1) SURVIVORS APPEAL FOR PROTECTION
2) Flipping over the boats: Restoring RI-Oz ties
3) TEACHER ABSENTEEISM FORCES ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS TO CLOSE
4) MILITARY ENLISTS 296 SOLDIERS TO BE
TEACHERS
5) NO TEACHERS, 4 SCHOOLS FACE
CLOSURE
6) RI slams Oz, silent over US
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1) SURVIVORS APPEAL FOR PROTECTION
Merauke, 17/2 (Jubi) – Five survivors of an attack in Karu waters off Papua New Guinea (PNG) has sought protection from the church, claiming they had been threatened by unknown people.
Anton Basik-Basik, James Mahuze, Marsel Gebze, Silvester Basik-Basik and Andrew Mahuze have reported to threat to the office of Justice and Peace of the Bishopric (Keuskupan) of Merauke (SKP-KAME).
Chairman of SKP-KAME, Hary Warsoek, in a meeting with commision A of House of Representatives (DPRD) Merauke, Monday (2/17) said the five men had asked for protection from SKP-KAME following a threat of violence.
“I contacted the Archbishop of Merauke, Mgr. Nicolaus Adi Seputra, MSC and ordered to provide protection to the five survivors, “he said.
“I contacted the Archbishop of Merauke, Mgr. Nicolaus Adi Seputra, MSC and ordered to provide protection to the five survivors, “he said.
Chairman of Commission A of DPRD Merauke, Dominic Ulukyanan, said there was not much information related to the burning of the ship.
“So far, the five others who went missing have not been found. I think we should immediately respond quickly, “he said.
“So far, the five others who went missing have not been found. I think we should immediately respond quickly, “he said.
He said: “We will convey to chairman of the board in order to classify the case by inviting all parties. So that it can be known clearly whether the speedboat was burnt down by PNG soldiers or not.
Meanwhile, relatives of the survivors had lodged a report to the House of Representatives (DPRD) of Merauke, on Monday (2/17).
In a statement read out by Paul Samkakai, one of the victim’s relatives demanded local government to ask sea cucumber entrepreneurs who are in the town of Merauke to close down their illegal businesses in PNG through cross-border. He urged the government to facilitate talks related to the missing victims who survived.
“Yes, we also ask the victim’s family who are still alive and dead to meet. So that there will be further communication to avoid threats,” he said, Monday (2/17).
He said he hoped DPRD of Meraule and the local government, as well as the police to provide protection to the survivors and their families.
“Besides, please do not issue a license or a passport from the village and district roads for RI-PNG border crossers due to the abuse of authority or a letter from related institutions,” he said. (Jubi / Frans Kobun/ Tina)
“Besides, please do not issue a license or a passport from the village and district roads for RI-PNG border crossers due to the abuse of authority or a letter from related institutions,” he said. (Jubi / Frans Kobun/ Tina)
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2) Flipping over the boats: Restoring RI-Oz ties
Pierre Marthinus, Jakarta | Opinion | Tue, February 18 2014, 11:12 AM
Australian warships will now be frequenting Indonesian waters. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s diplomatic legacy is now vividly clear: A tradition of diplomatic spinelessness and an Australian bully to the south well intent on trampling over Indonesian sovereignty. Although Sukarno was the one who coined the pejorative phrase, “a nation of coolies and a coolie among nations”, it was obviously Yudhoyono who managed to craft that catchphrase into a diplomatic reality for Indonesians today.
Yudhoyono’s tuck-tail diplomacy and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s bull-headed arrogance is the ultimate recipe for a diplomatic disaster. Currently, bilateral relations are intentionally kept to a simmer, ready to be reheated to its boiling point at a whim.
Yudhoyono’s legacy will be a decaying pro-Western political powerhouse that is deeply divided, already conquered, easily bought and goes cheaper by the dozen.
The Democratic Party’s (PD) anti-corruption television advertisements trigger both pity and contempt since cast members Angelina Sondakh, Andi Mallarangeng and Anas Urbaningrum are all now ensnared in corruption cases.
The only “diversity” within Yudhoyono’s handpicked Cabinet seems to be that the Islamists prefer dinars while the neoliberal pseudo-nationalists prefer American dollars.
This might seem counterintuitive for Yudhoyono’s logic, but taking tangible actions to immediately hurt strategic Australian interests will go a long way toward improving healthy bilateral relations.
