To build relations anew

To build relations anew

Although government officials have stated that tomorrow's
meeting in Bali between President Soeharto and Prime Minister
Keating will be held especially to discuss the November APEC
meeting in Osaka, Japan, there is no doubt that bilateral issues
between Indonesia and Australia will be the highlight of the
talks. After all, it is the first chance for the two statesmen to
meet after weeks of diplomatic friction, caused by the so-called
"Mantiri Incident" and the Indonesian flag-burning incidents in
Australia last July and August.

We believe that both the time and the venue are just right.
The natural beauty of Bali will undoubtedly have a soothing
effect on the atmosphere of the meeting. As for the timing, a few
weeks of cooling off have, hopefully, wiped away any residual
negative leftovers from the emotional outbursts which occurred a
few weeks ago.

Given those positive aspects, one could expect that the
meeting will end satisfactorily for both sides. The two leaders
have known each other for some years now and they should have
developed a special bond that is surely strong enough to weather
storms such as the Mantiri Incident. The fact stands that wisdom
and statesmanship, on the part of the two heads of government,
prevailed during the rows and have prevented those incidents from
turning into unrepairable disasters.

In any case, the Mantiri Incident is now history. Any rational
person would prefer to concentrate on the future, rather than
indulge in endless fretting over an unhappy past. Still, one
should not forget to learn from the lessons of past incidents.

Viewed from whatever aspect, one could conclude that the
Mantiri Incident and the Indonesian flag burnings are indications
that the foundations of the Indonesian and Australian
relationship are still shaky, despite claims that they had
reached an unprecedented level of strength just before the
Mantiri Incident.

For one thing, in the past several years, closer relations
have developed, mostly between government officials and
intellectuals, and perhaps also the media. What is obviously
missing are emotional ties between the two countries. There is no
sense of a mutual understanding of, and a mutual dependence on
each other, much less a shared vision.

And speaking of emotional ties, one would be inclined to
attribute this mainly to differences in psyche, which, in turn,
is closely related to the norms and values which each of the two
nations adhere to. Take for example the difference in viewpoint
regarding the position of the national flag. To many Australians,
a flag is just a symbol, without spiritual significance. To them,
a flag's destruction is not a cause for injured feelings. To most
Indonesians, however, the Merah Putih (Red and White) is a sacred
national symbol of freedom, obtained after hundreds of years of
colonization.

Another example: Many Indonesian felt offended by what they
perceived as the dictating tone of Foreign Minister Gareth Evans
when he set up the conditions that the Indonesian ambassador to
Australia should be a civilian and have no ties whatever with
East Timor. Many people here simply concluded that Minister
Evans' holier-than-thou stance symbolized arrogance and a total
lack of knowledge on the Indonesian psyche, on the part of
Australia. The question is: How can Australia expect to move
closer to Asia if it cannot understand, much less penetrate, the
Asian psyche?

It takes two, or more, to foster a relationship. The lesson
here is, both sides have to try harder to better know and
understand each other's different norms and values. Relations
should be fostered to embrace a wider circle of people, not just
officials and intellectuals. Ignorance and indifference, or
arrogance, will certainly not help build a more solid foundation
for more lasting relations in the future.

Meanwhile, some face-saving solution needs to be found, to
fill the vacant ambassadorial post in Canberra. A possible way
out is, perhaps, to wait until the end of the tenure of the
present Australian Ambassador to Jakarta. Then, both governments
can nominate their new ambassadors. In this way there will be no
loss of face. The two sides can start anew to nurture a more
solid relationship and move together into the 21st century.