Refleksi : Lumayan juga didapat oleh-oleh sebanyak $ 215 juta untuk membantu 30 juta rakyat miskin. Mudah-mudahan $ 215 juta ini tidak ditelan rayap rezim seperti kasus BC dan si miskin tetap miskin seperti sediakala.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/susilo-bambang-yudhoyono-cool-on-kevin-rudds-asia-plan/story-e6frgczf-1225838896842 Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono cool on Kevin Rudd's Asia plan Mark Dodd From: The Australian March 10, 2010 12:00AM PRESIDENT Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has told Kevin Rudd that Indonesia is unlikely to support his push for a new Asia-Pacific community as Jakarta sees the existing ASEAN bloc as its priority. The Prime Minister discussed the community plan when he telephoned Dr Yudhoyono in Jakarta on Sunday night. Dr Yudhoyono told Mr Rudd the community was an "intriguing idea to explore" but said Jakarta's foreign policy priority lay instead in strengthening the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Dr Yudhoyono arrived in Canberra yesterday at the start of a three-day official visit and will today become the first Indonesian leader to address a joint session of parliament. Dr Yudhoyono's visit is expected to include official discussions on improved co-operation between Canberra and Jakarta in tackling people-smuggling. Dr Yudhoyono is expected to give an undertaking to criminalise the trade but he will also raise concerns about the fate of dozens of Indonesian crewmen arrested by Border Protection Command for their alleged involvement in the illicit trade. Mr Rudd will appeal to Dr Yudhoyono for clemency for three Australian drug traffickers on death row. Dr Yudhoyono told Mr Rudd that while he did not rule out support for an APC, the question should be handled by foreign ministers Stephen Smith and Marty Natalegawa, Jakarta-based diplomatic sources told The Australian yesterday. Australia is not a member of the 10-nation ASEAN group of regional nations but it is one of 27 other countries in the associated ASEAN Regional Forum, a mechanism for dialogue. It is understood a formal communique is being drafted, which will state: "Both countries see value in continuing discussions initiated by Australia on how institutional architecture should evolve over time, including the Asia-Pacific (community) concept." "It's clear while Indonesia's priority is ASEAN, Yudhoyono is interested in this concept (APC), but that may well be to save Rudd face," said the source who asked not to be named. ASEAN countries had been cool on the Rudd initiative and Jakarta was unwilling to risk a rift with its ASEAN partners, he added. The initiative unveiled in June 2008 by Mr Rudd envisages a "pan-regional mandate" among countries as diverse as the US, China, Japan, India and Indonesia to be in place by 2020. It would serve as a buffer against future challenges to security, and economic or political difficulties, he told a conference in Singapore. But interest has been mixed, with ASEAN nations - especially Singapore - wary of any moves to dilute the group's collective clout. That message has been communicated to Jakarta. The Prime Minister's office declined to comment on the telephone conversation between the two leaders. But Mr Rudd told federal parliament yesterday the Indonesian visit marked a high-water level in relations. "We're working together to tackle challenges like people-smuggling, trans-national crime and people-trafficking," he said. "We're also close partners in the fight against terrorism and in that connection . . . Dr Yudhoyono was today awarded an honorary Order of Australia in recognition of the work he performed on behalf of Indonesia in response to the Bali bombings of 2002." Mr Rudd's breezy assessment contrasts with a report just released by the Lowy Institute think tank, which warned that Indonesia-Australian relations were in a "deep rut" and called for a major revamp of them. "Government-to-government ties have been strengthening but relations are focused around a mostly negative set of security-related issues," the institute said. Business-to-business links were underdone and public perceptions were poor, it said. That is a view shared by long-time Indonesia watcher, John McBeth, the Jakarta-based correspondent for The Straits Times newspaper. "Indonesians see the Australian partnership as very valuable to them - there is no question about that," McBeth said. "But you have to break down some of the old bogies that continue to haunt the relationship and in my opinion Balibo coloured the Australian media's thinking about Indonesia forever; East Timor in 1999 merely reinforced that." The killing of five Australian-based newsmen at Balibo in 1975 re-emerged in force yesterday as Greens leader Bob Brown and South Australian Independent senator Nick Xenophon backed a call by Shirley Shackleton, the widow of one of the Balibo Five, for her husband Greg's Indonesian killers to be brought to justice. Senator Brown said he would try to raise the issue during a parliamentary banquet today in honour of Dr Yudhoyono. While it's unlikely Canberra will ease tough visa restrictions for Indonesians wanting to visit Australia, it will continue its tradition of providing generous economic assistance. Jakarta can expect a $215 million aid package from Canberra designed to alleviate poverty affecting some 35 million of Indonesia's poorest inhabitants. There will also be additional measures to boost Indonesia's ability to deal with natural disasters. Related Coverage a.. TERROR: Killed suspect may be Bali bomber a.. Rationalising the region's alphabet soup The Australian, 9 Dec 2009 b.. Boatpeople seek talks on future The Australian, 3 Nov 2009 c.. A consummate master of diplomacy The Australian, 30 Oct 2009 d.. APEC key to asylum seeker deal Adelaide Now, 26 Oct 2009 e.. SBY seeking friends, not enemies The Australian, 20 Oct 2009
