The Relationship between Australia & Indonesia

Previous to this research assignment, I was uninformed of Australia’s complex relationship with Indonesia. However, after extensively analysing media articles from a range of different sources, I have concluded that the relationship is balanced in a sense that it displays both positive and negative aspects. When discussing military relations, overall, negative impacts from the East Timor war have left the Indonesian- Australian relationship with tension and uncertainties that remain until this day. In relation to political connections, most aspects of the government relationships are positive, despite a few minor cases that dislodge the strong bond. On the other hand, the booming tourism industry reflects positive aspects of the Indonesian- Australian relationship.

After the Japanese Attacks on Australia in World War II, Australia recognised its vulnerable geographical position and sought a relationship with the islands to the immediate north (Indonesia) to form a strong defence strategy. However, this military alliance has had a negative impact on Indonesia’s and Australia’s relationship. Specifically referring to the East- Timor war, a series of negative events strained the relationship between the two nations. The first of these events, being the killings of 5 Australian journalists when they had been reporting on the East Timor war in Balibo. Recent evidence has proved that these killings were a deliberate act of execution at the hand of Indonesian officials. According to lawyer George Brownbill, who said he saw a telexed intelligence report, marked Top Secret, of intercepted radio traffic between an officer commanding Indonesian forces in East Timor and his bosses in Jakarta to execute the 5 Australian journalists. Just hours after the 5 killings it said: ‘In accordance with your instructions the five have been located and shot’. The officer then asked his superior for orders about what to do with the bodies and the journalists’ personal effects. The bodies were then looted and burned. (Fife). This devastating event created anger within the Australian Nation, creating more tension between military operators in Indonesia and government officials in Australia. This and other negative events such as the Santa Cruz massacre in 1991 eventually caused Australia to step in and lead a national peacekeeping mission known as the 1999 INTERFET operation to stop the Indonesian invasion into East Timor. (Plunkett). This started the formation of a challenging and unsteady relationship for Australia and Indonesia.

However, since the end of the East Timor War, Australia and Indonesia have been trying to restore strong military connections as a defence mechanism against other nations. The executive director of the Australia Strategic Policy Institute, Peter Jennings, states that the signing of the Defence Cooperation Agreement with Indonesia on 5 September 2012 shows a strong intent to deepen bilateral defence ties between Indonesia and Australia. At the time, Defence Minister Stephen Smith said that the tempo of defence cooperation was at its highest point in 15 years. Although, while relations today are positive, tensions remain. As does the potential for serious misunderstanding between two such starkly different countries. The Defence White paper can help strengthen this critical relationship (Jennings). Australia and Indonesia encourage strong military connections with each other through many programs organised in each country. Defence Minister Stephen Smith, points to the Ikahan network's success in developing trust and cooperation between the Australian Defence Force and Indonesia's military forces (TNI). The Ikahan network is an active network for Indonesians who have studied with the Australian military and Australians who have studied with the Indonesian military. (Brown). This integration of military soldiers from both nations bonds and strengthens Australia’s and Indonesia’s bilateral defence ties, as well as relieving the previous existing tensions from the events that occurred in the East Timor War to an extent.

The Political relationship between the Australian and Indonesian governments has been relatively stable since the end of World War II, notwithstanding new cases that jeopardise the coherent relationship between the two nations. From my observations, many Australian citizens see political issues with Indonesia through the media emphasising the issue of ‘the boat people’. However, when analysing the issue further, the asylum seeker issue is portrayed as more of a problem than what it actually is, due to the media. Other issues have caused more political turmoil, than that of the case Asylum seekers arriving to Australia from Indonesia. The ongoing case of Schapelle Corby is an example of the dissatisfaction that can come from the difference in government and law in Australia & Indonesia. The public of Australia became outraged with Schapelle’s unfair sentence of 20 years in Indonesian prison after she smuggled 4.1 kg of marijuana into Bali. (Whinnett, Frenkel, Wockner). Glenn Milne suggests that the outrage is increased as they rightly compare her 20 year sentence to the two- and – a – half years handed down to the mastermind behind the Bali bombings, Abu Bakar Bashir. (Milne). According to journalists; Ellen Whinnett, Jason Frenkel and Cindy Wockner, Schapelle’s sentence largely affected Australian and Indonesian relations in terms of tourism, welfare, and natural disaster aid.

