Letter: RI-Australian ties

I would like to comment on an article titled “Indonesian President offers Australian PM Rudd chance for redemption,” (the  Post, March 10) by John Lee of Sydney.

This story is a total mystery to me.

The President is and has been more than warmly welcomed. He is a highly respected leader of our most important neighbor. “With few foreign policy achievements to speak of, and several high-profile missteps in Asia, the Australian Prime Minister’s domestic and international reputation has taken a blow”.

Clearly, to my great surprise, John Lee, we live in different worlds. Until now I was completely unaware my Prime Minister was regarded as a fellow of low achievement.

Silly me, I thought him a man of great goodwill, similar to President Yudhoyono in his very important speech to the Australian Parliament. I could go on and on.

This is my first contribution to The Jakarta Post and I don’t want to abuse my membership. However, John Lee, a foreign policy fellow at the Center for Independent Studies in Sydney, I believe lives on an entirely different planet to me and distorts the views of folks in Indonesia.

Australians generally have very warm regard for our most important neighbor. It is quite important to me that Indonesia and Australia build upon existing relations for our mutual benefit.

Ian C. Purdie
Sydney