic. This was undoubtedly
painful but it perhaps also had a cathartic effect. These was a
sense that a decision had been taken and that Indonesia had taken
that decision.
The successful completion of the presidential elections
automatically diminished the political force of the East Timor
issue, which had been contentious for many of the parties
involved in the election.
And, dare I say, the International Force in East Timor or
Interfet (or the "Australian-led Interfet" as the media in
Indonesia inevitably portrays it) has handled itself with skill.
While there have been casualties -- including the death of a
policeman -- which we regret, they have been few. The Australian
military presence in East Timor will diminish further as an issue
once our force strength is more than halved when Interfet hands
over to the UN blue beret peacekeeping force in January. Already
the percentage of Australian troops is much diminished as the
contingents from the other 16 countries currently contributing
troops have arrived and taken up duty in East Timor.
Moreover, in both countries, governments have taken steps to
limit the impact in the crisis in relations.
From the outset, our Prime Minister publicly condemned flag
burning and actions taken against Indonesian Government property
in Australia.
While I have yet to see first hand evidence of Indonesian
students in Australia being mistreated -- something which we
would all condemn -- our Minister for Education publicly sought
to reassure Indonesian students on Sept. 23. Our Vice
Chancellor's Committee did the same on Oct. 7.
At a non-governmental level a very positive letter was sent by
the Australian Council of Trade Unions to The Jakarta Post about
Union policy towards Indonesia which made it clear that there are
no union bans in place and spoke of the importance of our peoples
continuing to work together, of visiting each other's country in
peace and building a better future for all of our people and
their children.
After the Indonesian presidential election, our Prime Minister
welcomed the election of President Gur Dur and Vice President
Megawati Soekarnoputri. And expressed the desire to develop a
good working relationship with the new Indonesian team.
On the Indonesian side, both the President and Foreign
Minister Alwi Shihab have spoken since the election of putting
the relationship with Australia back into a state of good repair.
Many Indonesians have said to me that they want to put the past
behind us.
We intend -- both our countries -- to restore our relationship
in a careful, measured way. There are bruised feelings on each
side which will take a little time to heal. But there are also
vital and productive links between our two communities -- in
business, education, and the friendships of ordinary people in
ordinary ways. All these will ease the path towards a fuller
relationship between us.
There is one important point to add here.
Given that Indonesia allowed a democratic process in East
Timor, there has now been a break with the past. East Timor was
the issue which hindered Indonesia on the world stage -- and from
an Australian viewpoint was the major cause of friction in our
relations with Indonesia. The East Timor issue should now be on
the way to resolution. It is overwhelmingly important to
Australia that Indonesia and East Timor now enjoy good relations.
If they don't, it is in no one's interest, particularly not
Australia's.
It will be important that the East Timorese leadership embark
on a process of national reconciliation in East Timor and that
Indonesia prevent militia activity on the border between West and
East Timor and assist the return of those refugees in West Timor
wishing to do so. The very positive approach which has been
demonstrated by both President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) and by
Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao to dealing with each other augurs
well.
After both Australia and Indonesia have put the relationship
back into a workable state of repair, it will be worth
reappraising where we go from there.
In the past three months things have not been good. In both
countries there were demonstrations; talk on both sides of
actions which would have impacted on trade and investment; harsh
press criticisms of each other. What was almost -- but not quite
-- a free fall in the relationship give rise to two sets of
conclusions.
Some have drawn the conclusion that the efforts of both
countries to ensure understanding and partnership have failed.
And that although we are destined to be neighbors and to
cooperate, the cultural/societal divide between us is so wide
that mutual distrust and discomfort will always be a feature of
our dealings with each other.
However, I prefer the second, more positive approach. Had we
not put into the relationship all the work which we have over the
past generation -- and particularly over the last decade -- we
would not have been able to manage the East Timor crisis. But we
did manage it, albeit with difficulty. This was because both
countries understood the importance each attached to the other.
What the events of the last few months suggest to me is not
failure -- but the fact that over the last few years, because so
much has happened that has been positive between our two
countries, we tended to forget that our societies are still
different. We may have expected too much. There will continue to
be real potential for misunderstanding. But at the same time a
layer of knowledge is being built up in each country about the
other, and a network of contacts and structures has been
established between the two countries. All these things have
provided a substance which was not there ten years ago -- a
substance upon which we can still build.
Ultimately, there are also a couple of other trends in both
our societies which should benefit the relationship.
In Australia -- and let us leave aside, just for once, the
question of who we are -- there is unquestionably a growing
interest in and knowledge of Asia. This is a fact of life --
irrespective of what government is in power -- and reflects
increased travel, education and business patterns. This is bound
at the end of the day to lead to greater understanding in
Australia of Indonesia.
The other noteworthy trend is the fact that Indonesia is
inevitably becoming more pluralistic, more democratic, better
educated and further advanced in creating a society with which
Australia will find it easier to deal. As Indonesia's former
Ambassador to Australia, Pak Wiryono, correctly said to a recent
gathering organized by the Indonesia -- Australia Business
Council," the return of Indonesia to democracy, stability and a
healthy economy is best for Australia, our neighbor, and the
world."
So perhaps it is now time to look forward again.
This article is based on address of Australian ambassador to
Indonesia, John McCarthy, at the annual dinner of Ikama, The
Australian alumni group, Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta, on Nov. 12.
JAKARTA: Members of the Embassy and I have spent much of the
last three months seeking to reassure Indonesians of the motives
for our role in East Timor. Australia has been accused of having
acted in East Timor because of some grand strategic design or
economic ambition. We have sought to lay these notions to rest --
what occurred in East Timor presented us with no strategic
advantage and no economic benefit. We acted as we did because of
humanitarian concerns which touched a wide cross-section of the
Australian people, just as they did many Indonesians. We have
also stressed the importance we attach to our relationship with
Indonesia, notwithstanding disagreements over East Timor.
