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RI, OZ agree on boat people, deeper ties
After months of political battering it was an elating day for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as his hosts here lavished him with praise, ending with a standing ovation for his address to the Australian parliament, making him only the fifth head of state to receive such an invitation in Australia’s history
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fter months of political battering it was an elating day for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as his hosts here lavished him with praise, ending with a standing ovation for his address to the Australian parliament, making him only the fifth head of state to receive such an invitation in Australia’s history.
Apart from reflecting on close relations, he also urged both peoples to end “preposterous caricatures” and “age-old” stereotypes of each other, despite active cooperation in several areas.
To top it all, during an earlier parliamentary luncheon held in his honor, he announced that the
National Police had managed to kill Dulmatin, suspected mastermind of the Bali bombing that killed 88 Australians, among over 200 victims.
In their bilateral meeting, both leaders agreed to intensify cooperation in handling problems related to boat people and speed up the process of relocating asylum seekers.
Indonesia is also planning a law to criminalize people smuggling, with a conviction bringing up to five years in prison, Yudhoyono said.
He recognized that “people smuggling is a regional problem that requires a regional solution involving the origin, transit and destination countries to work together.”
On the need to change mind-sets on both sides, Yudhoyono noted that “There are Australians who still see Indonesia as an authoritarian country or a military dictatorship or as a hotbed of Islamic extremism, or even as an expansionist power,” while “Australia-phobia” still exists among Indonesians, he said.
There was a small peaceful demonstration outside the parliament.
The wife of one of five journalists killed in the East Timor town of Balibo, Shirley Shackleton, gave a letter to the President through spokesman Dino Patti Djalal during the lunch.
“Our two countries can be friends but they have to be true friends,” she was quoted as saying by the Canberra times on Wednesday, saying that Australians can be good friends with Indonesians “if we clear the dreadful matters up.”
The President and his entourage left for the airport to return home through Sydney, bringing home an acoustic guitar from Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who said it was made with Yudhoyono’s initials engraved inside it. Rudd told the lunch audience of Yudhoyono’s musical skills, leading him to write a song about Sydney.
Rudd practiced a little of his Indonesian, saying Selamat datang kepada Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yang saya hormati, adding, “which basically means ‘G’day’”.
After a short address by opposition leader Tony Abott, who also hailed the close relations between the two countries, Yudhoyono said he was glad that Abott and Rudd had something to agree on, “but I do not take responsibility for what happens next,” inviting laughter from the audience.
In a joint statement, Australia pledged to provide A$215 million over four years to support Indonesia’s National Community Empowerment Program (PNPM).
In climate change cooperation, Australia said it has established an A$30 million Sumatra Forest Carbon Partnership, bringing its total contribution to A$70 on forest partnerships and cooperation.
