This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/29/a-fortress-australia-approach-wont-help-relations-with-indonesia
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| A 'fortress Australia' approach won't help relations with Indonesia | A 'fortress Australia' approach won't help relations with Indonesia |
| (3 months later) | |
| Zinc, aluminium, bronze, copper and steel. These are said to reflect Australia's national identity, if you read the blurb about the new $230m Australian embassy complex now rising on a large site in Jakarta. | Zinc, aluminium, bronze, copper and steel. These are said to reflect Australia's national identity, if you read the blurb about the new $230m Australian embassy complex now rising on a large site in Jakarta. |
| Its offices, residences and recreation facilities will be clad in one or other of these metals, which also reflect another aspect of Australia’s profile in Indonesia: the new embassy is designed to be as impervious to terrorist attacks as possible – a car-bombing at the existing building caused carnage at its gates in 2004. | Its offices, residences and recreation facilities will be clad in one or other of these metals, which also reflect another aspect of Australia’s profile in Indonesia: the new embassy is designed to be as impervious to terrorist attacks as possible – a car-bombing at the existing building caused carnage at its gates in 2004. |
| A side effect of the "fortress Australia" approach, though, is that virtually all Australian staff at the embassy from ambassador down will live in the complex, in a gated Australian community, a far cry from the days when diplomats were scattered in bungalows and apartments around town. | A side effect of the "fortress Australia" approach, though, is that virtually all Australian staff at the embassy from ambassador down will live in the complex, in a gated Australian community, a far cry from the days when diplomats were scattered in bungalows and apartments around town. |
| For two of the most different societies ever to find themselves geographic neighbours, Indonesia and Australia have been surprisingly warm towards one another. Periodic frictions ever since the republic was declared in 1945, only 44 years after the brash new federation came into being, have rarely deterred close relations. | |
| Tony Abbott and Julia Bishop are the latest in a long line of Australian politicians to declare the relationship has been neglected and underdeveloped. Behind them is the usual crowd of pundits warning, as many have before, that Indonesia needs us much less than we need Indonesia: heading towards 300m-plus in population, its economy growing like topsy into the world’s seventh largest in 15 years, centre of Washington’s new attention to Southeast Asia, it will have many suitors. | Tony Abbott and Julia Bishop are the latest in a long line of Australian politicians to declare the relationship has been neglected and underdeveloped. Behind them is the usual crowd of pundits warning, as many have before, that Indonesia needs us much less than we need Indonesia: heading towards 300m-plus in population, its economy growing like topsy into the world’s seventh largest in 15 years, centre of Washington’s new attention to Southeast Asia, it will have many suitors. |
| Yet both the politicians and the pundits feel obliged to put a transactional value on the relationship: the growing middle class and its appetite for our beef, financial services, university degrees and holidays; assistance in countering refugee flows and terrorists; buffering Chinese power. | Yet both the politicians and the pundits feel obliged to put a transactional value on the relationship: the growing middle class and its appetite for our beef, financial services, university degrees and holidays; assistance in countering refugee flows and terrorists; buffering Chinese power. |
| Where is the warmth? Only rarely do we get a voice like that of economist Ross Garnaut, who points out that with a friendly Indonesia, Australia will never be isolated from Asia. | Where is the warmth? Only rarely do we get a voice like that of economist Ross Garnaut, who points out that with a friendly Indonesia, Australia will never be isolated from Asia. |
| Beneath the president and prime minister, and their foreign ministers, is a toxic layer of domestic-model politicians in both countries, ready to make the most of any sign of distrust or deception. Even that top-level wisdom has been strained by the Edward Snowden revelation that the Australian signals directorate tapped the mobile phones of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife, and senior ministers. | Beneath the president and prime minister, and their foreign ministers, is a toxic layer of domestic-model politicians in both countries, ready to make the most of any sign of distrust or deception. Even that top-level wisdom has been strained by the Edward Snowden revelation that the Australian signals directorate tapped the mobile phones of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife, and senior ministers. |
