Why Australia matters to Indonesia

Why Australia matters to Indonesia

By Dewi Anggraeni

MELBOURNE (JP): Wise people say that you only know your
friends when you are going through bad times. And true friends,
it is fair to say, do not make a song and dance about what they
do to assist you. It is therefore reasonable to say that
Australia has been such a friend to Indonesia.

Australia's involvement in the present situation in Indonesia
has been far from one dimensional. In fact it has been multi-
dimensional. It spreads widely across various sectors, from
government, academic, legal, community lobbies to business. And
more important, it also covers both sides of the political
spectrum.

Australia's role in the endeavor to arrest the monetary crisis
in Indonesia is significant, because unlike Indonesia's fellow
ASEAN nations who incidentally are experiencing varying degrees
of difficulties, it is still identified as a Western nation.
While most Western societies watch Indonesia from the same side
as the United States, Australia dared to step out and reenter the
field as a mediator, exhorting the IMF and the U.S. to soften
their stance on Indonesia.

Admittedly, Australia's concern for Indonesia's dire situation
is not altogether altruistic. Indonesia holds a leading position
in ASEAN, which Western policymakers are hoping to use as a
counterbalance against the rise of China.

This concern does not stop at the issue of post-Cold War
regional security either. If Indonesia became defensive and
inward-turning, it could close the Sunda Strait to foreign ships,
potentially causing trade problems and global security concerns.
And Australia, being the closest neighbor, would be the most
vulnerable of the Western economies and forces.

In trade, while Indonesia is not a major trading partner, it
is regarded as having potential for further growth as an export
market. The contraction of that market therefore is not in
Australia's interest. Despite the extended economic crisis in
Indonesia, there is still sufficient optimism on the part of
Australia's business community, encouraged by the government,
that the economy will improve and that it is worth persevering.

This self-interest however is a necessary double-edged sword.
There has never been a relationship between two nations that is
entirely and unilaterally altruistic. There needs to be a balance
(or tension) between self-interest and altruism, if the
relationship is going to be long-lasting and meaningful.

At the government level, there is an acute awareness of this
balance, which translates into bipartisan support for the
endeavor to assist Indonesia in overcoming the crisis.

Recently, when tension between the Indonesian government and
the IMF became so high that a break was imminent, Australia's
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer went to Washington to lobby the
U.S. government and the IMF to reformulate its terms on the
fund's rescue package.

And make a difference he did. By the end of March the effect
was visible; the IMF, following the change of stance of
Singapore, Hong Kong and the U.S., took a more "flexible and
realistic" view of the situation in Indonesia.

It is worth noting that Downer did not seem to overrate his
role publicly, or, on the other hand, Australian media, known for
its understatement when it comes to the achievements of its own
national leaders, may not have made a big story out of it.

All this does not mean that the messages from Australia are
only peaches and cream. While the government and the opposition
concentrate on ways of helping Indonesia out of the crisis, the
community at large is aware of the political situation and the
resulting social problems and is not slow in expressing its
concern publicly.

The Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA) for instance,
has been a strong advocate for human rights improvement in
Indonesia. It has been providing forums for disadvantaged groups
in Indonesia to voice their protests and inform the Australian
public of injustices and human rights violations in the country.

Alongside ACFOA, a number of community legal bodies also play
an important role in raising the awareness of the Australian
public of pressing needs in Indonesia, thus directly or
indirectly lobbying the government to take steps toward
improvement. Support for detained political activists also comes
from academia, who regularly send petitions to the Indonesian
authorities expressing their concerns.

In the beginning of this month, a legal body with
international profile, the International Commission of Jurists
(ICJ) raised the human rights issue in Indonesia, after Spencer
Zifcak, president of the Victorian council of ICJ Australian
section, arrived back from Indonesia on April 4.

Zifcak reported that there was clear evidence of a "crackdown
on political dissent" in the country stating among other things,
that 400 Indonesians had been arrested in the four months to
March. The ICJ then asked the Australian government to make its
support for Indonesia conditional upon the country improving its
human rights record.

The Australian section's president, Justice John Dowd, then
said that "the Indonesian government has to understand that if
the world is going to help them out of their problems, they have
got to accept that these are the terms in which we do it. That
is, human rights applied."

The big picture that comes across from all the activities
taking place in relation to Australia's place and role in the
Indonesian crisis is one of Australia increasingly accepting that
its fate is entwined with that of Indonesia. As this realization
is not always welcome in some sections of the community, it may
be part of the pain of Australia maturing as a nation.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Melbourne.