Issues: ‘RI-Australia ties: It takes two to tango’

It is the time: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono looks at his watch during a meeting with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at Parliament House in Canberra March 10. Yudhoyono made a three-day visit to Canberra for talks on expanding the A$9.3 billion (US$8.4 billion) two-way trade relationship and slowing influx of asylum seekers using Indonesian ports as a jumping off point. Reuters/Alan Poritt
March 19, p. 6

We’ve just had a week of whinges, as Australians call complaints. Politicians, academics and the commentariat have been bemoaning the state of Indonesian-Australian relationships. There’s been plenty of basa-basi but little frank talk, though to be fair Ati Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post, March 13) identified the flawed rule of law as an impediment.

Eavesdrop any group of Ockers at Ngurah Rai waiting for their Airbus and the key talking points are personal encounters with petty corruption and cheating.

These experiences stick, eclipsing memories of a generous culture, cheap food and great bargains. It’s not a good look.

Nor is Australia’s maintenance of travel warnings. Anyone going overseas has to watch their wallet.

If you can’t follow the news and keep your nose out of demos then you shouldn’t be in charge
of a passport. Do Australians really need the nanny state to tell them to take care? (By Duncan Graham, Surabaya)

Your comments:

Bali and Lombok are good fun and I love going there. A number of points:  
Tourist police in Bali need to be more visible and willing to act (without the assistance of a bribe)
I went to university with both Javanese and Chinese Indonesians and found some wonderful
friends which gave me a real respect and affection for Indonesians
for life.
A bigger program of scholarships from the Australian government would be worthwhile. Perhaps, Indonesia may think something similar would be worthwhile.
I disagree with the guy who
prefers Vietnam as a holiday
destination. I still prefer Bali
and Lombok, although the Vietnamese are more efficient and their airports, particularly in Saigon, are very good.
The Javanese probably need to stop thinking about their hegemony so much and become a little broader with regard to interaction with Western countries.
Environmental degradation is destroying Bali. The Balinese need to start putting in place programs for the environment. Travelling in a high speed boat between Lombok and Benoa harbor, you can see the amount of refuse that is dumped out to sea.
It is staggering. No amount of glossy brochures will assist when you have waste like this being dumped daily.
Sydney Simon
Sydney

Australians, when we use “ocker” ourselves (if we ever do), we understand it’s nuance but others, notably New Zealanders and the British use the term to be deliberately condescending and offensive toward all Australians.
Also, to say that “the Ozzie twang might deter many school principals” — is that more anti-Australian personal bias from the writer? Again, how does that fit with the broader theme of the article?
Australian English is as valid as any form of the language. As Indonesia’s largest English-speaking neighbor with whom it wants better relations, it follows then that Australian English is exactly what Indonesians should want to know if they are genuine in wanting that better relationship.
A common language and dialect are very effective in bringing diverse peoples together.
Robert Virgin
Canberra

It’s always important to stick to reality, even when the delivery must be couched in diplomatic style. Being diplomatic doesn’t mean twisting the truth. Indonesia and Australia, remind me of a song’s lyrics: “Friendship is not always ‘rainbow and butterflies’”.
True friendship (and other kinds of relationship) evolve over time, and is not determined by the eternal absence of disagreements, disputes or friction.
But this is how Indo-Oz reacts toward every single thing coming in the way. Sadly, in this context,
national interests make up the larger portion.
Yohana Victoria
Jakarta