JakartaGlobe, By Mira Permatasari on 12:49 pm November 27, 2013.
For weeks now, the damaged relationship between Indonesia and Australia has made headlines, but so far, there is no sign that either country is willing to solve the problems directly by sitting together. The Indonesian government has even decided to review intelligence, military and police cooperation.
It is well known that the relationship between Indonesia and Australia has never been easy. There have been many hiccups along the way. The issue of Timor Leste in 1999 and Papua have been some of the hotspots in our rollercoaster relationship. Nonetheless, the spy scandal now in the news — which goes back to reports of phone taps in 2009 — is one of the lowest points since 1999, and it seems that Prime Minister Tony Abbot’s political strategy is identical with that of John Howard’s team. The strategic partnership that has been built with so much goodwill has suffered.
As President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Twitter: “These US & Australian actions have certainly damaged the strategic partnerships with Indonesia, as fellow democracies.” What Australian spies have done is simply not what democracies are supposed to do.
Philosopher Immanuel Kant posited that there would be solidarity between democratic states — the famous “democratic peace theory.” Surely, there is no open conflict between Indonesia and Australia at the moment, but the spying undertaken by Australian spooks against Indonesia’s highest-ranking officials has brought to the surface a sense of uncertainty, insecurity and awider “trust deficit.”
Having sent an official letter to the Australian government, Yudhoyono — and the nation as a whole — hope to receive some goodwill in return. Indonesia and Australia both benefit from the strategic cooperation that has going on for ages.
Indeed, a friendly relationship is necessary for both countries, as they both want to preserve peace and stability in the region.
As Tim Lindsey from Melbourne University has said, friendship with Indonesia is of key importance to Australia in the Asian Century. The Australian government for almost all of its strategic arrangements in the region depends on Indonesia and other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Australia’s influence and role in shaping the region is being put at stake as long as this crisis is allowed to drag on.
But Indonesia is also a neighbor that shares direct maritime borders with Australia, so any downturn in relations has a direct effect on Australia’s marine security. Furthermore, when it comes to people-smuggling, Indonesia has played an important role in helping Australia manage its non-traditional security threats. Having cooperation in this field halted will prove to be a serious burden for Canberra.
Yudhoyono’s personal role, as Lindsay has pointed out, should not be underestimated. The president’s personal warmth in ties with Australia should not be taken for granted when another leader takes charge after next year’s elections.
The Abbott administration needs to fix this crisis right away. Because there was one thing that Abbott was right about: that Australia needs more Jakarta and less Geneva in its foreign policy.
Preserving the partnership between Indonesia and Australia is vital to both nations’ interests because it lies at the very heart of the democratic essence. Democracy — whether in Indonesia or Down Under — is about cooperation, peace and harmony.
Both the Indonesian and the Australian people are waiting for a positive and friendly attitude from the Abbott administration. It is only natural for fellow democracies to foster peaceful relations. But if this democratic inclination to cooperation is not convincing enough, it is obvious that strategic interests and common sense dictate that the two countries settle this problem in a peaceful manner. Quickly.
Mira Permatasari is an international relations and defense foreign associate at CASS India.