The case of Schapelle was also emphasised by the Indonesian Tsunami that had hit the country just a few months before (January) her sentence, John Howard offering $1 billion in aid to our neighbouring country to finally draw in close bonds. (Milne). The backlash of the Corby case provoked anger in Australians, to the extent that they began a tourist boycott and refused to give money to tsunami charities in protest against her conviction and sentence for drug trafficking. Along with this negative response to Australian- Indonesian relations, the Indonesian embassy and Indonesian businesses were subjected to abusive calls and threats as anger grew of the fate of Corby. (Whinnett, Frenkel, Wockner). According to journalists; Ellen Whinnett, Jason Frenkel and Cindy Wockner; charities were also hit, as many donors refused to give aid to the Salvation Army’s annual Red Shield Appeal unless guarantees could be given that it would not be spent in Indonesia. Some people even contacted major charities- demanding the money they donated to Indonesian tsunami victims be returned. (Whinnett, Frenkel, Wockner). The difference in laws also caused debate between the two nations, therefore creating a negative influence in the relation to her sentence. Australia’s disagrees with the Indonesian law given its history of human rights abuses, impunity and its stalled reform process. In Corby’s case, her legal team formed an appeal which had posed a risk to the Australian, because Indonesian law allows for tougher sentences on appeals, including the death sentence. (Whinnett, Frenkel, Wockner). From these examples we can see the instability that the Australian and Indonesian relationship withholds, in relation to political affairs, which had caused revolt in a rather harmonious nation.

Although the case of Schapelle Corby exposed negative political relations between our two nations, there are an abundance of positive aspects of the relationship. In terms of political aid, Australia assists Indonesia immensely, especially in times of need. In my opinion, Australia supports Indonesia more than Indonesia assists our nation, this is partly because Australia is working harder to retain a friendly relationship with Indonesia, so we are not in a position of threat from a nation so geographically close. In the January 2005 Indonesian Tsunami Disaster, John Howard used the announcement of $1 billion in aid to Indonesia to finally draw Australia and our nearest neighbour together in a spirit of co-operation and friendship. However, this was not the first case of aid being given to Indonesia to strengthen our relationship in positivity; when Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating was defeated in 1996 by John Howard and Indonesian President Suharto was taken from power as a victim of the 1997 Asian economic crisis, Australia again supplied Jakarta with financial support. (Milne). This display of support towards the Indonesian nation has greatly increased our political relationship in a positive manner. According to Glenn Milne the official seal on Australia’s new ‘friendship’ came in 2005 with a historical visit to Australia by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, prompting John Howard to comment that Australia and Indonesia were locked together for eternity by geography. (Milne). Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Stephen Smith, adds to this statement by saying; ‘With a profoundly changed and changing political landscape, and our bilateral relationship at an historic high, Australia and Indonesia are now presented with a unique opportunity to broaden and deepen our partnership into a new era.’(Smith) From my analysis, I can account that the Australia- Indonesian relationship is expanding through a variety of different programs withheld in both government systems. According to Stephen Smith, over the next 5 years Australia will provide up to $2.5 billion to assist Indonesia in tackling poverty and in achieving its social and economic development priorities. One of the flagship projects of our partnership is a $300 million plus program to improve national roads and bridges in ten provinces across eastern Indonesia to benefit farmers, school students and clinic patients. The Australian government has also awarded 300 scholarships to Indonesian students per year to help enhance their qualifications and to invest in a better relationship between Australian and Indonesian People.’ (Smith). This new unity between our nations reflects the positive political relationship between Australia and Indonesia.

The booming tourism industries of Australia and Indonesia also creates stronger links between the two countries as they both boost each other’s economies. In 1996 the department of foreign affairs and trade, Australia, released that tourism and trade opportunities between Australia and Indonesia had been boosted by a bilateral agreement that would substantially expand air services over 18 months. One of the ministers particularly saying: ‘The outcome is a further example of the goodwill between Indonesia and Australia and indicates the eagerness of the two countries to stimulate the important tourism sector.’ (Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade.1996). Since this expansion of airlines between Australia and Indonesia in 1996, the tourism rate in these 2 countries has increased immensely. So much so that in 2011, the Gillard Labour Government signed a new Memorandum of Understanding which almost doubled the number of flights which could be operated between Australia and Indonesia. (Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade.2011). Although the Australian- Indonesian market continues to be dominated by Australians seeking holidays in Indonesia, inbound tourism from Indonesia grew by more than 25pc in the year of 2010. Garuda, Qantas and other airline operators all benefited from this expansion of airlines, therefore boosting the Australian- Indonesian economy. (Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade.1996). The tourism rate of Australians travelling to Indonesian vacation spots has increased over the years, however, the events of the Bali bombings, has had a profound effect on the tourism industry rate and on Indonesia’s economy.