The sooner strong actions are taken to hurt strategic Australian interests, the sooner bilateral relations can bounce back. Without any strong retaliatory measures, those in Canberra will never realize the full worth of the wonderful bilateral ties it once had with Indonesia. A relationship that costs nothing will always weigh nothing in Canberra’s future cost and benefit calculations.
Jakarta needs to send a clear diplomatic signal that cannot be misinterpreted, spun or downplayed by Canberra. The severing of ties with Canberra should be extended into other strategic areas of cooperation.
The wider framework of counterterrorism cooperation, Australian permits for development-cum-espionage projects in eastern Indonesia and the live cattle and boxed beef trade should be placed firmly on the sacrificial altar to show that Jakarta really means business.
Beef trade — not counterterrorism — would be the hardest luxury to sacrifice from Jakarta’s point of view. Indonesia’s shameful dependency on Australian beef imports is also thanks to Yudhoyono’s own handpicked “nationalist-religious” team of ministers.
Entrusting the national beef self-sufficiency program to an Islamist minister whose political party had been deeply embroiled in beef corruption cases and allowing neoliberal pseudo-nationalist ministers to let “market prices” dictate import quotas was Yudhoyono’s sleight of hand.
Of course, “market price” simply means aiming to achieve the lowest possible beef price standards to allow for a huge influx of Australian beef imports.
At the height of the spying row, Yudhoyono’s ministers increased cattle import permits by 66 percent for 2014 — an increase most likely to be filled by a country that had unilaterally halted beef exports, sending prices through the roof, ahead of the holy month of Ramadhan in 2011: Australia.
Yudhoyono will now be forced to choose between catering to top-down Western interests — his errand boy routine — or accommodating the nationalist aspirations of 240 million Indonesians claiming their rightful place and representation in a globalized world. This dilemma will play out into the 2014 elections in three key strategic areas: energy, mining and the diplomatic standoff with Australia.
Bad decisions on any of these areas will most likely condemn Yudhoyono’s party, his “political dynasty” and his own political career to the backwater of Indonesian politics. Further failure by Yudhoyono to take strong action against Australian strategic interest will result in a “carryover”, a “spillover” and a “boilover” effect.
A “carryover” effect refers to Indonesia’s desperate search for a high-note strong nationalist closure to the spying row from the next presidency. Presidential hopefuls with low popularity and the most questionable human rights track record can look more vote-worthy once they take up the anti-Australian rhetoric — “the Abbott effect”.
A “spillover” refers to the discrediting of broader relations with Western powers in general. Any hypocritical facade of equality and national sovereignty in dealing with Western powers — which Yudhoyono had painstakingly built over his two presidencies — will be shattered to pieces. It will affirm long held perceptions that power relations are so asymmetrical to the point that Western powers — even lesser ones like Australia — can do anything they please without Jakarta having the ability to retaliate at all.
Should this infuriating image come into play within the Indonesian public imagination, expect greater sustained public pressures to downgrade cooperation on other areas of cooperation — impacting not only Australia, but also the US, the UK, Canada and New Zealand.
A “boilover” effect refers to Indonesians forming a stronger opinion of Australia, shifting away from their ambivalent attitudes and actually acting on those opinions. Indonesia’s international rise, as many note, is starting to take effect on the national psyche.
Indonesian senior diplomats and leading academics find Australian arrogance and insistence on “flipping over the boats” to be extremely infuriating. Ikrar Nusa Bhakti of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), teases out why a more “balanced diplomatic” response targeting other Western powers, especially the US, has not been considered (Kompas, Nov. 22, 2013).
His article was accompanied by a picture of a handheld globe being sliced by a knife on the Indonesian-Australian border — a not-so-subtle hint of the editorial preference of Indonesia’s leading daily, Kompas.
Hikmahanto Juwana, a professor of international law at the University of Indonesia, called Australia’s policy “insulting” and has repeatedly called for declaring Australian Ambassador Greg Moriarty persona non grata.
Those voicing the strongest criticisms are simply trying to give Canberra a heads-up of what is being discussed behind most closed doors since the spying row took place.
Ambassador Moriarty obviously deserves an honorary persona non grata for his stellar performance. Australian permits to work in eastern Indonesia, especially on development projects in Papua, need to be frozen until a new intelligence code of conduct has been agreed upon.
