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ADDRESS BY DENNIS RICHARDSON
AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES
TO THE US-INDONESIA SOCIETY
WASHINGTON DC
8 MARCH 2006
Check against delivery
Thank USINDO and American Australian Association
Introduction
• Two comments by way of introduction:
- First, I must declare my hand. In Australia, some commentators talk critically about the so-called ‘Indonesia lobby’. Ostensibly, this is a group of people primarily government officials, academics and some in business, who conspire together to pervert Australia’s true national interests for those of Indonesia. As a rule of thumb, all government officials who have either served in Indonesia, or who have worked on Indonesia in Canberra, are considered part of the conspiracy. Having both served for four years in Indonesia, and having worked on matters Indonesian in Canberra, I am by definition, a member of that lobby.
- I suspect that nothing I say here today will be new to an audience such as this. The fact that you are involved with the US-Indonesia Society or are interested enough to come here today, means that you already have a real awareness of Indonesia and its importance. So I apologise in advance for those who may have come along expecting some new insights.
• The purpose of my address today is to outline the reasons why Indonesia is of enduring importance, and especially so at this time; to outline some of the challenges Indonesia faces, and to say a few words about Australia and Indonesia.
Indonesia
A quick look at some basic facts shows just what a significant country Indonesia is:
• Indonesia is a big country, covering a land area of some 735,000 square miles, making it three times the size of Texas and the fifteenth largest country in the world. But Indonesia is a archipelagic state and if you include its exclusive economic zone it covers an area of more than two million square miles
• Indonesia stretches some 3,200 miles from its westernmost tip of Banda Aceh to its eastern border with Papua New Guinea. Further from New York to Los Angeles, or from London to Baghdad. Indonesia has land or sea borders with Papua New Guinea, Australia, East Timor, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Palau, and Viet Nam.
• Indonesia straddles, and its archipelagic waters encompass, some of the busiest sea lanes in the world. For instance, through the Malacca Straits alone pass 25 per cent of the world’s GDP, and a third of the oil.
• Indonesia is the world’s ninth largest exporter of energy.
• After China, India and the United States, Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country. It is a young and urbanising country, home to a rich diversity of cultures, from its Melanesian cultures in the East, through the Hindu culture of Bali, through the rich tapestry of Java, through Sumatra to the Bataks, to the Acehenese.
• So Indonesia is a large, populous, young and growing country, situated strategically and dominant in its immediate region. But that could be said also of others. Where Indonesia really gets interesting is not so much what it adds up to, but what it amounts to.
Why Indonesia Matters
• At a time when there is so much talk of democracy and the intrinsic value of tolerance, at a time when terrorists seek to promote religious and ethnic violence globally for their own ends, here we have a country which, in little more than seven years, has gone from a military authoritarian regime to a democratically elected President and Parliament. Voter turnout in Indonesia’s 2004 elections was about 80 per cent, in elections judged to be free and fair. Some ten major parties are represented in the 550 seat Parliament. Indonesia’s media is numerous, vibrant, free and diverse.
• Indonesia’s Presidency now changes hands peacefully, in marked contrast to its experience in its first 50 years of independence.
• Despite some of the serious violence in recent years, Indonesia has a long history of religious tolerance. The world’s largest Muslim country celebrates the key religious festivities, not only of Islam, but of Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.
- I still exchange Christmas cards with friends in Muslim Indonesia without needing to worry about a battle between ‘Christmas’ and ‘Holiday’ cards.
The Challenges
• Indonesia faces big challenges. It suffered badly in the financial meltdown of 97-98, with its GDP only recovering to pre-meltdown levels in 2004. Its GDP per capita still lags, as does direct foreign investment.
• As is acknowledged by Indonesia’s leadership, corruption, both institutional and private, remains a major challenge.
• Some in Indonesia promote the idea of an Islamic State under Sharia Law.
• And there is the challenge of terrorism, with Indonesia being the centre for Jemaah Islamiya and associated groups which share the ideology of the global Jihardists.
• Even today there are a small number of pesantrens in Indonesia which teach a militant literal interpretation of the Koran. And for that small number of students who wish to give substance to those teachings there are terrorist training camps available in the Southern Philippines.
• Over the past four years we have seen:
- the attack in Bali on 12 October 2002
- the attack on the Marriott Hotel in August 2003
- the attack on the Australian Embassy on 9 September 2004
- the second attack in Bali on 1 October 2005.
• Before October 2002 there was active debate in Indonesia about the existence or otherwise of terrorist cells. I think it would also be fair to say that parts of the Indonesian body politic were in denial. That cannot be said today. Since October 2002, the Indonesian Government, law enforcement and intelligence agencies have worked hard, in cooperation with other countries such as Australia, to take the fight to the terrorists. Well over 200 terrorists and terrorist suspects have been arrested, with more than 40 convicted for their involvement in the first Bali bombing. And one of the key masterminds, Azahari, is dead.
• The ideology behind 9/11, behind Madrid, behind Istanbul, behind Morocco, and behind London and elsewhere, is the ideology behind the attacks in Indonesia. The latter is simply the South East Asian manifestation of the former. But if you compare some of the Western media coverage of the second attack in Bali to the coverage of London, you would think that the former was an attack unconnected to the latter, rather than the following chapter in a global story yet unfinished.
• The bottom line is simple enough. If democracy and terrorism are central elements at play in the world today, then Indonesia’s centrality ought to be self-evident. A country which has turned to democracy and has a tradition of tolerance, deserves our full support and commitment if we are to be principled and consistent.
• At a time when many conflicts globally appear almost incapable of peaceful solution, Indonesia has worked through a peace agreement with separatists in Aceh, and is working hard to address issues in Papua. Without in any way wishing to underestimate the challenge in Papua, a country which has undergone the radical transformation of Indonesia over the past seven or eight years, warrants our continued assistance in moving in the right direction.
• Indonesia should not be seen solely or mainly in terms of terrorism. It is important in its own right because of the facts outlined earlier. For instance, no serious discussion of East Asian politico-strategic dynamics, and no consideration of broader regional architecture can succeed without taking account of Indonesia.
• It is certainly against this background that Australia has always sought to engage seriously with Indonesia, from support for its independence in the 1940s, to the attendance by Prime Minister Howard at the inauguration of President Yudyhono, Indonesia’s first directly-elected President.
• Events in East Timor in 1999 certainly saw a significant strain in the relationship, but the doomsayers who predicted that our bilateral relationship would forever suffer serious damage were proved wrong.
• I believe the Administration here in Washington understands very well the importance of Indonesia. That is why President Bush and President Yudyhono have met on three occasions over the past year, that is why the decision was taken a few months back to restore military-to-military ties, and that is no doubt why Secretary Rice will soon visit Indonesia, before going on to Australia.
• But the issue of Indonesia goes beyond government. Hence the importance of organizations such as the United States-Indonesia Society, the Asia Society, and the Asia Foundation. Their work is critical in ensuring balance as, too often, the voice of critics is always loudest.
For all who believe that democracy is intrinsically good; for all who believe in religious and ethnic tolerance, for all who take a hard-nosed view of politico-strategic issues, Indonesia deserves full support. Our support should not be allowed to be held hostage to issues such as corruption and Papua. Rather, we should have the good sense to look at the unmistakable trendlines and seek to reinforce them.