Indonesia - Our Close Neighbour !

For most Australians our understanding of Indonesia is restricted to a visit to the holiday island of Bali.  The Balinese cater to Australian tastes because that keeps the money flowing but relations between the two countries have always been tense.

When Indonesia emerged from Dutch rule at the end of the second world war it's first president  - "Bung ""  Sukarno was openly hostile to Australia.  He often claimed that it was inevitable that his country would eventually invade and rule Australia, but Sukarno backed a Communist insurgency and when a coup failed he was replaced by General Suharto.

Suharto was a strict dictator.  Under his command the army purged the Communist movement and thousands died.  During his rule Portugal walked away from its colony in East Timor and Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam gave Indonesia the nod to invade.  This occupation was brutal.

Both the Indonesian police and the Indonesian military act as independent units within the Indonesian government..  In East Timor they took over money making business opportunities and reduced the   locals to serfdom.   In the inevitable revolt Australia was instrumental in helping the East Timorese gain their freedom.   This created Australian enmity in some higher Indonesian military officers.

Once again a clash between Indonesia and Australia is waiting in the wings because of Indonesian avarice in the half of Papua New Guinea now occupied by Indonesia.  The Morning Star movement is seeking independence and an armed insurgency is in progress.  Officers with the experience of East Timor are now at the top of the Indonesian military hierarchy - and this present spat seems to be mainly prejudice remaining from that era.

The fact that American Marines are training near Darwin is unsettling Indonesia and joint Indonesian and Australian training exercises have been uncomfortably similar to the unrest in Indonesian Papua New Guinea.  A general with an axe to grind against Australia has been quick to halt military ties and claim Australia is recruiting spies from his military personnel.

Wise heads in the Indonesian government will probably hose this down and it will be of short duration, but long term relations between the two countries depends on whether we can obtain religious harmony - and the auspices are not promising.

Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country and it has a secular constitution.  It is also a democracy which elects its leaders.   An Indonesian who happens to be a Christian is running for high office and hard line Muslims have quoted an obscure verse in the Koran which forbids Muslims to put in a positions of power a person other than a fellow Muslim.   When this Christian challenged that status he was accused of blasphemy - which carries a long prison sentence.

What is alarming is the vast crowds hard line Muslims have been able to bring to the streets to support this contention.  Muslims with a secular outlook have been galvanized to demonstrate and to a large extent this is being provoked by the insurgency which has erupted into civil war in the Middle East.

The future relationship between Indonesia and Australia will probably hinge on whether IS can be defeated and Muslim relations with the rest of the world amicably restored.   It is this call for world jihad that is fuelling the present unrest in our near neighbour !