[Kabar-indonesia] We're Still Wary of Indonesia [5 reports by SMH and The Australian]

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

5 reports: 

- SMH Editorial: Getting to Know the Neighbours

- The Australian Opinion by Malcolm Cook and Ivan Cook: 
  We're Still Very Wary of Indonesia [Relations are fraught 
  with our nearest Asian neighbour]

- SMH: Mutual Suspicions in Jakarta Relations

- SMH: A reliable friend, but things are still rocky

- The Australian: Survey shows public's fear of Indonesia

Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday, October 3, 2006

Editorial

Getting to Know the Neighbours

IGNORANCE breeds contempt and the testy relationship between Australia and 
Indonesia is apparently no exception. Only a fifth of Australians can correctly 
identify any version of the name of the Indonesian President, Dr Susilo 
Bambang Yudhoyono, and our pronounced indifference puts Indonesia a distant last on 
our list of regional friends. The view from Indonesia is not much prettier. 
Just one in four Indonesians recognise John Howard and our lacklustre image only 
narrowly edges out North Korea and Iraq in Indonesians' eyes. The trouble is 
that nations cannot pack up and move. For all the sniping and animosity - and 
the occasional flush of goodwill, like that sparked by the 2004 tsunami - 
Australia and Indonesia have no choice but to get along. The negative sentiments 
in the new survey by the Lowy Institute for International Policy are worrying 
because fear and ignorance are a volatile mix. But there is something positive 
to be gleaned from the fact that a clear majority of Australians and 
Indonesians also think it is important to "work to develop a close relationship". So, 
where to start?

First, misconceptions are always worth debunking. Most Australians believe we 
are "right to worry about Indonesia as a military threat" and a fear of 
invasion from the north has long resonated in the Australian psyche. In truth, 
Indonesia's military hardware is so dilapidated it has little capacity to attack, 
nor is Indonesia a nation of migration threatening to swamp us with its 
people. Islamic terrorists based in Indonesia do, and have, threatened Australians, 
but they also threaten the lives of ordinary Indonesians. Counter-terrorism is 
a common cause. The bilateral tensions are often explained in terms of the 
diverging cultures and histories of the two countries. The differences are 
profound, but no more so than those between Australia and other Asian nations, many 
of which now rank as positively as the United States in Australians' eyes. 
The reason Indonesia continues to be singled out - while a rising China, for 
example, sits benignly at the bottom of long list of global threats in the Lowy 
Institute survey - is partly because of the rise of an Islamic extremist 
minority and the Bali drug trials. But, as the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, 
concedes, much of the popular distrust of Indonesia is born out of "complete 
ignorance".

Australian academics have long warned of the danger of falling enrolments in 
Asian languages and studies - no demise more pronounced than that of 
Indonesian. Fewer than 40 students were enrolled in Indonesian language courses at 
Australian universities last year and a national survey found fewer than than half 
of 13- and 14-year-olds could find Indonesia on a map. Islamic terrorism and 
Australia's massive response to the tsunami forced Canberra to seek to 
urgently upgrade Indonesian language skills and knowledge in the military, 
intelligence agencies and relevant government departments. But that is not nearly 
enough. Engaging effectively in business, diplomacy, security and education - in 
good times and bad - demands a substantial knowledge base. Australia needs to 
build familiarity from the school playground up and that will take a concerted 
policy push.

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The Australian
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
 
We're Still Very Wary of Indonesia

Relations are fraught with our nearest Asian neighbour

by Malcolm Cook and Ivan Cook

UNLIKE people, countries cannot choose their next-door neighbours or the 
neighbourhood they live in. Australia's position next to Asia - and far from the 
cultural origins of most of us - has deeply affected our views of Australia's 
place in the world. The good news is that Australia's "Asian angst" is history.
The 2006 Lowy Institute Poll, released yesterday, confirms that we feel at 
home in Asia. Australians polled had warmer feelings towards Singapore and Japan 
than the US. The new - and distant - Asian powers, India and China, were on 
par with the US. Australians see the rise of China as an opportunity, not a 
threat. We also see better days ahead. A majority of people polled believed our 
relations with China, India and Japan were the same or improving, with China 
topping this list. 

The bad news is that, while we are happy with Asia and its upwardly mobile 
giants, we are much less sure about our nearest Asian neighbour, Indonesia. In 
the 2005 and 2006 Lowy Institute polls, Australians displayed a distinct lack 
of warmth towards Indonesia, ranking it 12th out of 15 countries and regions 
surveyed. This year, Indonesia ranks ahead of only Iraq, Iran and North Korea - 
not a very good crowd. 

Our much smaller and weaker Pacific neighbours, East Timor (where our Diggers 
are dug in) and Papua New Guinea (our former colony), score noticeably 
higher. 

Australians are comfortable with Asia and our Pacific neighbours. Only 
Indonesia stands out uncomfortably. 

