Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Visit Australia Late This Month
Jakarta, 09 Jumadil Awwal 1438/06 February 2017 (MINA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo is slated to visit Australia at the end of this month, with Jakarta confirming its outgoing ambassador Najib Riphat Kesoema had been asked to stay on for the presidential trip.
According to smh.com.au, the visit is a fillip for the bilateral relationship and reflects that lasting damage was not inflicted by the recent defence fracas over material found at an Perth army base that caused offence to Indonesia.
Ambassador Najib was farewelled at a diplomatic function in Canberra last month after serving a five-year posting in Australia.
However the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s director-general for Asia Pacific Affairs, Desra Percaya, told Fairfax Media he had been asked to stay on a bit longer.
“The ambassador’s stay is extended because the president will be visiting Australia at the end of this month,” Mr Desra told Fairfax Media.
Meanwhile, Australian Army chief Angus Campbell will on Wednesday meet with Indonesian military chief Gatot Nurmantyo in Jakarta to discuss an internal investigation into the allegedly offensive material found at Campbell Barracks in Perth.
Earlier this month General Gatot had described the material, which included a poster that ridiculed Indonesia’s state ideology Pancasila, as “too painful to explain”.
He was upset over teaching on topics such as past Indonesian soldiers, East Timor, that West Papua should be independent and “Pancagila”, a spoof of the state ideology of Pancasila which suggests that its five principles are crazy.
It initially appeared as if all defence ties between the two nations had been suspended as a result, although Chief Security Minister Wiranto later clarified the postponement of cooperation related to the Special Forces Australia language training program only.
General Gatot said last month the action taken would depend on the result of the investigation.
Issue of OPM flag
Indonesian defence analyst Natalie Sambhi said there was a sense from the Indonesian side that the investigation had taken too long. She said she had also been asked whether any Indonesian officials had taken part in the investigation.
“There is a feeling of frustration the investigation wasn’t concluded any sooner,” Ms Sambhi said. “There is a suggestion that this is in part what might have driven it to become public.”
Ms Sambhi, an analyst from the Perth USAsia Centre, said she hoped for three outcomes from the investigation.
Firstly, that an adequate explanation was given of the context in which the allegedly offensive material had been used at the army base.
Secondly, that an apology was issued and a reassurance given that this would not occur again.
And thirdly, that there would be a normalisation of the relationship between the Australian Defence Forces and Kopassus, the Indonesian Army Special Forces group.
There have been two incidents in Australia relating to West Papua in the wake of the defence fracas.
A protester was charged with trespassing on the Indonesian consulate-general in Melbourne on January 30, three days after Indonesia criticised Australia for failing to arrest anyone over the security breach.
On January 6 the man clambered onto the roof of the mission in Melbourne and waved the separatist West Papuan “Morning Star” flag, which is banned in Indonesia, while another person filmed the event. The video was posted on Facebook and distributed widely.
And in a recent vandalism attack, “West Papua” was written on the grass verge in front of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra using weedkiller.
West Papuan independence is an extremely sensitive issue in Indonesia.
Many Indonesians remain suspicious of Australia’s intentions in Papua, even though it has signed the Lombok Treaty recognising Indonesian sovereignty over the restive province.
Trade Minister Steve Ciobo will accompany a business delegation to Indonesia for the second Indonesia Australia Business Week (IABW), which will take place across multiple cities from March 6 to 10.
“I hope our Prime Minister will lead the delegation to Jakarta,” Australia Indonesia Business Council national president Debnath Guharoy wrote in a recent newsletter. (T/RS05/RS01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Ageny (MINA)