I know that I at least have at best only partially succeeded
in getting this message across. Neither Australia nor Indonesia
has fully comprehended the approach in each country to the other,
and the sentiments which underlie these approaches.
But I don't want to dwell at length about the crisis in our
relationship, but rather, to focus on what can be done to fix
things up.
Three things have happened that have in fact eased the crisis.
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) voted to accept the
outcome of the United Nations referendum in East Timor and to
separate East Timor from the Republic. This was undoubtedly
painful but it perhaps also had a cathartic effect. These was a
sense that a decision had been taken and that Indonesia had taken
that decision.
The successful completion of the presidential elections
automatically diminished the political force of the East Timor
issue, which had been contentious for many of the parties
involved in the election.
And, dare I say, the International Force in East Timor or
Interfet (or the "Australian-led Interfet" as the media in
Indonesia inevitably portrays it) has handled itself with skill.
While there have been casualties -- including the death of a
policeman -- which we regret, they have been few. The Australian
military presence in East Timor will diminish further as an issue
once our force strength is more than halved when Interfet hands
over to the UN blue beret peacekeeping force in January. Already
the percentage of Australian troops is much diminished as the
contingents from the other 16 countries currently contributing
troops have arrived and taken up duty in East Timor.
Moreover, in both countries, governments have taken steps to
limit the impact in the crisis in relations.
From the outset, our Prime Minister publicly condemned flag
burning and actions taken against Indonesian Government property
in Australia.
While I have yet to see first hand evidence of Indonesian
students in Australia being mistreated -- something which we
would all condemn -- our Minister for Education publicly sought
to reassure Indonesian students on Sept. 23. Our Vice
Chancellor's Committee did the same on Oct. 7.
At a non-governmental level a very positive letter was sent by
the Australian Council of Trade Unions to The Jakarta Post about
Union policy towards Indonesia which made it clear that there are
no union bans in place and spoke of the importance of our peoples
continuing to work together, of visiting each other's country in
peace and building a better future for all of our people and
their children.
After the Indonesian presidential election, our Prime Minister
welcomed the election of President Gur Dur and Vice President
Megawati Soekarnoputri. And expressed the desire to develop a
good working relationship with the new Indonesian team.
On the Indonesian side, both the President and Foreign
Minister Alwi Shihab have spoken since the election of putting
the relationship with Australia back into a state of good repair.
Many Indonesians have said to me that they want to put the past
behind us.
We intend -- both our countries -- to restore our relationship
in a careful, measured way. There are bruised feelings on each
side which will take a little time to heal. But there are also
vital and productive links between our two communities -- in
business, education, and the friendships of ordinary people in
ordinary ways. All these will ease the path towards a fuller
relationship between us.
There is one important point to add here.
Given that Indonesia allowed a democratic process in East
Timor, there has now been a break with the past. East Timor was
the issue which hindered Indonesia on the world stage -- and from
an Australian viewpoint was the major cause of friction in our
relations with Indonesia. The East Timor issue should now be on
the way to resolution. It is overwhelmingly important to
Australia that Indonesia and East Timor now enjoy good relations.
If they don't, it is in no one's interest, particularly not
Australia's.
It will be important that the East Timorese leadership embark
on a process of national reconciliation in East Timor and that
Indonesia prevent militia activity on the border between West and
East Timor and assist the return of those refugees in West Timor
wishing to do so. The very positive approach which has been
demonstrated by both President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) and by
Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao to dealing with each other augurs
well.
After both Australia and Indonesia have put the relationship
back into a workable state of repair, it will be worth
reappraising where we go from there.
In the past three months things have not been good. In both
countries there were demonstrations; talk on both sides of
actions which would have impacted on trade and investment; harsh
press criticisms of each other. What was almost -- but not quite
-- a free fall in the relationship give rise to two sets of
conclusions.
Some have drawn the conclusion that the efforts of both
countries to ensure understanding and partnership have failed.
And that although we are destined to be neighbors and to
cooperate, the cultural/societal divide between us is so wide
that mutual distrust and discomfort will always be a feature of
our dealings with each other.
However, I prefer the second, more positive approach. Had we
not put into the relationship all the work which we have over the
past generation -- and particularly over the last decade -- we
would not have been able to manage the East Timor crisis. But we
did manage it, albeit with difficulty. This was because both
countries understood the importance each attached to the other.
What the events of the last few months suggest to me is not
failure -- but the fact that over the last few years, because so
much has happened that has been positive between our two
countries, we tended to forget that our societies are still
different. We may have expected too much. There will continue to
be real potential for misunderstanding. But at the same time a
layer of knowledge is being built up in each country about the
other, and a network of contacts and structures has been
established between the two countries. All these things have
provided a substance which was not there ten years ago -- a
substance upon which we can still build.
Ultimately, there are also a couple of other trends in both
our societies which should benefit the relationship.
In Australia -- and let us leave aside, just for once, the
question of who we are -- there is unquestionably a growing
interest in and knowledge of Asia. This is a fact of life --
irrespective of what government is in power -- and reflects
increased travel, education and business patterns. This is bound
at the end of the day to lead to greater understanding in
Australia of Indonesia.
The other noteworthy trend is the fact that Indonesia is
inevitably becoming more pluralistic, more democratic, better
educated and further advanced in creating a society with which
Australia will find it easier to deal. As Indonesia's former
Ambassador to Australia, Pak Wiryono, correctly said to a recent
gathering organized by the Indonesia -- Australia Business
Council," the return of Indonesia to democracy, stability and a
healthy economy is best for Australia, our neighbor, and the
world."
So perhaps it is now time to look forward again.