Terrorism bolsters Australia's ties with RI

Terrorism bolsters Australia's ties with RI

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Indonesia and Australia, long known for their love-hate
relationship, are now again seeing a period of unity -- at least
for the time being -- by a common concern: terrorism.

Following the last few years of apparently wavering support on
this issue from former president Megawati Soekarnoputri,
Australia seems to have set its faith in President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono.

The two countries have worked closely to fight terror since
the Oct. 12, 2002 bombing in Bali that killed 202 people,
including 88 Australians.

Another suicide bombing outside the Australian Embassy in
Jakarta on Sept. 9 this year -- just 11 days before the election
runoff here and about a month until the Australian election --
stressed that country's vulnerability as the closest, non-Asian
neighbor to the world's largest Muslim nation. The bombing killed
11 Indonesians, including the bomber, and injured more than 180.

Susilo's victory and Prime Minister John Howard's reelection
has prompted Australia to initiate a new strategy in bilateral
relations.

After he was reelected, Howard's first overseas trip was to
Jakarta to attend Susilo's inauguration in mid-October, when he
told the press that he believed Susilo was someone with whom he
could do business.

The two heads of state met again in November, during the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Chile and then the
Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in
Laos.

Susilo has had much exposure among the Australian public, as
he visited that country in his capacity as Megawati's top
security minister as part of the Bali bombing investigation.

Perhaps Susilo owes some of his credibility among Australians
in the war on terror to another perception: that Megawati had not
done enough to bring to justice the masterminds of the Bali
bombing. He has also prioritized the arrest of "terror twins" Dr.
Azahari and Noordin M. Top in his first 100 days in office.

Meeting on the sidelines of the recent APEC summit, the two
leaders agreed to address concerns about defense and security to
prevent possible misunderstandings in the future. They also
underscored the need for their police, attorney general's offices
and intelligence bodies to sustain the bilateral cooperation.

Only two weeks after this Chile meeting, Australia increased
its antiterrorism assistance to Indonesia from A$10 million to
A$20 million (US$15.4 million) over the next five years, mostly
allotted to Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation, an
antiterrorist training center in Semarang. Australia sponsored
the establishment of the Center which was inaugurated by Megawati
in July.

Canberra, which is often regarded as the deputy sheriff to the
United States, also plans to strengthen the capabilities of
airports, customs and immigration offices in Indonesia.

Australia and Indonesia have had a rocky history, particularly
on security and political issues, hitting a record in 1999, when
Australia led a multinational peacekeeping force to East Timor
following the former Indonesian province's independence
referendum.

This year, Canberra drew up aggressive ideas on boosting its
defense capabilities in the war on terror. However, this was seen
as an offensive stance, with the strongest criticism coming from
Malaysia and Indonesia -- that it was a violation of sovereignty.

Australia's plans include creating what it believes would be
the most lethal fleet of fighter jets in Southeast Asia by
equipping its aircraft with long-range cruise missiles. The
planned missiles would be able to destroy air and sea targets up
to 400 kilometers away.

Canberra also warned it would take preemptive strikes against
overseas terrorists by deploying two police teams to the source
to stop them (terrorists) from reaching Australian soil.

The announcement of the plans came only a day after the
Australian Strategic Policy Institute, an independent think-tank
set up the government, said in a report that Australians believed
Indonesia posed the greatest threat to their national security.

Howard quickly clarified to his neighbors that the plan was a
part of its defense policy.

Aside from security issues, however, the two neighbors have a
relatively good relationship.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, who has retained
the post under Susilo's government, confirmed that the two
countries had signed documents on bilateral cooperation to
overcome people smuggling and trafficking, and had cohosting an
interreligious dialog.

Meanwhile, in education, a large number of Indonesian students
pursue advanced studies in Australia; while many Australian
Institutions have provided financial aid to Indonesian students
pursuing a postgraduate degree.

Australia is one of Indonesia's largest foreign investors with
an approved total investment of about US$798.3 million since
2000, mostly in the mining, financial services and beverages
sectors. Dozens of Australian companies operate in Indonesia, and
their existence has contributed to the growth and recovery of the
national economy.

Last year, Indonesian exports to Australia reached $6.1
billion, and Australian imports $3.25 billion.

Australia and Indonesia organized recently an interfaith
dialog bringing together 124 religious leaders from 13 Asia-
Pacific countries.

These events may serve as a beginning of a new chapter of the
bilateral cooperation. One of the pressing issue these days, as
both countries have suggested, is to find the best approach to
fight terrorism.

In co-hosting an interfaith dialog with Indonesia, Australia
has also shown that it appreciated tolerance and encouraged
dialog, preferably in the war against terror. By providing fund
for the antiterrorist training center, Australia has indicated
that it preferred a legal over a military approach for justice.

Australia is also considering a new security pact with
Indonesia to replace a treaty between the two countries that was
scrapped when Canberra sent troops into Dili.

At the end of the day, however, only time will tell whether
this approach might stave off suspicions and correct the
misperceptions of the two countries.