I think Australians underestimate and look down on Indonesia. They're projected to be a top 20 economy in 20 years. They're the 4th largest country by population in the world. They're our closest neighbour. Yet we treat them like shit.. Asylum seekers, this debacle and live cattle export are all relatively tiny issues that have destroyed what could be an incredibly lucrative partnership with a growing economy.
While the government should attempt to assist Australian nationals in trouble overseas (though DFAT have recently been reducing assistance for Australians who knowingly get themselves into trouble). We should have abandoned helping these guys months ago in an attempt to patch a shaky relationship and improve our relations with indonesia. Particularly considering they had a new president. But we've totally fucked it now, and Abbott will probably do something stupid to appease the brainless masses and pull our ambassador or something..
Just wanted to circle back on this and point out how little this will do to harm long-term relations. Yes, it will harm the Australian general public's opinion of Indonesia but not so much our diplomatic, trade, defence, security, etc. ties with them.
In the below article (and other similar pieces out there) note how Marsudi was quick to acknowledge the importance of Australia to Indonesia and not say things like "We don't care if they withdraw the ambo, Indo will not be lectured to" and similar defiant statements. Also not the very conciliatory tone of the Indonesian ambassador and the readiness of Australia's representatives to respond favourably to a very rapid attempt to return relations to a positive footing.
Bali 9 executions: Abbott welcomes Indonesian ‘sympathy’
THE AUSTRALIAN 4:51 PM
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...onesian-sympathy/story-fn59nm2j-1227329721309
Andrew Burrell
A day after Indonesia executed the two men, dismissed Australia’s protests and angered the government with its poor treatment of their families, the statement by ambassador Nadjib Riphat Kesoema called for efforts to “rebuild this important bilateral relation”.
As the Greens called on Tony Abbott to consider expelling Mr Kesoema, the Prime Minister welcomed the comments as a sign that Australia’s relationship with Indonesia could be rebuilt.
“It’s a sign that decent people in Indonesia appreciate the anger that Australians feel at these cruel and unnecessary deaths, and it’s a sign that in time the good and strong friendship between Australia and Indonesia can be resumed,” Mr Abbott said in Canberra.
However the Opposition Leader was less sympathetic to Mr Kesoema’s words, saying Australians were “shocked” and “disappointed” at the executions of the heroin smugglers.
“Well I think the words are cold comfort, actually, to the families – well intentioned, no doubt, but too little, too late,” Mr Shorten said in Melbourne.
“We deplore the executions. I think for a lot of Australians those executions came as a shock. We got to know these two men over the last 10 years. They weren’t just names in the newspaper or one particular or a couple of families’ personal concerns; we got to know them.
“The executions … have shocked people. Australians are rightly disappointed at the inability of our advice to convince Indonesia to provide clemency.”
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the executions should be “deeply regretted”, but Australians should “seek to move on” from the diplomatic row.
“I’m aware of a number of Indonesian politicians, businesspeople, who were deeply disturbed by the events of the past week,” Ms Bishop said in Perth.
“It’s time for us to seek to move on. We will need to build relations at the government level, the people-to-people level, and I think that we need to look at the long-term future of the relationship.
“I spoke to the family members last night and they are devastated – and one can’t help but feel so deeply for what they are going through – but we must focus on the long-term relationship with Indonesia.”
Former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said today he cancelled a trip to Australia because it would have been “counterproductive” but he hoped the diplomatic storm could be overcome.
Dr Yudhoyono cancelled his appearance at today’s In the Zone summit in Perth, and even withdrew at the last minute from a plan to pre-record a video address to delegates attending the event.
But in a brief statement read by UWA chancellor Michael Chaney, he noted he had spent two presidential terms trying to elevate Australia-Indonesia relations.
“I hope the current disturbed relationship can be restored,” he said.
Under Dr Yudhoyono’s rule, the two men appeared to have been spared the death penalty.
Former Labor foreign minister Stephen Smith told the conference it was not appreciated that Australia’s relationship with Indonesia remained strong despite frequent tensions including this week’s executions.
“If you stand back from that and let the dust and emotion settle, from a relationship perspective the fundamentals in terms of institutional relations have never been better,” he said.
Mr Abbott, when asked about a report in The West Australian that Joko Widodo’s fierce political opponent Prabowo Subianto repeatedly offered to support an “indefinite” postponement of the executions, said it was “disappointing” that the world’s representations were not heeded.
He refused to say whether Australia had asked Mr Prabowo to make such an offer, saying the government “made every effort through official channels, through unofficial channels, publicly and privately to appeal to the better angels of their natures”.
Ms Bishop denied the Australian government asked Mr Prabowo to intervene.
Mr Joko, under pressure from his political patron, former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, ignored the Mr Prabowo’s offer of political cover, the report said.
“I don’t believe that those executions represented Indonesia at its best. I know Indonesia well, I have had the honour of meeting a number of very senior Indonesians over the years, I have great affection for Indonesia, I have great respect for the leadership of Indonesia, and this was not Indonesia at its best,” Mr Abbott said.
Mr Shorten, who supports the Coalition’s suspension of ministerial contacts with Jakarta and the withdrawal of Australia’s ambassador, said he had not read the report about Mr Prabowo.
Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt urged the government to consider expelling Mr Kesoema.
“We need to be very, very clear that the death penalty is not something that Australia supports and we need to take a strong stand,” the Melbourne MP told Sky News.
The Indonesians executed Chan, 31, and Sukumaran, 34, alongside six other drug convicts on Wednesday morning on Nusa*kambangan, the Central Java penal island.
The Australians were sentenced to death in February 2006 for their role in organising the *couriering of 8.3kg of heroin from Bali to Australia the previous April.
After all judicial attempts to save them were exhausted, Mr Joko refused them presidential clemency four months ago.
Mr Kesoema, who returned to Australia from Indonesia yesterday, said it was a “difficult and challenging period” for bilateral relations but insisted a good relationship was “very important for Indonesia” and he hoped personal, cultural, business and academic links could be drawn on to recover what Mr Abbott has called a “dark moment”.
“Indonesia understands the views expressed by the people and government of Australia on the law-enforcement measures taken against the two Bali Nine drug-smuggling ringleaders,” Mr Kesoema’s statement said.
“The Indonesian people and the government express our sympathies to the families and friends of the deceased.
“This is a difficult and challenging period for Australia-Indonesia relations.”
The statement struck a different tone from those of officials in Indonesia who sought yesterday to distance Mr Joko from the executions, claiming they were not the result of his executive decision, and from statements on Wednesday by senior Indonesian leaders that inter*national anger was a “momentary ripple” and they were unfazed by Australia taking the unpreced*ented action of withdrawing its ambassador.
Additional reporting: Phillip Hudson, Peter Alford
And I'd just like to point out that Bandt is being an opportunistic idiot on this point.
