Indonesia bullies and Australia genuflects

D uring the 1960s and 1970s Aussies developed a rite of passage. It was a sort of walk-about, a Pied Piper compulsion to explore the world. The curious were beckoned to new horizons beyond the isolated realm of the antipodes that still suffered the stigma of exclusion from the cultures—the affectation of European superiority.

Aussie pilgrims trekking the northern hemisphere soon learned that the word “Australia” invoked admiration and respect in general. “Very brave, very good soldiers,” was the usual epithet respectfully fielded by those nations we went to visit, to observe and to further understand our heritage and that of others.

Travelling Australians were welcomed and respected by the people of other nations. They liked out friendliness, our laid-back attitude, our sense of fun and most of all, our matter of fact straightforwardness.

However, toadyism from our succession of spineless politicians soon destroyed Australia’s international reputation and taught the lesser nations that all they had to do to get their way was yell and scream. We apologise for everything, we write a few cheques, promise more and accept a steady course of abuse into the bargain.

Indonesia has not forgotten Australia’s successful military action in East Timor and many Australians have not forgotten the murdering of five Aussie journalists by Indonesian soldiers and the denials and cover-ups by both governments, disgusting as it was. Australia’s lack of support for its own sent the signal that we were weak.

Indonesia has treated Australia with contempt ever since. And Australia responds by truckling.

And, the latest “let’s rub Australia’s nose in the mud” is the illegal boat people standoff. The Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, the one with the smarmy grin, and the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto—the senior official responsible for top-level coordination are humiliating Australia to suit their own political images for the upcoming elections.

It is common knowledge that Indonesian politics and the authoritative arms are rife with corruption. Indonesia does not want boat people returned because they have spent their money with Indonesian smugglers and various officials that milked the lot.

Immigration and Border Protection Minister Scott Morrison says there was no standoff. Of course there was. Indonesia began accepting “turn-backs” but switched when Fairfax announced Australia was spying them. Even though the whistle blower Snowden’s claims have not been tested. Nevertheless, it was a good excuse for Fairfax to smear the Abbott government and for Indonesia to weasel out of a diplomatic agreement.

To whoop up public hatred toward Australia, good little servants of the regime like Hikmahanto Juwana at the University of Indonesia (UI) said Australia’s decision to end the standoff was a welcome one. “It is very positive for Indonesia. It shows that our stern stance worked and that Indonesia will not bow to Australia’s policy as such,” he said. He was quick to inform that Indonesia was not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, whereas Australia was. Anything to support his narrow argument has currency.

Not added to Indonesia’s hypocritical mix are other matters that most Australians have not forgotten. Conveniently forgotten is the Australian people digging deep into their pockets to help victims of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami that left about 100,000 Indonesians dead in the Aceh province alone.

Then Prime Minister John Howard said to President Yudhoyono. “We see Indonesia’s need, we respond to that need, but we respond in a way that respects the sovereignty of Indonesia,” he said handing over $1 billion that was in addition to established aid making the total $1.8 billion.

President Yudhoyono was overwhelmed by Australia’s generosity. “(He said) he would never forget it,” Mr Howard said. Australia donated more than the 50 plus donor countries. This is now forgotten.

Perhaps not known, rather than forgotten, is Indonesia’s ability to find money, lots of it, for its military build up. From Germany our “northern mates” recently bought 104 leopard 2 tanks and 50 armoured personnel carriers. Also, part of their $15 billion upgrade is the purchase of 16 more Russian Sukhoi fighter jets, 17 patrol vessels, three light frigates and more tanks and missiles. Also, the upgrading of their squadron of F-16s will be in the billions.

So, Australia’s generosity of several Hercules transporters, patrol boats and $650 million annually in aid wins us the diplomatic finger—the bird! And still we waffle about our valuable neighbours to the north.
That Indonesia claims its people are angry at Australia for returning boat people to the shores whence they embarked and lived while waiting, I doubt. As I also doubt their concern about spying. They have much more to worry about, like surviving.

The Asian psyche does not accept weakness and Indonesian leaders have for a long time taken Australia’s caring attitude as a weakness unworthy of respect. Perhaps the revoking of aid would get their attention as would spending our tourist dollars elsewhere. Maybe we can’t demand respect but we can display national pride—that would be a start!

As for the importance of trade with Indonesia the facts from DFAT (using the latest data from the ABS, the IMF and various international sources) are well worth noting and remembering.

Indonesia’s principal export destinations: 2012.
1 Japan 15.9%
2 China 11.4%
3 Singapore 9.0%
10 Australia 2.6%

Indonesia’s principal import sources: 2012.
1 China 15.3%
2 Singapore 13.6%
3 Japan 11.9%
8 Australia 2.8%
Compiled by the Trade Advocacy and Statistics Section, DFAT. 

