Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Tony Abbott’s apparent timidity over promoting his own asylum seeker policy to the Indonesians might seem pretty irrelevant, but it has appeared as front page news. And that is because it is indeed important now, if it wasn’t initially. Supporters and opponents of the Opposition Leader have become excited by it.
Let’s not be confused: Tony Abbott did not raise or discuss his tow-back-the-boats policy with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono when they met in Jakarta two nights ago.
The Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa says it wasn’t discussed at that meeting; the Australian shadow immigration minister Scott Morrison says it wasn’t discussed at that meeting. Suggestions otherwise are simply not true. Anonymous sources were not needed to clear up the matter.
Continue reading "A tow-them-backflip? No, just more angry pollies" »
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono knew exactly what he wanted from Australia yesterday down to the precise numbers, and the diplomatic odds are that what he didn’t get in Darwin he will some time later.
You have to know what you want and be smart enough to get it if you want to run an archipelago of 240 million people. Probably smarter than someone - anyone - needs to be to manage a continent of 22 million.
Yesterday for example, the President wanted the release of 54 minors detained for being part of alleged people smuggler crews bringing paying asylum seekers to Australia. If they were not set free, he said in open warning, there could be trouble back home, which “no doubt will will not be beneficial for Indonesia nor Australia”.
Continue reading "A long-term focus in a short-term political world" »
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marley says:
@Krik - you haven’t actually read the High Court decision, have you. It makes a clear distinction between Malaysia and Nauru. And we have processing centers in Pakistan. We don’t have them in Afghanistan because you have to be outside your country of nationality to make a refugee claim. Read more »
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Krik says:
Based on the High Court decision regarding Malayasia the use of Nauru was illegal. They were not a signatory until July 2011. It took the actions of Nauru to legitmise Abbotts constant call for it to be re-opened. From 2001 to 2007 it was illegal, from 2007 to 2011 Abbott… Read more »
The Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is due to visit Australia in early March and will be addressing both houses of Parliament.
It’s not that common to have a foreign leader address the Australian Parliament but it will be repeated later in March when the US President Barack Obama is expected to do the same.
Australia-Indonesia relations are always complex. At the leadership and government level they remain strong as the Howard Government had left them, despite frustrations in official Indonesian ranks over the Rudd Government’s handling of the Oceanic Viking saga and the ongoing issue of the Sri Lankan asylum seekers that remain in limbo off a West Java port.
Continue reading "Our role in defending democracy in Indonesia" »
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Dan says:
But how would the killing of a small number of Australains by extremists prove that an entire country hates us?! Read more »
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Dan says:
I don’t need to learn to read to know that you’re a fanatic. Read more »
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