As for the beef trade, the Indonesian middle class would surely prefer eating chicken in dignity and most can afford Japanese premium Wagyu beef. Contrary to what the Indonesian Trade Ministry says, poor people do not die from a shortage of beef and no nationwide revolutions have ever been staged due to one.
The Indonesian middle class yearns for one commodity that Yudhoyono has continuously failed to provide and cannot simply be imported from Australia: national dignity.
Yudhoyono’s tuck-tail diplomacy and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s bull-headed arrogance is the ultimate recipe for a diplomatic disaster. Currently, bilateral relations are intentionally kept to a simmer, ready to be reheated to its boiling point at a whim.
Yudhoyono’s legacy will be a decaying pro-Western political powerhouse that is deeply divided, already conquered, easily bought and goes cheaper by the dozen.
The Democratic Party’s (PD) anti-corruption television advertisements trigger both pity and contempt since cast members Angelina Sondakh, Andi Mallarangeng and Anas Urbaningrum are all now ensnared in corruption cases.
The only “diversity” within Yudhoyono’s handpicked Cabinet seems to be that the Islamists prefer dinars while the neoliberal pseudo-nationalists prefer American dollars.
This might seem counterintuitive for Yudhoyono’s logic, but taking tangible actions to immediately hurt strategic Australian interests will go a long way toward improving healthy bilateral relations.
The sooner strong actions are taken to hurt strategic Australian interests, the sooner bilateral relations can bounce back. Without any strong retaliatory measures, those in Canberra will never realize the full worth of the wonderful bilateral ties it once had with Indonesia. A relationship that costs nothing will always weigh nothing in Canberra’s future cost and benefit calculations.
Jakarta needs to send a clear diplomatic signal that cannot be misinterpreted, spun or downplayed by Canberra. The severing of ties with Canberra should be extended into other strategic areas of cooperation.
The wider framework of counterterrorism cooperation, Australian permits for development-cum-espionage projects in eastern Indonesia and the live cattle and boxed beef trade should be placed firmly on the sacrificial altar to show that Jakarta really means business.
Beef trade — not counterterrorism — would be the hardest luxury to sacrifice from Jakarta’s point of view. Indonesia’s shameful dependency on Australian beef imports is also thanks to Yudhoyono’s own handpicked “nationalist-religious” team of ministers.
Entrusting the national beef self-sufficiency program to an Islamist minister whose political party had been deeply embroiled in beef corruption cases and allowing neoliberal pseudo-nationalist ministers to let “market prices” dictate import quotas was Yudhoyono’s sleight of hand.
Of course, “market price” simply means aiming to achieve the lowest possible beef price standards to allow for a huge influx of Australian beef imports.
At the height of the spying row, Yudhoyono’s ministers increased cattle import permits by 66 percent for 2014 — an increase most likely to be filled by a country that had unilaterally halted beef exports, sending prices through the roof, ahead of the holy month of Ramadhan in 2011: Australia.
Yudhoyono will now be forced to choose between catering to top-down Western interests — his errand boy routine — or accommodating the nationalist aspirations of 240 million Indonesians claiming their rightful place and representation in a globalized world. This dilemma will play out into the 2014 elections in three key strategic areas: energy, mining and the diplomatic standoff with Australia.
Bad decisions on any of these areas will most likely condemn Yudhoyono’s party, his “political dynasty” and his own political career to the backwater of Indonesian politics. Further failure by Yudhoyono to take strong action against Australian strategic interest will result in a “carryover”, a “spillover” and a “boilover” effect.
A “carryover” effect refers to Indonesia’s desperate search for a high-note strong nationalist closure to the spying row from the next presidency. Presidential hopefuls with low popularity and the most questionable human rights track record can look more vote-worthy once they take up the anti-Australian rhetoric — “the Abbott effect”.
A “spillover” refers to the discrediting of broader relations with Western powers in general. Any hypocritical facade of equality and national sovereignty in dealing with Western powers — which Yudhoyono had painstakingly built over his two presidencies — will be shattered to pieces. It will affirm long held perceptions that power relations are so asymmetrical to the point that Western powers — even lesser ones like Australia — can do anything they please without Jakarta having the ability to retaliate at all.
Should this infuriating image come into play within the Indonesian public imagination, expect greater sustained public pressures to downgrade cooperation on other areas of cooperation — impacting not only Australia, but also the US, the UK, Canada and New Zealand.