Comments

[ibbit]

1.

Great article.

It recites all that many older - and hopefully younger - Australians know and feel about Indonesia.

Indonesia's easy take all that's given in aid, could be better acknowledged by acts of reciprocity rather than words which are all to easily dismissed as if never spoken in later times. Acknowledging aid and Australia's right to protect its sovereignty by acts of reciprocity, particularly when that reciprocity really translates into Indonesia's legal obligations under the law of the sea regarding people leaving its shores in an attempt to enter another country illegally, would be a better way to go.

But then, then when did appeasement ever work with those perhaps prone to be aggressors?

Maybe Abbott is showing signs of a tougher stance when he talks clearly about Indonesia's legal responsibility. One hopes so.

Maybe also Australia does not want to head down the track of what Rudd suggested would happen under Abbott - starting armed conflict - especially with our military forces depleted of money for equipment and manpower by Labor and, in this regard, a beefed up Indonesia.

To hear politicians tell it, Indonesia is so valuable in terms of trade - which this article shows is not the case - we could never offend them in any way. What a mess this all is.

[Jim Witt]

2.

It would not do any harm to "bitch slap" these bastards back to reality. First, stop all the standard aid money, and we have a valid reason as our former incompetent government has run us into debt and the illegals that are already here are costing us billions. If that does not stop the boats, ban all direct flights from Australia to Bali, remove consular assistance there and warn travelers from going there. One thing we do know from the Bali bombing experience is that when the Bali hotels go empty and the sales of Bintang massively drop off, the money people in Jakarta will be hammering the government to get it fixed. It is the only thing that got the Bali bombers caught and punished, and I am willing to bet it would stop the boats as well. Indonesia has a lot of gall. Despite having the largest Army and Navy in the southern hemisphere, their borders are porous due to endemic corruption and all they want to do is pass their problem due to this onto us. What a bunch of sick puppies.

[bluebell]

3.

Our incessant grovelling has been going on ever since the butchering of the Balibo five:

The widow of one of the victims, Shirley Shackleton won the Wakley Award for her book, The Circle of Silence. Exposing the outward cowardliness of successive Australian governments to bring the Indonesian government to book over these judicial killings. Here is her amazing speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqcmwaKp5Uk

[Allan]

4.

While there are those that are shying away from thoughts of armed conflict with Indonesia, I have to ask why is Indonesia spending countless billions on arms? Why do they need such a large and well armed defence force? Who is it that they are going to fight?

Indonesia is not under threat but their current stance against Australia has all the hallmarks of sabre rattling. Their arrogant upstart foreign minister Natalegawa and his sidekick Suyano are spoiling for a fight.

We don't need Indonesia for any reason at all. We don't need them as trading partners, we don't need them as military allies and we don't need them as untrustworthy friends.

What we do need is to withdraw all aid to them and their obscenely corrupt government, stop training their armed services personnel and put their embassy/consulate on notice.

[Terry]

5.

I agree with the sentiments concerning Indonesia, but I also caution that Asian culture isn't well receptive to loss of face. I think Abbott knows full well what he is dealing with, and I think he'll achieve more with quiet diplomacy rather than foghorn grandstanding. Whether we like Indonesia or not, we need its assistance in stopping the boats. It knows this and with an election looming its pollies are keen to show how they are in charge of white Australia, not to be pushed around.

I caution that reacting in public isn't the way to get what we want from the Indonesians. Tell them what we think, but quietly, assertively and without public fanfare. We want a result, not a pyric victory which won't stem the boat tide.

[concerned reader]

6.

Terry, in a new relationship your diplomacy theory may work. Not in the case of Indonesia who have since the Balibo 5 murders been taught that Australia will bend to their every want. As Crocker says, they have no respect for the weak and submissive. The only way back is drawing a line in the sand and enforcing it. And, if they don't like it, that's just too damned bad. Australia needs to decide if it wants to be an annex of Moslem country or remain soveriegn. Your "diplomacy" part is to cut aid and stop tourism. No "foghorn" needed. And, if it is all about money, at what price is our pride destroyed?

[Georgina]

7.

This is a very good article by Crocker. Dare I say it- but the ALP and Fairfax are fuelling this debate. They are trying to denigrate Australia in its stance against people smugglers and illegal boat arrivals and falling into the hands of grinning Natalegawa who has caused trouble before.

Why should Australia send all this aid to Indonesia. Surely the Philippines is more deserving of it at this time and other countries where children are grovelling around in the dirt for an existence. Children's organisations are drying out for help for them.

For Indonesia to spend all this Australians' taxpayers' aid money on arms is a thorough disgrace
and no one should be aiding and abetting it. Of course ALLP has left our Defence as a last priority and Indonesia knows that.

