Indonesias democracy is being increasingly tested by the triple challenges of anti-reform actors, a high-level political malaise and popular disenchantment with the electoral process. Prabowo Subianto accepts the Great Indonesia Movement Party nomination for the 2014 presidential election (Photo: Wikipedia). One indicator of this has been an increasing tendency by the Indonesian military (TNI) to […]
Tag Archives: Indonesia
Australia and Timor-Leste are in a diplomatic lull following the revelations that Australia spied on Timor-Leste’s cabinet via agents working through its aid program. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao is in South Africa for the funeral of Nelson Mandela, who had visited him in prison in Jakarta and thus helped elevate his international status. But one […]
The Coalition governments first months in office have been a crash course in regional politics, with somewhat more emphasis on the “crash”. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has now put in place the first of what is expected to be six steps to repair Australia’s damaged relationship with Indonesia, while relations with East Timor are being […]
It may be that the letter sent by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to Indonesias President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will start to calm diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Given political sensitivities in Jakarta, it also may be that tensions will continue in any case, particularly if the letter is deemed inadequate. But what is becoming […]
The current breakdown in diplomatic relations between Australia and Indonesia is close to — or is — the worst the relationship has been. There has been nothing of such damage to the relationship since Australias intervention in East Timor in 1999, when Australia sent in troops with the permission of the Indonesian government to address […]
Australias diplomatic relationship with Indonesia has gone from bad to worse following the latest damaging revelations about Australian spying on senior Indonesian political figures, including President Yudhoyono and his wife Ibu Ani. Indonesia is now expected to act on the matter, expelling Australian diplomats and suspending joint information gathering programs. The most troubling aspect of […]
Australias relationship with Indonesia is at one of its historic low points, despite claims to the contrary by Prime Minister Tony Abbott. What is unusual about this most recent contretemps with Indonesia, with which Australia has previously had several difficulties, is that, unlike in the past, the current problems are entirely a consequence of Australian […]
With much of the recent discussion about countries spying on each other, the only startling thing is that anyone would bother to feign surprise. Indonesia and Australia have long spied on each other, and they have both known about it. The main distinctions between Australia and Indonesias intelligence activities are their methods and who they […]
From his output, ASPIs Anthony Bergin likes nothing if not to test ideas in relation to Australias strategic positioning. His recent proposition that Australia is not so much a middle power but a pivotal power is a case in point . http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/is-australia-a-pivotal-power/ Bergins argument is that the common strategic descriptor for Australia as a middle […]
The two trips by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to Indonesia have started to give a distinctive shape to a shift in Australian foreign policy. In keeping with Abbott’s assertive political style, Australia is on the diplomatic front foot, promoting his pro-Asia policy agenda. But the forcefulness of the way in which this agenda is being […]