A “boilover” effect refers to Indonesians forming a stronger opinion of Australia, shifting away from their ambivalent attitudes and actually acting on those opinions. Indonesia’s international rise, as many note, is starting to take effect on the national psyche.
Indonesian senior diplomats and leading academics find Australian arrogance and insistence on “flipping over the boats” to be extremely infuriating. Ikrar Nusa Bhakti of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), teases out why a more “balanced diplomatic” response targeting other Western powers, especially the US, has not been considered (Kompas, Nov. 22, 2013).
His article was accompanied by a picture of a handheld globe being sliced by a knife on the Indonesian-Australian border — a not-so-subtle hint of the editorial preference of Indonesia’s leading daily, Kompas.
Hikmahanto Juwana, a professor of international law at the University of Indonesia, called Australia’s policy “insulting” and has repeatedly called for declaring Australian Ambassador Greg Moriarty persona non grata.
Those voicing the strongest criticisms are simply trying to give Canberra a heads-up of what is being discussed behind most closed doors since the spying row took place.
Ambassador Moriarty obviously deserves an honorary persona non grata for his stellar performance. Australian permits to work in eastern Indonesia, especially on development projects in Papua, need to be frozen until a new intelligence code of conduct has been agreed upon.
As for the beef trade, the Indonesian middle class would surely prefer eating chicken in dignity and most can afford Japanese premium Wagyu beef. Contrary to what the Indonesian Trade Ministry says, poor people do not die from a shortage of beef and no nationwide revolutions have ever been staged due to one.
The Indonesian middle class yearns for one commodity that Yudhoyono has continuously failed to provide and cannot simply be imported from Australia: national dignity.
________________
The writer is executive director for the Marthinus Academy in Jakarta
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3) TEACHER ABSENTEEISM FORCES ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO CLOSE
Deiyai, 17/2 (Jubi)- Many teachers in Deiyai regency are avoiding their duties and prefer to stay in the cities, leaving many students abandoned, an education official said.
Adii Natalis, Secretary of the Department of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (Dikbudpora) of Deiyai regency, on Sunday (2/16) urged schools there to address the problem of teachers’ absenteeism seriously.
“At the moment, we are gathering data. As soon as we are done, we will start to analyze data and visit the schools,” Natalis, an alumnus of Cenderawasih University, said.
“At the moment, we are gathering data. As soon as we are done, we will start to analyze data and visit the schools,” Natalis, an alumnus of Cenderawasih University, said.
He said many schools have been built but lacked facilities.
“That is fine if you want to pursue infrastructure. Yet, the most important is how to provide essential facilities in order to produce good quality of human resources in the area.” he added.
“That is fine if you want to pursue infrastructure. Yet, the most important is how to provide essential facilities in order to produce good quality of human resources in the area.” he added.
Previously tabloidjubi.com reported that four elementary schools are threatened with closure because of a lack of teachers. Those schools are SD Inpres Digibagata, SD YPPGI Widuwkiya, YPPK Wagomani SD, and SD YPPGI Deemago.
“I don’t know whether there is no single teacher in Deiyai regency or all teachers run away from duty and prefer to stay in town,” Domingoes Pigay, a lecturer of WalterPost Divinity School, told tabloidjubi.com in Post 7 Sentani, on Saturday afternoon (2/15). ( Jubi/ Hom/ Tina)
“I don’t know whether there is no single teacher in Deiyai regency or all teachers run away from duty and prefer to stay in town,” Domingoes Pigay, a lecturer of WalterPost Divinity School, told tabloidjubi.com in Post 7 Sentani, on Saturday afternoon (2/15). ( Jubi/ Hom/ Tina)
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4) MILITARY ENLISTS 296 SOLDIERS TO BE TEACHERS
Sentani, 16/2 (Jubi) – As many as 296 soldiers based in Papua have received teaching certificates, allowing them to teach in remote areas.
“The soldiers will undergo training in teaching for more than a month in order to make them ready to teach,” said Commander ( Pangdam) of Millitary Area XVII of Cenderawasih, Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua in Sentani on Saturday (2/15).
Soldiers will also be enlisted to work the areas of health, agriculture, plantation, fishery and religion, he said. Certificates are given to hundreds of these soldiers after a three-week training at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education at Cenderawasih University (FKIP Uncen).
The Head of Education Quality of Dikpora Papua province, Marhen Puisi said the soldiers will greatly help the learning process, especially in remote areas.
