Day 79: Indonesia

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/id.html

Discuss.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

If Armenia, Denmark and East Timor are all Freedom Fighters, then this country is a good example of Horrible People.

[DanielX]

It's not that simple. Indonesia has over 200 million people - and the different isles have different cultures.

Okay, the dominant Javans are pretty horrible people. But what of the residents of Bali, West Timor, or Irian Jaya?

[MODU]

My experience with Indonesia is pretty much isolated to Sumatra (Padang and Panjang to be specific).  Both areas were quite rural . . . nothing but untouched trees and beaches for miles upon miles, until you reached the port area.  I wish I could find some of my pictures while at sea.  When we entered port near Panjang, there were two medium-sized cruise ships anchored in the bay, with a shuttle service to the two.  In the town, there was primarily only one Hilton hotel (and a lovely one at that) and a disco.  Everything else was support businesses for the people that lived in the town to work at the port.  I think I've mentioned it on here before that I had more fun sitting at one of the local persons houses, eating and drinking with a his family and a few people from the ship.  We could not speak each others languages, but we should had a great time trying to converse with each other.  *laughs*

Fortunately from my study, neither location was severely impacted by the 2004 tsunami . . . which is good, since the housing area in the town near Panjang was right at water level.

[WMS]

Finally has emerged with a decent - not perfect, but decent - government after decades upon decades of idiotic left-wing and idiotic right-wing regimes alike. Nasty business in West Papua...

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It's getting better, now that the Javan Empire has started to take steps towards becoming a Javan Federation, but there are a number of places with active indepence movements, Aceh is merely the one that got the most news.  By the way, if we'd had a more active foreign policy in the 1870's, the Sultanate of Aceh could have ended up as an American protectorate. 

[opebo]

I had fun there, though only on the small islands off Singapore.  Overall my understanding is that it is the least bad of the Muslim countries.

[minionofmidas]

They very recently became the first Muslim country to have its own national edition of Playboy. It sold out within hours. Buyers felt cheated as it did not actually include any full nudity.

[Platypus]

A country of significant importance to Australia that is also the source of significant frustration.

We are often able to work well together, but at least every 6 months the relationship looks like it's at it's worst ever point and then all of a sudden everything's great.

SBY is their best ever President, of course, but he still sin'tr perfect. I know that it shouldn't be held as leverage but the fact that we gave them over $1billion should at least make them hate us less, but they still recalled their ambassador to Australia a week or so ago because Australia gave temporary visas to refugees from Irian Jaya.

It's a touchy relationship.

BVonds do seem to be strengthening, though; many of Indoenia's elite have sent their children to schools and universities in Australia and when those kids become the new elite things will improve. The whole Schapelle Corby/Michelle Leslie/Bali 9 thing hasn't actually been all that badly received over there-they aren't pleased at the Aussie media constantly bagging the Indonesian justice system  but considering how they could have taken the situation they've done quite well-certainly better then the Australians who really made far too much of a fuss about it all, although it is justified wrt the Bali 9 (because of the death sentences).

The Bali bombings forced Australia and Indonesia to become tighter then ever before, and this was only strengthened by the Australian Embassy bombing, the Second Bali Bombing and of course the Tsunami (and Nias). Whilst obviously the relationship isn't mature yet and has a long way to go, and whilst both Australia and Indonesia have a tendency to blow up over things that really don't deserve it but provide an outlet for what are obviously other significant issues, the relationship is good; and whilst Keating and Suharto might've got on quite well, i'd prefer a strained relationship with a democracy then a friendly relationship with a dictatorship on our doorstep.

Indonesia is far from perfect, but I generally believe Australia, and the west in general, can have sucessful and worthwhile relationships with them. It's role in the war on terror is important, and from an Australian perspective critical; it's economy is growing and using Australian resources and expertise, and it's people are gaining true democratic rule and some measure of social liberalism.

Indonesia has a long way to go and I'm glad the process has started, and even more glad that Ausralia is alongside it helping it along, even if sometimes they want us to just butt out. Indoesia has the will but not the skills to be a better nation, and it is the west's role, especially Australia's, to provide the skills. We've done that so far and we shouldkeep doing it, even if it does smell a bit like neocolonialism.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

They very recently became the first Muslim country to have its own national edition of Playboy. It sold out within hours. Buyers felt cheated as it did not actually include any full nudity.

They're not so bad because of that. Its a good start. MAybe we can "poach" indonesia from the muslim world and bring it into the civilized world like how we did turkey.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

...but they still recalled their ambassador to Australia a week or so ago because Australia gave temporary visas to refugees from Irian Jaya.

West Papua, please.  The Act of Free Coerced Choice was one of less attractive results of the Cold War coddling of Indonesia by the United States.

[WMS]

...but they still recalled their ambassador to Australia a week or so ago because Australia gave temporary visas to refugees from Irian Jaya.

West Papua, please.  The Act of Free Coerced Choice was one of less attractive results of the Cold War coddling of Indonesia by the United States.

Yep. Just another act of Javan Imperialism.