Australian won’t bow to Papua pressure, FM says

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says Australia has been “explicit” in its support for Indonesia’s sovereignty over Papua.

Australian Foreign Minister, Bob Carr

Senator Carr told Newsline the provinces have been recognised “by all the nations in the earth” as Indonesian territory.
(See the video)

“There are Australians, a very small number I think…who take an interest in the notion for more autonomy for Papua but I remind them that you’d be doing a disservice to the Indonesian population of those two provinces if you held out any hope that Australia could influence the cause of events,” he said.

The Foreign Minister has dismissed suggestions public pressure would cause Australia to change its policy on Papua’s autonomy.

“I just ask those idealistic Australians who might entertain some other arrangement, that what would be the cost in terms of our friendship with Indonesia and in terms of our budget of a different arrangement.

“It’s inconceivable, utterly inconceivable.”

‘Australians seen as Asians’

The Foreign Minister says Australia’s relationship with Indonesia involves a “habit of consultation” – a relationship it enjoys with a number of its Asian neighbours including Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

“We had the Singaporeans through in recent weeks and again we have common approaches to issues like the South China Sea, he said.

“A comfortable alignment of our foreign policy positions.”

He also countered criticisms Australia’s perceptions of Asia are superficial and too “Eurocentric” in response to the recently-released Asian Century policy paper.

“The foreign minister of Myanmar was through here last week and he said..’We see Australia as Asians’,” he said.

“Why wouldn’t he? We were there in Myanmar lifting, not just suspending our sanctions.”

Senator Carr says the fact Australia won a seat on the United Nations Security Council is also testament of its strong relationship with its neighbours.

“I was struck by this when I stood there in the UN and I was being congratulated by nations from every region in the world and it dawned on me that they’re comfortable with Australia and that reflects our diplomacy,” he said.

Source: Australia Network News

US supports RI’s stance on Papua

In the process of gaining support in Asia, an engine of global growth where the US has major interests in trade and investment, the US has at times appeased Indonesia, and has expressed its full support for Indonesia’s handling of restive Papua.

“First and foremost, we support Indonesia’s efforts against separatism,” said US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Sunday (23/10).

Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said he had told Panetta that Indonesia would not tolerate any act of separatism in Papua.

“I told him what happened in Papua before he asked me. We must explain what happened to erase any suspicion against us,” he said.

Meanwhile, in wooing other ASEAN countries, the US uses maritime security issues, such as China’s quarrel with some ASEAN countries over islands in the South China Sea, piracy and trade lanes in the Malacca Strait, as its entry points, stating that the US will protect ASEAN nations’ interests and warning China that the US remains a power in the region.

“The principle that I bring to Indonesia and this part of the world is that the US remains a Pacific power, that we will continue to strengthen our presence in this part of the world, we remain a force for peace and prosperity in this region, and we continue to push for free and open commerce, open access through the sea and the air. We’ll continue to seek a just international order,” Panetta.(*wpnn)