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Tough year, yet encouraging in RI diplomacy, Marty says
Cordial once more: Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa (left) and his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop smile to the press after their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta on Dec
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span class="inline inline-center">Cordial once more: Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa (left) and his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop smile to the press after their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta on Dec. 5. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama
Despite its rocky relationship with Australia following the spying revelations, Indonesia has noted encouraging developments in its diplomatic pursuit throughout 2013, claiming that the country can look after its national interests and manage its role as a regional power and global influencer.
Reviewing the 2013 foreign policy, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said there were ups and downs in the country's diplomacy during the year.
The recent disclosure of the tapping of the cell phones of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife by in 2009 sparked a fierce row between Indonesia and Australia that saw relations plunge to their lowest point since the late 1990s.
Marty pointed out that the spying row had led to mistrust that could not be restored overnight, but through a gradual process.
Indonesia has insisted that it is in no hurry to improve relations since the fault of the problem lies with Australia. 'So, it has a greater responsibility to restore ties.
'Progress in restoring relations would depend much on the commitment of Canberra to accommodate Jakarta's demands, in which Yudhoyono has set up six steps that must be taken with a clear goal: the absence of spying by the northern neighbor.
'The ball is on the Australian side and depends on the core problem: how to restore mutual trust,' he said.
Saying that the situation was not 'ripe enough' for relations to be restored as yet, he compared the effort of repairing the ties to an oil change, 'We should first ensure that the tank is empty before filling it with new oil.'
Before formulating a code of conduct, Marty said, Australia needed to reveal all that has been hidden, so there will be no more new surprises [in spying revelations].
Indonesia has suspended three areas of cooperation, namely military exercises, coordinated patrols and exchanges of information and intelligence. 'The faucet is closed and it has affected [Australia] much.'
Throughout 2013, Marty said, Indonesia has continued to play a role as a regional power with global interests as it always comes as part of a solution to global challenges, through bilateral and regional and interregional cooperation
Indonesia's efforts in managing conflict in the Cambodia-Thailand dispute over Preah Vihear Temple bore results. Indonesia facilitated dialogue between Cambodia and Thailand in 2011 to ensure that the dispute did not lead to open conflict.
In November, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that part of the land around the temple was Cambodia's and that Thailand must withdraw its forces from the area. The UN court ruling clarified a 1962 decision awarding jurisdiction of the temple to Cambodia.
Marty said the reaction to the ICJ ruling in Cambodia and Thailand had been good, calm and to date turmoil-free. 'If the crisis is averted, it has not been without hard work. Through a diplomatic process, we anticipated and persuaded both parties to exercise restraint. There was no overly joyous celebration that had the potential to spark further violence,' Marty said.
Indonesia also exercised its belief in the efficacy and effectiveness of diplomacy in maintaining peace, security and prosperity in the region, through intensive and under-the-surface contacts in easing tensions concerning the South China Sea territorial disputes.
Marty acknowledged that the South China Sea was a litmus test to ASEAN in keeping its unity and maintaining peace and stability in the region. 'Like it or not, the South China Sea has been a touchstone for ASEAN,' Marty said.
Marty said ASEAN-China should sit together in a formal consultation to discuss a code of conduct in the South China Sea. 'We will continuously strive to reach a code of conduct.'
'So, we have reason to be encouraged; to feel positive. It's been a very challenging year. However, we are able to manage our national interest, secure it and promote it,' Marty said.
International expert Edy Prasetyono of the University of Indonesia acknowledged the country's diplomatic success in preserving peace and stability in the region, as in the case of the Preah Vihear Temple dispute and the South China Sea.
However, he underlined the need for Indonesia to have a clear diplomacy blueprint, stating the guidelines and goals supporting the nation's interests, with the participation of all domestic and international stakeholders.
Edy urged the government to put more emphasis on strengthening maritime diplomacy, since most of the country's trade passed through sea lanes.