The events of the Bali Bombings had also created more tensions between Australia and Indonesia as the Prime Minister at the time, John Howard, issued tough travel warning to Australian travellers, which caused concern to the Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the time. According to journalists Tom Allard & Mike Seccombe, Mr Howard said he had no alternative but to issue the warnings when a clear terrorist threat remained in the region and Australian lives could be at risk. (Allard & Seccombe). From my observations, since the issue of these travel warnings, Australian tourists have been hesitant to travel to Indonesia, specifically Bali, because of the reputation it now bears as a result of its terrorist attacks. Journalist, Darren Goodsir, talks of the affects that the decrease in Australian tourists to Indonesia has had on local businesses and the wider economy. The average daily occupancy rate at resorts, hotel and backpacker havens slumped from 70.27 per cent to an unprecedented 17 per cent after the bombing attacks. (Goodsir). This slump in Indonesia’s economy as a result of the decrease in tourism, due partly to the travel warnings issued by the Australian government, has created more tensions between our governments. However, journalist Ross Gittins argues that Australia’s engagement in the South- East Asia should grow even stronger after the Bali bombings, and that we must be careful that the Bali bombings don’t lead to the withdrawal of Australian engagement with Indonesia. We must not withdraw, but increase our engagement. (Gittins).

From researching the relationship between Indonesia and Australia, I have concluded that there is a fair balance of positives and negatives within each aspect of the relationship. When analysing the military aspect of the relationship, we can see that underlying tensions from the East Timor war still remain today, although it is in our nation’s best interest to continue strengthening our relationship with Indonesia. In relation to political connections, we again can see both positive and negative aspects, most of these originating from disagreements in the way in which we control our laws and governments. Lastly, the tourism industry has had an overall positive effect in the bond between our two nations, despite terrorist attacks and political disagreements.

Reference List
Military Articles:
Fife-yeomans, Janet “Executed- Final Proof: Indonesia ordered Aussies’ death”
The Daily Telegraph 09/12/2006 pp. 3-4.

Plunkett, Richard “The Long Patrol- Australia and East Timor’s wars”
Black Dog Books, 2008 pp. 1-4

Jennings, Peter. March 2013. “A challenging relationship: Australia–Indonesia defence cooperation”. http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/a-challenging-relationship-australia-indonesia-defence-cooperation/ (Last accessed 10/08/2013)

Brown, James. 5 April 2013 “Grading Australia-Indonesia defence relations: Good, but could do better”. http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2013/04/05/Australia-Indonesia-defence-relations-Could-do-better.aspx (Last accessed 11/08/2013) Political Articles:
Milne, Glenn “Canberra’s canny silence” The Sunday Tasmanian 29/05/2005 pp. 20.

Whinnett Ellen, Frenkel Jason & Wockner Cindy “Corby Verdict Backlash: A Nation Revolts”
The Herald Sun (Melbourne) 30/05/2005 pp. 1 & 4

The Hon Stephen Smith MP “Australia- Indonesia relations: a New Partnership of a new era”
Journal of the Asia Education Teachers’ Association 11/08/2008 pp. 6-8

Tourism Articles:
Gittins, Ross “Pulled together, not torn apart”
Sydney Morning Herald 23/10/2002 pp. not specified

Allard, Tom & Seccombe, Mike “The Bali Tragedy- Megawati pleads: tell Australians it’s safe to come back”
Sydney Morning Herald 28/10/2002 pp. not specified

Goodsir, Darren “Seaside shops’ sales beached by exodus of tourists
Sydney Morning Herald 28/10/2002 pp. not specified

Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade. 14/ 05/1996 “Tourism Growth for Australia and Indonesia” http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1996/961405a.html (Last Accessed 14/08/13)

Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (Media Release). 01 July 2011 “More Flights Between Australia and Indonesia” http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2011/july/aa123_2011.aspx (Last Accessed 14/08/13)