“Papua Province will be greatly helped by them. Hopefully with the help of the soldiers, Papua’s Human Development Index can rise, ” he told reporters after handing teaching certificates to hundreds of soldiers in Sentani, on Saturday (2/15).
“Papua Province will be greatly helped by them. Hopefully with the help of the soldiers, Papua’s Human Development Index can rise, ” he told reporters after handing teaching certificates to hundreds of soldiers in Sentani, on Saturday (2/15).
He said teacher shortages occur in nearly 29 regencies and cities in Papua. Usually teachers remote areas fail to show up for work because of limited transportation and lack of support facilities such as teacher housing,” he said. (Jubi / Aprila/ Tina)
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5) NO TEACHERS, 4 SCHOOLS FACE CLOSURE
Sentani, 15/2 (Jubi) – Four elementary schools in Deiyai regency may have to be closed because there are no teachers, a lecturer said.
These four schools are SD Inpres Digibagata, SDYPPGI Widuwkiya, SD YPPK Wagomani and SD YPPGI Deemago.
“I’m confused whether there is no single teacher in Deiyai regency or all teachers ran away from duty and prefer to stay in town,” Domingoes Pigay, a lecturer of WalterPost Divinity School talked to tabloidjubi.com in Post 7 Sentani, on Saturday (2/15)
“I’m confused whether there is no single teacher in Deiyai regency or all teachers ran away from duty and prefer to stay in town,” Domingoes Pigay, a lecturer of WalterPost Divinity School talked to tabloidjubi.com in Post 7 Sentani, on Saturday (2/15)
He said the absence of teachers in several primary school causes many school-aged children not to attend classes and spend their time hanging around in Waghete, Deiyai city.
He urged the local government, particularly Department of Education and Teaching to immediately take firm and concrete steps to resolve the issue.
“If it is allowed to happen continuously, the future of children in Deiyai, speacially in Debei will be gloomy,” he said.
“If it is allowed to happen continuously, the future of children in Deiyai, speacially in Debei will be gloomy,” he said.
Responding to these problems, the Chairman of Commission E of the Papuan Legislative Council ( DPR Papua), Kenius Kogoya, said he hoped the provincial government would implement Special Local Regulation (Perdasus) on education, passed by DPR Papua in 2012.
“This Perdasus ( Special Local Regulation) has to be implemented continuously since it was made based on scientific studies and existing mechanisms. The regulation on Education should be carried out for better education in Papua, ” Kenius told reporters at the DPR Papua office,on Monday (2/3). (Jubi / Aprila/ Tina)
“This Perdasus ( Special Local Regulation) has to be implemented continuously since it was made based on scientific studies and existing mechanisms. The regulation on Education should be carried out for better education in Papua, ” Kenius told reporters at the DPR Papua office,on Monday (2/3). (Jubi / Aprila/ Tina)
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6) RI slams Oz, silent over US
Margareth S. Aritonang, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Tue, February 18 2014, 9:32 AM
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa slammed Australia over another surveillance revelation on Indonesia, conducted this time in cooperation with the United States government, calling it “excessive”.
Marty blasted the Australian government for going too far in a joint spying operation on Indonesia during a trade dispute with the US and offering to share back room information with the US, as revealed by the International New York Times on Sunday.
In the Times piece, based on a top-secret 2013 document provided by former US National Security Agency (NSA) system analyst Edward Snowden, the Australian Signals Directorate assisted the surveillance of trade disputes between the US and Indonesia over exports of clove cigarettes and shrimp in recent years.
Marty said that he was not sure how snooping on a trade spat could relate to security.
“I have come across statements that Australia collects intelligence to save Australian lives, the lives of other people and to promote Australian values,” Marty said.
“Those are well understood as a general outlook, but I must say I find it mind-boggling: How can I reconcile discussions about shrimp and the impact on Australian security.”
Marty was responding to a statement from Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who, following the report’s publication in the Times, said that his government used intelligence material “for the benefit of our friends” and “to uphold our values”.
Marty expressed his disappointment of Australia’s eavesdropping operation during a joint press conference with his American counterpart John Kerry. Earlier in the day, Marty and Kerry signed agreements on South-South and Triangular Cooperation and on Combating Wildlife Trafficking and Promotion of Wildlife Conservation.
With Kerry standing next to him during the press conference, Marty was silent over the role of the US in the surveillance operation.
Instead, Marty delivered an apology for addressing the spying allegation during a bilateral forum between Indonesia and the US.
