INDONESIA WELCOMES NEW AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 003245

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/ANP, EAP/PA
NSC FOR E. PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO ID AS
SUBJECT: INDONESIA WELCOMES NEW AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

REF: A. CANBERRA 1678

B. CANBERRA 1675

C. JAKARTA 3223

JAKARTA 00003245 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b-d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Indonesian reaction to the Australian
election has been upbeat, almost effusive. The GOI has
invited PM-elect Rudd to visit Jakarta in the near-term (Rudd
reportedly will also travel to Bali soon for the UN Climate
Change meeting). Pol/C spoke with top foreign policy analyst
Dewi Fortuna Anwar, who--echoing comments from other
observers--said Indonesia's ties with Australia seemed set to
improve under Rudd. She cautioned, however, that Rudd might
press human rights more than his predecessor. Over all,
despite the good vibrations, Indonesia will likely continue
to cast a wary eye toward its southern neighbor even as
cooperation moves forward. END SUMMARY.

JAKARTA WELCOMES RUDD


2. (U) Indonesia has welcomed Australia's new government.
Dino Djalal, President Yudhoyono's press spokesman and a key
adviser, told the press that SBY had been the first world
leader to call Prime Minister elect Rudd right after results
confirmed the Australian Labor Party victory in the November
24 election. Djalal stated that the Indonesian president
also had issued an invitation--accepted by Rudd, according to
the GOI--to visit Jakarta in the near-term, perhaps in late
December. (Note: In what apparently would be a separate
visit, Rudd reportedly plans to participate in the UN's
Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, in early
December.)

LET'S ENHANCE TIES


3. (C) The currently positive ties between the two countries
appear set to continue. Djalal, for example, was quoted as
expressing approval of Rudd's position on climate change,
adding more generally: "President Yudhoyono (told) Rudd he
was looking forward to maintaining and enhancing the already
excellent Indonesia-Australia relationship." Gudadi
Sasongko, the Deputy Director for East Asia/Pacific Affairs
at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU),told Pol/C that
Indonesia was intent on continuing its collaboration with
Australia in the area of counter-terrorism, commenting: "We
have worked very closely in this area, and we are sure that
there will be only continued cooperation in terms of police
and information exchange."

HE'S CLOSER TO ASIA


4. (C) The impression in Jakarta is that Rudd will move
Australian foreign policy closer to Asia, which is seen as a
big positive. In a November 26 conversation with Pol/C, Dewi
Fortuna Anwar, a top foreign policy analyst and former
government official, said it was her impression that Rudd
understood Asia "well" and would try "to increase ties
between Australia and Southeast Asia." She did not provide
concrete details on how Rudd might do this, but added: "John
Howard did focus a bit on Indonesia, but he seemed to us a
symbol of the 'old' Australia and he seemed to be doing the
bidding of the U.S. at times."

THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS


5. (C) Indonesians have some worries about Rudd. Anwar told
Pol/C that she thought that some constituencies around Rudd
and his party would make human rights a high priority more so
than the Howard government did. This could leave Indonesia
subject to criticism on such issues as Papua and East Timor.
(Note: East Timor casts a long shadow, for example: A
recent report issued by a New South Wales coroner accused the
Indonesian security forces of killing five
journalists--including Australians--in East Timor in 1975 --
see Ref C.) Justin Lee, the Australian Embassy Pol/C, told
Pol/C that he also felt that Indonesians--in being so
effusive about Rudd--did not fully understand that many Labor
Party supporters wanted to press the GOI on thornier issues

JAKARTA 00003245 002.2 OF 002


such as Papua and also Australian inmates in Indonesia
sentenced to death or long sentences for narcotics-related
offenses.

MEDIA UPBEAT


6. (U) The Indonesian media was upbeat. Commentators in the
English-language daily "The Jakarta Post" welcomed Rudd's
election, stating: "Prime Minister elect Kevin Rudd and the
Australian Labor Party will provide visionary
leadership...and will shape a new Australia to become an
indispensable cornerstone of the 21st century geopolitical
architecture encompassing a stable and dynamic Asia-Pacific
region." Another Jakarta Post commentator wrote: "In the
wake of Howard's defeat, there should be optimism that
Indonesia's southern neighbor will now discard its
imperialist tone to again take its place as a partner, rather
than as a condescending big brother. (Rudd) is expected to
re-calibrate Howard's slavish alliance with Washington." The
Bahasa Indonesia daily "Kompas" commented: The newly elected
government is hoped to bring a new change in bilateral
relations. Rudd's administration will likely continue the
long tradition of the Labor Party of preserving harmony with
Indonesia."

SNAP BACK TO REALITY, THERE GOES GRAVITY


7. (C) Indonesians basically seem wild about Rudd. Part of
the attraction seems to be a bit of dislike of John Howard,
who many Indonesians considered pushy. Well-grounded
analysts like Dewi Fortuna Anwar--while positive about
Rudd--are probably more on the mark when they state that
Indonesia's historically somewhat rocky relations with its
southern neighbor will not necessarily be a breeze with Rudd
and company. Cooperation on such issues as counter-terrorism
and in other areas will continue, but Indonesians have long
cast a wary eye on Australia, which many see as a Western
leaning, pro-U.S. ally stuck on the periphery of Asia. It is
unlikely that this image of Australia can be totally
dispelled by Rudd, though he might have the advantage of a
honeymoon period.

HUME