Like neighbours who do not know each other's first names, Australia-Indonesia 
relations are stunted by ignorance and a tendency to believe the best of our 
own intentions while questioning those of the other. Despite the best efforts 
of political cartoonists, less than one-fifth of Australians knew the name of 
the Indonesian President, while just over one-quarter of Indonesians correctly 
named Prime Minister Howard. Kofi Annan in the distant but well-loved UN was 
much better known on both sides of the Arafura Sea. 

Australians are more vexed than Indonesians about living next door to each 
other. In the wake of tensions over Papuan asylum-seekers and the Bali Nine, 
roughly half our respondents believed that Australia's relations with Indonesia 
were worsening. This was the only one of the six relationships surveyed that we 
thought was in decline. Polled at the same time, Indonesians were more 
relaxed: only one-fifth thought relations were worsening. Indonesians were more 
worried about their relations with Singapore, China and Japan. 

While Australians as a whole feel quite safe, Indonesia looms large and dark 
in our psyche. Respondents felt firmly that Indonesia is essentially 
controlled by the military, that it is a dangerous source of Islamic terrorism and that 
it could pose a military threat to our homeland. 

Indonesians, on the other hand, proudly see themselves as an emerging 
democracy and not as a dangerous source of Islamic terrorism. They worry about us 
interfering in their household affairs, particularly over Papuan separatism. And 
while we firmly believe that Indonesia benefits from being next to their true 
blue (if somewhat anxious) friend, Indonesians are less sure about the 
strength of Australia's friendship or the benefits of being next door. 

Positive results on regional relations, including those with our old foe, 
Japan, and traditional source of ideological concern, China, show that historical 
fears have largely been allayed. But while successive Australian governments 
have also seen close relations with Indonesia as a vital national interest, 
and despite thousands of Indonesian students studying here and millions spent on 
cultural exchange, Indonesia remains an acquired taste. 

Australia has a blind spot on Indonesia and our Government has a serious 
public diplomacy problem. 

For years, many felt that the largely autocratic Suharto regime challenged 
Australia's democratic values. Yet Indonesia's great strides into democracy 
since 1998 have gone largely unnoticed here. 

Public comment, including politicians' sound bites, has instead focused on 
neighbourly spats despite the shared tragedy of the Bali bombings. 

There has been much cause for cheer in our recent history, but we continue to 
emphasise the things that separate us and ignore what brings us together. 

Fortunately, there is something to build on. Three-quarters of Australians 
and two-thirds of Indonesians said it was important that we work to develop a 
close relationship, rather than supporting the view that we are too different to 
develop a close relationship. That gives us a start in what is going to be a 
long but necessary task of building first knowledge, then understanding, with 
our closest Asian neighbour. 

Malcolm Cook is the program director, Asia and the Pacific, at the Lowy 
Institute. Ivan Cook is research associate and co-ordinator of the Lowy Institute 
Poll. The report is available at www.lowyinstitute.org

---------------------------------------

Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday, October 3, 2006

Mutual Suspicions in Jakarta Relations

by Craig Skehan

AUSTRALIANS and Indonesians share a dislike of the United States' "global 
policeman" role and hold a negative view of the war in Iraq, but they both view 
China favourably.

An overwhelming 84 per cent of Australians feel the threat of terrorism has 
not been lessened by the Iraq war and 67 per cent disagree that it will help to 
spread democracy in the Middle East.

These are among the findings of an opinion survey, "Australia, Indonesia and 
the World", conducted in both countries in late June and early July for the 
Lowy Institute, a foreign policy think tank.

However, common pessimism about the US-led invasion of Iraq and concurrence 
on some other topics is undermined by mutual suspicions.

Indonesians feel Australia tends to interfere too much in their country's 
internal affairs, and there are deep-seated Australian concerns about 
fundamentalist terrorism in Indonesia, as well as negative feelings towards its military.

Despite worries over the degree to which the US uses military force, and too 
great an influence by Washington on Australia's regional policies, most 
Australians are positive about the overall relationship with the US.

Fewer of those surveyed trust Washington to act responsibly in the world than 
said they trust Japan, India or China to do so.

The survey entrenches a trend among Australians towards surprisingly positive 
attitudes towards China, which has become a major buyer of Australian mineral 
and other resources.

International campaigns critical of human rights violations appear not to 
have had a big impact, with Australians expressing as much warmth towards China 
as they do towards the US.

Sixty-eight per cent think global warming is so serious a problem that 
Australia should be taking steps to address it now, even if there are significant 
costs.

About a quarter (24 per cent) think the response to global warming should be 
gradual and low cost.

Some 87 per cent of those surveyed say "improving the global environment" is 
the most important foreign policy goal.

Combating international terrorism is high on the list of concerns, along with 
securing energy supplies, defending human rights in other countries, 
strengthening the United Nations and promoting economic growth.

