Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his government appear to have deliberately sought to offend and distress Australia over the executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. The bloodymindedness of the logistics of the executions, the almost casual willingness to cause offence, the dismissal of Australian concerns, the lack of interest in evidence of the most serious corruption imaginable — alleged bribery to avoid a death sentence and political interference to demand one — have all served to deepen the affront and anger of Australians.
True, Australia has done much to cause offence in Jakarta: the revelation of Rudd/Gillard-era spying on Widodo’s predecessor and his wife created a serious rupture between the countries. And the Abbott government’s determination to stop the boats at all costs produced another low point, with Australia repeatedly infringing Indonesian sovereignty.
But the treatment of Chan and Sukumaran and their families, and the offhand dismissiveness of Widodo and his colleagues towards Australian concerns, appears a determined effort to repay such offence in spades, with two lives readily sacrificed along the way.
Foreign policy realists insist Australia should keep its retaliation to a minimum and understand that it must live with Indonesia. But the Widodo government’s behaviour on this matter suggests that it is unlikely to engender any improvement in relations at the moment. For reasons unclear, Jakarta appears intent on sending relations with Australia to their lowest point since the East Timor intervention.
Australia should not be in any hurry to try to improve those relations. Such efforts, at this point, are likely to be wasted.
*possible
Did it lose my comment?
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I disagree with this belligerence – Abbott’s tsunami comments where outrageous enough to make Indonesian action inevitable let alone the AFP’s involvement.
Take the higher road and repair relations where possible, lest our countries slide into mutual distrust.
I agree with Coaltopia’s comments. Why is Crikey being so belligerent?
How is Abbott’s position on sending refugees back to their countries to face execution any different?
How can Crikey be sure that Indonesia showed “almost casual willingness to cause offence” while ignoring Abbott’s tsunami comments?
Just because Indonesia did not respond to Australia’s concerns the way Crikey expected does not mean Australia’s concerns were dismissed.
It is good that Crikey does not manage Australia’s foreign policy. The sooner Australia improves relations with Indonesia, the sooner lobbying to remove the death penalty from the Indonesian legal code can begin..
It should not come as any surprise that there is “corruption” in Indonesia, across politics, the law and business, that is Indonesia. That is how they “do” things, accept it and move on.
If you are unhappy with the way they deliver “justice”, or do business, then take your money or your holidays elsewhere, there are plenty of other options.
“Stop the boats” must have a lot to do with it. Indonesia regards what the Abbott Govt did as an infringement of their sovereignty – they said so. But we are tuning a blind eye. We are allowing ourselves to be kept in the dark by our own government as to how many boats are still being turned around – and the media is not pursuing it. We have all ignored or swept aside Indonesia’s concerns on this.
We may be complacent about the infringments of our own rights in many spheres being inflicted by this vile government and gormless opposition, but it seems our Indonesian neighbours are not so apathetic. Australia has slipped into a coma. We had better regain consciousness soon.