Marty said that the revelation about an information sharing program between Australia and the US did not have a direct impact on the superpower country.
He went on to further blame Australia for souring the good relationships with Indonesia.
Ties between Jakarta and Canberra have taken a turn for the worse following the revelation that Australia’s electronic intelligence agency, the Defence Signals Directorate (now called the Australian Signals Directorate) had spied on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s inner circle. Strained relations were further damaged with Australia’s undocumented-migrant related “turn back the boats” policy, which Marty repeatedly criticized as “unhelpful”.
“Neighbors like Indonesia and Australia should be looking out for each other, not turning against each other,” Marty said.
“We should be listening to one another — not listening in on one another. And I think that it is very important to find the distinction between the two,” he said.
Meanwhile, when asked for the US’ response over the surveillance operation, Kerry spoke about the US government efforts to reform the country’s intelligence-gathering operations, convinced that the US protected privacy.
“We take this issue very seriously, which is why President Barack Obama laid out a series of concrete and substantial reforms,” he said.
Kerry also touched on allegations that spying gave US companies a commercial advantage.
“The United States does not collect intelligence to afford a competitive advantage for US companies or the US commercial sector,” Kerry said.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the NSA earlier said Sunday it “does not ask its foreign partners to undertake any intelligence activity that the US government would be legally prohibited from undertaking itself”.
Speaking to reporters after the press conference, Marty defended his position for not pressing the US harder on the issue: “The difference is that the US has undertaken a broad review of the intelligence gathering activities.”
Marty blasted the Australian government for going too far in a joint spying operation on Indonesia during a trade dispute with the US and offering to share back room information with the US, as revealed by the International New York Times on Sunday.
In the Times piece, based on a top-secret 2013 document provided by former US National Security Agency (NSA) system analyst Edward Snowden, the Australian Signals Directorate assisted the surveillance of trade disputes between the US and Indonesia over exports of clove cigarettes and shrimp in recent years.
Marty said that he was not sure how snooping on a trade spat could relate to security.
“I have come across statements that Australia collects intelligence to save Australian lives, the lives of other people and to promote Australian values,” Marty said.
“Those are well understood as a general outlook, but I must say I find it mind-boggling: How can I reconcile discussions about shrimp and the impact on Australian security.”
Marty was responding to a statement from Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who, following the report’s publication in the Times, said that his government used intelligence material “for the benefit of our friends” and “to uphold our values”.
Marty expressed his disappointment of Australia’s eavesdropping operation during a joint press conference with his American counterpart John Kerry. Earlier in the day, Marty and Kerry signed agreements on South-South and Triangular Cooperation and on Combating Wildlife Trafficking and Promotion of Wildlife Conservation.
With Kerry standing next to him during the press conference, Marty was silent over the role of the US in the surveillance operation.
Instead, Marty delivered an apology for addressing the spying allegation during a bilateral forum between Indonesia and the US.
Marty said that the revelation about an information sharing program between Australia and the US did not have a direct impact on the superpower country.
He went on to further blame Australia for souring the good relationships with Indonesia.
Ties between Jakarta and Canberra have taken a turn for the worse following the revelation that Australia’s electronic intelligence agency, the Defence Signals Directorate (now called the Australian Signals Directorate) had spied on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s inner circle. Strained relations were further damaged with Australia’s undocumented-migrant related “turn back the boats” policy, which Marty repeatedly criticized as “unhelpful”.
“Neighbors like Indonesia and Australia should be looking out for each other, not turning against each other,” Marty said.
“We should be listening to one another — not listening in on one another. And I think that it is very important to find the distinction between the two,” he said.
Meanwhile, when asked for the US’ response over the surveillance operation, Kerry spoke about the US government efforts to reform the country’s intelligence-gathering operations, convinced that the US protected privacy.
“We take this issue very seriously, which is why President Barack Obama laid out a series of concrete and substantial reforms,” he said.
Kerry also touched on allegations that spying gave US companies a commercial advantage.
“The United States does not collect intelligence to afford a competitive advantage for US companies or the US commercial sector,” Kerry said.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the NSA earlier said Sunday it “does not ask its foreign partners to undertake any intelligence activity that the US government would be legally prohibited from undertaking itself”.
Speaking to reporters after the press conference, Marty defended his position for not pressing the US harder on the issue: “The difference is that the US has undertaken a broad review of the intelligence gathering activities.”
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