Only a narrow majority, 55 per cent, rate "controlling and reducing illegal 
immigration" as very important. Most Australians - in a similar response to the 
2005 Lowy Institute survey - feel safe, terrorism notwithstanding.

Despite the troubles in East Timor, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, 
only 31 per cent think the threat of "failing states" in the region is 
critical.

Britain is by far the most warmly regarded country by Australians, followed 
by Singapore, Japan and Papua New Guinea, which just pips the US, India and 
China.

Protecting Australian jobs is of great concern, and about two thirds of the 
approximately 1000 Australian respondents think globalisation is mostly good 
for the nation.

The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has accused the Lowy Institute of 
unfairly wording the questions and for not asking if Australians supported 
Labor's call to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq. The Opposition foreign affairs 
spokesman, Kevin Rudd, praised the survey. He said the Government's 
expenditure of some $2 billion on the Iraq conflict constituted Australia's worst 
security blunder since the Vietnam War.

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Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday, October 3, 2006

A reliable friend, but things are still rocky

by Craig Skehan

AMONG Indonesian participants in the Lowy Institute's "Australia, Indonesia 
and 
the World" survey, only 19 per cent thought relations with Australia were 
improving, compared with 47 per cent who said they were getting worse, despite 
efforts by Australia to build ties.

About a third saw bilateral links as unchanging - results which, when 
combined with past polling, suggests at best a stagnating relationship.

Opinion is strongly divided on the issue of whether co-operation between 
Australia and Indonesia had made a contribution to stemming regional terrorism.

But most Australians interviewed thought the Government's policies towards 
Indonesia and the rest of the region were influenced too heavily by the US.

While Australians were ambivalent over whether there was too much 
interference in Indonesia's affairs, most Indonesians polled were critical of Australia 
in this regard. About two-thirds thought the US was the most influential 
country in Asia.

A similar proportion of Indonesians believed the US invasion of Iraq had 
worsened American relations with the "Muslim world" while not reducing the threat 
of terrorism.

Although suspicious of Australian meddling in Indonesia, most accepted that 
Australia was a reliable long-term friend.

On China, 59 per cent of the Australians felt relations were improving; this 
compared with 51 per cent who saw an improvement in relations with the US.

Australian respondents rated China as the most influential country in Asia 
ahead of the US and Japan.

But when it came to who respondents wanted to have the most influence in the 
world, the European Union came out on top.

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The Australian
Tuesday, October 3, 2006

Survey shows public's fear of Indonesia

Patrick Walters, National security editor 

AUSTRALIANS believe Indonesia poses a military threat to Australia and is a 
dangerous source of Islamic terrorism.
Australians still believe Indonesia is controlled by the military and agreed 
that Australia's policy towards Indonesia was shaped too heavily by its 
alliance with the US. 

On the Indonesian side, respondents to the Lowy Institute poll agreed that 
"Indonesia is right to worry that Australia is seeking to separate the province 
of West Papua from Indonesia", and that Australia had a tendency to interfere 
too much in Indonesia's affairs. 

The poll found a remarkable level of ignorance about each other's political 
affairs. 

When asked to name the other country's leader, only a quarter of Indonesians 
and one-fifth of Australians could do so correctly. 

But respondents in both countries agreed that it was very important that 
Australia and Indonesia work together to develop a close relationship. 

Australians and Indonesians polled also agreed that Australia had shown 
itself to be a reliable long-term friend to Indonesia. 

Significantly, while a clear majority of Australians felt safe or very safe, 
more than half the Indonesians polled felt unsafe or very unsafe. 

Opinion poll expert Murray Goot, from Macquarie University, said the views of 
Australians and Indonesians about each other were less hostile than many 
commentators might have imagined. 

A clear majority of respondents in both countries (77 per cent of Australians 
and 64 per cent of Indonesians) agreed that it was "very important that 
Australia and Indonesia work together to develop a close relationship". 

Only 36 per cent of Indonesian respondents said the two countries were "too 
different to develop a close relationship". 

Twice as many Indonesian respondents thought that relations were getting 
better (36 per cent) than getting worse (18 per cent). 

By contrast, 47 per cent of Australians believed relations were getting 
worse, compared with 19 per cent who thought they were getting better. 

Professor Goot said in a separate study on the Australia-Indonesia poll 
findings that there were also grounds for optimism on the issue of fighting 
terrorism. 

A majority of Indonesian respondents (51 per cent) agreed that the motives of 
countries such as Australia were mostly good when told that "some Western 
countries including Australia are helping Indonesia fight the threat of 
terrorism". 

Australians and Indonesians found themselves on different sides on one 
proposition - that "Indonesia is a dangerous source of Islamic terrorism". 

On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 meant "strongly disagree" and 10 "strongly 
agree", the Australians averaged 6.5 and the Indonesians 3.8.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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