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Issue of the day: Oz-RI ties sink and Abbott is to blame
Tony Abbott - JPJuly 2, p6Once again, Australia has disappointed Indonesia
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Tony Abbott - JP
July 2, p6
Once again, Australia has disappointed Indonesia. The low standard of Australia's diplomatic conduct has produced a loss in its integrity and credibility. Last year I mapped out in this column Indonesia's deep displeasure over the manner in which the Australian prime minister had handled, or rather mishandled, the relationship between our two countries.
Consider what has happened just recently. There are reports of a disgraceful A$30,000 cash bribe paid to return a boat full of desperate people asking for Australia's help to Indonesian waters.
And in May 2014, Australian media reported that the Australian navy had loaded two Albanians and one Indonesian onto a boat before returning it back to a remote island off eastern Indonesia. (By PLE Priatna, Beijing)
Your comments:
I don't think Indonesia should criticize if Australia pushes boat people back to Indonesia, even if many of those boat people use Indonesia just as brief stopover. Australia also shouldn't make a big deal of Indonesia allowing those people in. However, I agree that Australia is mainly at fault, but not in the way that author says it is.
What I know about borders, whether in developing or developed countries, is that the authorities don't care if a visitor doesn't intend to stay in the country.
You see that with France and the UK and French asylum seekers trying to sneak illegally into the UK.
Do you think Americans will stop Mexican illegal immigrants trying to smuggle themselves into Canada?
No. If Indonesia is close to slipping into China's sphere of influence, Uncle Sam is going to phone Abbott to layoff Indonesians. Just look at the US and the Greek crisis.
Why did the international monetary fund (IMF) leak the proposal to give Greece reprieve from debt payments for 20 years? It was the Americans that told to them to release it.
Why? Because the US doesn't want Greece to fall in the sphere of influence of Russia or China. But Indonesia is more important to US interests than Greece.
Weilim
Australia in the 1970's was the first country in the world to recognize China under Gough Whitlam even before Nixon and for 45 years we have managed to be on good terms with China and still maintain relations with America and the other republic of China (Taiwan).
Australia proposed Indonesia for Independence and guided Indonesia through that period of infancy. We proposed Israel for independence in 1948. We have been a player on the world stage for a long time.
We may be small in population but we tower in world's best practice.
Acropolous
If this is in any way indicative of how Indonesian foreign representatives continue to go about seeking peaceful neighborly relations, it certainly proves that they are on the losing end of the cerebral battle.
I can only imagine the hue and cry if it had been an Australian deputy head of mission, in Kuala Lumpur or in Singapore say, that had made such diplomatically inappropriate and derogatory comments about the leaders of Indonesia and its own national protection policies against a generally irresponsible neighbor.
Of course, if it had been an Australian diplomat casting such aspersions, he (or she) would have been immediately recalled to Canberra to face serious sanctions and, most likely, a swift termination of service.
Unfortunately, it is not only intelligence and courtesy that appears to be missing from this gentleman's somewhat narcissistic psyche but also lack of aptitude to reasonable and sensible argument backed up by substantiated facts and figures.
Unfortunately, it sadly also goes to openly demonstrate the serious lack of discipline and accountability within the senior ranks of the Indonesian diplomatic corps.
May Ling
If Indonesia wants to be respected then it must walk the talk and not just talk the talk. Indonesia can start by showing other people respect first. Respect is not a right. You earn respect by giving respect. If you don't show any respect then no one will respect you.
Asylum
When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself.
Pailine
