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Australia should consult more with Asian neighbors
Richard Woolcott: (JP/Jerry Adiguna)Given its proximity and geopolitical significance, Australia needs a more balanced, up-to-date strategic and policy framework in which Canberra consults more with countries in the region, a veteran diplomat says
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Richard Woolcott: (JP/Jerry Adiguna) (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
Richard Woolcott: (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
Given its proximity and geopolitical significance, Australia needs a more balanced, up-to-date strategic and policy framework in which Canberra consults more with countries in the region, a veteran diplomat says.
Former Australian ambassador to Indonesia Richard Woolcott said that Canberra needed to consult more with Asian countries when making decisions that may affect the region.
'We need to look at our neighbors, like Indonesia, China, Japan, South Korea and India,' Woolcott said during a recent visit to The Jakarta Post offices.
Woolcott said 'consultation' should not be limited to issues affecting Asia but also those stretching beyond the region.
'Australia needs to develop a network of regular consultations with Indonesia, including on strategic and international issues, similar to those we have with the US and New Zealand,' Woolcott said.
On 'beyond the region' issues, such as the Israel-Palestine situation, Australia tended to consult European countries, the US and Israel when making decisions on votes at the UN.
On the issue, Woolcott urged Canberra to also work closely with Indonesia as a country with the biggest Muslim population and with China and Japan as regional powers. 'My point is, we do need a more up-to-date strategic framework.'
He also noted a need for a fundamental change in the 'national psyche'. 'A fundamental change which will be genuinely focused in a future more on Asian neighbors, especially Indonesia, China and India than on our traditional, and already well-established links with the US, New Zealand and Britain,' he said.
Australia joined a multilateral agreement for cooperation in signals intelligence along with New Zealand, the US, Britain and Canada. The alliance of intelligence operations is also known as Five Eyes.
Woolcott acknowledged that many Australians still regarded Indonesia as a chaotic and corrupt country in which Islamic extremism was rife while the rule of law was weak. Half of the population see Indonesia as a potential military threat.
On the other hand, some Indonesians are largely ignorant and suspicious of Australia
'Therefore, it is a pressing need for a major public diplomacy campaign in both countries to increase wider public awareness of each country,' he argued.
The recent disclosure of the wiretapping of the cell phones of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and several Cabinet ministers put the two countries' relations in the spotlight.
After a perceived inadequate response from Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Woolcott, who was involved with nine governments and worked closely with the leadership of premiers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, pointed out that based on his experiences, a new government in Australia took between six to nine months to settle in.
However, it was an exception under the Gough Whitlam administration in the 1970s. Canberra formulated a clear major regional policy, such as the withdrawal of Australian forces from Vietnam in November 1970, established diplomatic relations with China and put particular focus on Indonesia.
'There was no real problem when Whitlam came to power, but with most of the others, it took a while to settle down,' Woolcott said.
