Marty Natalegawa is a consummate diplomat. The Indonesian Foreign Minister is also his country’s former representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to the UK.

At the age of 46 he has done more than most top diplomats do in an entire career. Now he’s the Foreign Minister.
On Tuesday this week I interviewed Marty Natelagawa in his Jakarta offices. In a long line of difficult issues between Australia and Indonesia, people smuggling has been the most awkward in recent months, so of course I had to begin our discussion on just that.
Specifically, the case of Sri Lankan asylum seekers who remain on their cargo boat off the port of Merak, four months after being intercepted by the Indonesian navy at the personal request of Prime Minister Rudd to President SBY.
Foreign Minister Natelagawa said recently, “we have to bring on board Australia’s engagement again” to resolve the issue.
He didn’t say it explicitly but the sub-text is clear, Australia can’t ask for Indonesian help to intercept a vessel like this then wash their hands of the problem.
Within weeks Australia’s Ambassador on People Smuggling was on Indonesian soil for talks, which were held late last week. When I spoke to the Minister his message was now a more positive one, not that Australia needs to “get back on board” rather “Australia has always been part of the solution”.
A post-graduate degree at Cambridge and a PHD from ANU under his belt, he is obviously a clever man and with his diplomatic experience he is well versed at how to extract what he wants with subtlety. Exactly what will break the impasse and what further Australia can do remains to be seen but Australian authorities have been left in no doubt that Indonesia does not want to be left alone in trying to resolve the standoff.
One of the many difficulties in dealing with people smuggling for Australia’s northern neighbour remains the fact that it is not a crime under Indonesian law.
In fact, the Captain of the boat that carried the Sri Lankans still sitting off the coast of West Java, the notorious Captain Bram, looks like he might escape with a fine despite the fact he’s arranged the passage of an estimated 1500 asylum seekers to Australia over the last decade.
On this issue the Foreign Minister is conciliatory and concedes it’s something Indonesia must deal with. Asked when there’ll be a change of law he said hopefully “sooner rather than later”.
Another complex problem for the Minister to manage as Indonesia and Australia try to combat the trade while being hampered by the lack of deterrence under Indonesian law.
Natalegawa is philosophical about the delays in achieving that deterrence through Indonesia’s nascent democracy but it’s also clear that is his preference. This is one of the complex balancing acts this man faces but for Indonesia it seems they could not have a better person in the job.
Beyond his qualifications he has the essential ingredient for a diplomat - pragmatism - acutely aware of the difference between what is ideal and what is possible.
- Kieran Gilbert is in Indonesia on a Government funded visit, as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Liz O’Neill award for journalism.
Don’t miss: Get The Punch in your inbox every day
Get The Punch on Facebook
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
Abbott’s crass logic: trash the Parliament in order save it
An email was sent to almost every politician in Australia this week saying that someone should cut off…
Our special forces don’t always need special treatment
We admire them, but we’re not entirely sure why. We allow them to operate in the shadows; we rarely…
A good holiday is about unrest, not rest
Like a fat full-stop, it lay in my hand. A small orange – not exactly fresh, but purchased anyway…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
Michael S says:
"A teacher at Geelong Grammar had criticised her for using words that were too long, which had left her confused and had made her doubt her ability to write essays. She became ''quite distressed'' when her English marks began to fall." I can sympathise. My scholastic mentors conveyed to me a causal relationship… [read more]From: Welfare for breeders is a bonus for everyone
Change Up! says:
I have no problem paying my taxes. As a single, childless person on a very decent income, I can afford it and not have my life severely altered. Plus I understand that my taxes paying for things like schools, childcare and infrastructure is ultimately a good thing. A better community is better for me… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
A private school girl’s family is sueing her elite, extremely expensive private school for not… Read more
Most commented