Terrorists down under

Terrorists down under

The past fortnight has been a revealing experience for two
neighbors whose relationship remains wrought by political and
societal indifference. Apparently proximity does not necessarily
breed thoughtfulness -- at least not in the case of Indonesia and
Australia.

It shows once again how easily ignorance, arrogance, and
ideological chauvinism breeds a minority of bigots who look
condescendingly down on others refusing to conform to their
worms-eye view of the world.

Indonesia has had more than its fair share of these crackpots
-- those who pretend to speak to God by bombing innocent
civilians, or conduct "sweepings" based on skin color or faith.

More than a bane of society, they are a blight disfiguring the
nation as a whole.

But prejudice and conceit knows no territorial boundaries.
Perpetrators of the threats and security scares against the
Indonesian Consulate and Embassy in Australia are made from the
same mold as those crackpots here. They may be spurred by a
misplaced sense of injustice and warped nationalism -- with no
immediate cost to life or property, yet -- they are akin to
terrorists just the same.

Indonesians should be genuinely concerned about being in
Australia at present, and the foreign ministry in Jakarta should
seriously consider issuing a travel advisory -- the same way
Canberra frequently warns Australians in Indonesia -- warning its
citizens of a potential backlash as a result of the
disproportionate reaction to the Schapelle Corby verdict.

The move is not designed with the intention of diplomatically
escalating this regrettable situation. But it is the obligation
of the government here to ensure the safety and security of
Indonesians abroad.

We are appreciative of the Australian government's reaction to
the situation. Prime Minister John Howard has apologized to
Indonesia and publicly condemned the latest threat to the
Indonesian Embassy, while senior Australian officials in the
preceding weeks have also persistently urged calm in reacting to
the Corby case.

We are also convinced that the narrow-mindedness of a few does
not represent the empathy of a majority of Australians toward
their northern neighbors.

Indonesians themselves have been repeatedly guilty of emotive
and irrational responses on issues involving other nations. While
wholly supporting the government's position against Malaysia's
false claims on the Ambalat issue, we are often embarrassed by
the absurd reactions displayed by our fellow countrymen toward
their Malaysian kin.

Hence we can sympathize with the profound embarrassment many
Australians must feel in response to the criminal acts of "Corby
zealots".

Nevertheless the latest threat against the embassy in Canberra
has pushed what was initially a rather insignificant issue to
most Indonesians menacingly down a slippery slope, which if not
dealt with could sour relationships. It is our hope that
Indonesians here respond with the wisdom and understanding that
some Australians have lacked. To show that despite being a poor
Third World Asian nation, we can be just as sensible, if not more
sensible, as a country which considers itself a developed
northern hemisphere state stuck in the south.

We should respect Australia's efforts in its legal appeal on
behalf of Corby without undermining our own judicial processes
and show that in spite of all the shortcomings, this nation does
have a functioning law enforcement and judicial system which
should be respected -- the same body which succeeded in
apprehending the accomplices of last year's blast in front of the
Australian Embassy in Jakarta, and the same court which convicted
the murderers of Australian tourists in the Bali bombings of
2002.