Indonesia’s confused
Under the banner ‘Downer grilled on missile plan’ Brisbanes Courier Mail reports INDONESIA’S top security minister has asked Australia to explain in writing its reasons for supporting US plans to build a long-range ballistic missile defence shield.
Coordinating security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in Jakarta on Monday night.
Mr Yudhoyono asked why the Australian Government wanted to sign up to help Washington in the development of the controversial missile umbrella.
“We asked for a complete explanation in writing so that we can study it,” Mr Yudhoyono told Indonesian journalists
Who does Yudhoyono think Australia is, Ache? One of the reasons for Australian defence procurement could be that we have flakey countries like Indonesia to our north.
Alan Dupont, of the Australian National University’s Asia Pacific Security Program agrees we should have Indonesia vet all our defence procurements.
“If the decision is to buy tanks or some other kind of military equipment, we need to learn how to sell the message to the region that this is not directed at regional countries.”
The problem kept surfacing with not only the missile shield, but the proposed purchase of new tanks, anti-aircraft destroyers and possibly stand-off cruise missiles for the air force.
Maybe we need to sell the message to the region that this is not primarily aimed at them but they might like to keep out of Papua New Guniea just the same.
That’s why we buy military hardware, isn’t it?
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This report from some years back was touted by extreme right wing elements but may have a modicum of truth. Indonesia engaged in semantics as to whether we are “the land to the south” or “Indonesia’s south land”.
“When Sir Wilfred Kent-Hughes, M.P.,told the Federal Parliament some time back that he had knowledge of Australia being shown on Indonesian maps as part of the Indonesian Empire, he was ridiculed by extreme Left-wing labor and its journalistic blood brothers. But now comes the news that the British Foreign Secretary has made a similar allegation at the SEATO Conference in London. The Australian press reported the Secretary as saying that Australia and the Philippines were Indonesia’s next target of aggression. He told the conference that Indonesians referred to Australia as “South Irian”, the Indian Ocean as “the Indonesian Ocean”, and Papua New Guinea as “East Irian”.
Let Indonesia give written explanation for the Benny Moerdani/Ted Diro conspiracy, the “South Irian” tag, Irian Jaya “transmigration”, the laissez faire atitude to transiting “refugees”, military control and attrocities etc. We are not the aggressors.
A bit of green fiction to stir the pot at http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/1991/16/16p22.htm
Who gives a red rats arse what Indonesia thinks ?? Australias defence is our business and should never be put to a vote by Jakarta .
Kev,
I like the new format.
Paul A