| In earlier times, tension would dissipate, because of Australia’s benign image, the early support for Indonesia’s independence in influential sections of the Australian community, the embrace of Indonesian language study in our schools, some pioneer mining and other businesses, and the 20m-strong audience for Radio Australia. | In earlier times, tension would dissipate, because of Australia’s benign image, the early support for Indonesia’s independence in influential sections of the Australian community, the embrace of Indonesian language study in our schools, some pioneer mining and other businesses, and the 20m-strong audience for Radio Australia. |
| That historical narrative has been tempered by the East Timor and West Papua experiences, Indonesian language study has dwindled close to extinction and shortwave radio has been displaced by wi-fi. As for business, Indonesia has made itself a perilous investment zone, inhabited by nationalist ministries and corruptible police and judges. | |
| To give them credit, Abbott and Bishop are opening new pathways into Indonesia. One is the new Colombo plan, which will place some bright Australian students in Indonesian universities. Another is a new national centre for Indonesian studies at Monash university. | To give them credit, Abbott and Bishop are opening new pathways into Indonesia. One is the new Colombo plan, which will place some bright Australian students in Indonesian universities. Another is a new national centre for Indonesian studies at Monash university. |
| Yet they are also choking off or narrowing others. The closure of the ABC’s Australia Network ended a nascent effort to replace Radio Australia as a window into Indonesian households − to portray Australia as a place to study, park savings, take a peaceful holiday, or pick up ideas. | Yet they are also choking off or narrowing others. The closure of the ABC’s Australia Network ended a nascent effort to replace Radio Australia as a window into Indonesian households − to portray Australia as a place to study, park savings, take a peaceful holiday, or pick up ideas. |
| The scrapping of AusAid as a separate organisation, folding its activities back into the department of foreign affairs and trade, killed a well-known brand name – not least in its main area of activity, where its aid projects like support for village schools stood somewhat separate from hard national interest. | The scrapping of AusAid as a separate organisation, folding its activities back into the department of foreign affairs and trade, killed a well-known brand name – not least in its main area of activity, where its aid projects like support for village schools stood somewhat separate from hard national interest. |
| Over the years I have taken part in many Australia-Indonesia forums, where the elite-level participants on the Australian side generally end up asking why others − businessmen, students, tourists − aren't as excited by Indonesia as they are. | Over the years I have taken part in many Australia-Indonesia forums, where the elite-level participants on the Australian side generally end up asking why others − businessmen, students, tourists − aren't as excited by Indonesia as they are. |
| There are some things that could make Australians sit up − a touring exhibition of Indonesia’s marvellous modern art would be one − but it will probably take a major strategic decision by Australia’s political leaders. | There are some things that could make Australians sit up − a touring exhibition of Indonesia’s marvellous modern art would be one − but it will probably take a major strategic decision by Australia’s political leaders. |
| Indonesian should be the language taught by all our primary schools. If students and their parents want to add other languages, studying one generally helps with another. It helps that Indonesian is structurally simple, easily pronounced, written phonetically in Roman script, and usable at almost any level. Use of Skype conversation and student exchanges make it a live, fun experience for the young, as seen in schools like Leongatha in Victoria’s dairy country. | Indonesian should be the language taught by all our primary schools. If students and their parents want to add other languages, studying one generally helps with another. It helps that Indonesian is structurally simple, easily pronounced, written phonetically in Roman script, and usable at almost any level. Use of Skype conversation and student exchanges make it a live, fun experience for the young, as seen in schools like Leongatha in Victoria’s dairy country. |
| We should make this decision not because it will help win export deals or get high-paying jobs, though maybe it will for some people, but because of strategic choice: this is where we live and these are the neighbours we need to understand. | We should make this decision not because it will help win export deals or get high-paying jobs, though maybe it will for some people, but because of strategic choice: this is where we live and these are the neighbours we need to understand. |
| • Hamish McDonald’s new book Demokrasi: Indonesia in the 21st Century is out now | |
Previous version
1
Next version