What would Indonesia have to say if Australia sent fishing boats and returned illegal asylum seekers back into its waters? There are sovereign borders to be acknowledged. It seems that the last boat which foundered in Indonesian waters was told by Indonesians to "get going" out of its waters and head for Christmas Island.

Scott Morrison gave an excellent reply in Parliament today to the ravings of Bill Shorten who was forgetting the legacy left by Labor when 20,000 boat people arrived illegally in Australia and over 1000 were drowning at sea.

Labor should be wholeheartedly thinking of Australia and Australians and stop its nonsense. It is fuelling the present situation after causing a situation which has no parallel.

[Arthur Dent]

8.

We don't need Indonesia for any reason at all. We don't need them as trading partners..

The Northern Territory cattle producers may disagree with you Allan.

[bluebell]

9.

Northern Territory cattle producers shouldn't have relied on one market for their cattle sales - common sense would tell you to diversify, Hopefully they would have learned their lesson from the recent ban and sought out other alternatives for their product. The Asian region is rapidly gaining a very large middle class, and with that comes the demand for more sources of protein. In short we can afford to tell Indonesia to whistle Dixie if they cannot bring themselves to treat living animals with RESPECT!

[Allan]

10.

Your not very good at thinking things out before having ago at other contributors are you Arthur? I'm not surprised.

[Arthur Dent]

11.

If that does not stop the boats, ban all direct flights from Australia to Bali

"ban flights to Bali" ?
Are you serious or delirious, Jim.
There'd be a bogan riot!
Perhaps if you first came up with another destination where we can walk around in a "wife-beater", displaying our nationalis....no, patriotic, southern cross tattoos, get pissed and chant aussie aussie aussie, oi oi oi.

[Arthur Dent]

12.

China's looking good for beef bluebell. As you say, a rising middle class that own fridges, and don't demand ritual slaughter.

Thing is, Indonesian companies have already started buying up Northern Territory cattle stations.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/indonesian-group-secures-nt-cattle-stations/story-e6frg6nf-1226731626364

[Grantley]

13.

With some Indonesians making so much out of people smuggling it is unlikely any "negotiated" result will get air time, the same people no doubt profit well from our aid $$.
Perhaps therein lies the solution.

Any relationship will travel further when respect is mutual. Unfortuneatly I see Indonesia treating our sovereignty & borders with contempt our aid as a rite. I would suggest that when Indonesia starts showing us some respect that we re-ciprocate. Until then.....read first para.

[Peter Simmons]

14.

Why do you stay in this Country, Artie?

Like most Lefties you hate everything about the place because it is not built in your idea of Socialist Utopia.

Unfortunately for you, the majority of people in Australia are not as gullible and blinkered as yourself.

You are so convinced you are right, why don't you run for Parliament and try and change everything. The soon to be defunct Greens will welcome you with open arms.

[AlterEgo]

15.

My suspicion concerning the size of the Indonesian armed forces is that the government needs them to keep their population under control.

Only reported on Al Jazeera, but there were massive strikes in Indonesia recently, which were put down by the military.

Why do you stay in this Country, Artie?

Have a workmate who is so green, he glows emerald in the dark.

He once put pretty much the same question :

"How bad would it have to be to make you leave this country?"

Question fell into the category of "BBQ Stopper".

[AlterEgo]

16.

Tell them what we think, but quietly, assertively and without public fanfare. We want a result, not a pyric victory which won't stem the boat tide.

Unfortunately, shock jocks and tabloid newspapers have already made the "public fanfare" for years.

The Indonesian government "sort of" understands media freedom in this country, but at the same time believes that because they are not shut down, they "sort of" act as "unofficial government policy spruikers".

It would indeed be a Pyrrhic victory if we ended up losing out on the massive trade that the emerging middle class in Indonesia will create.

[Allan]

17.

Alter Ego at 15. Do you really believe everything you post here?

Why would Indonesia need a very up to date defence establishment with top of the range tanks, world class fighter aircraft, armed troop carriers, and a very much upgraded navy to control its population?

If you are a country that is not under threat but have a standing army of 300,000 then I suppose you have better find something for them to do before they revolt and strike breaking sounds about par for the course.

[Allan]

18.

"It would indeed be a Pyrrhic victory if we ended up losing out on the massive trade that the emerging middle class in Indonesia will create."

Just where did you get that from? If we are talking about trade and satisfying a "growing middle class" then we had better be talking about China. I would guess that we would have less trouble with China then we will with Indonesia.

I would suggest that many here in Australia have woken up to that already - especially in regard to the supply of beef, whether it is on the hoof or kitchen ready..