The Occasion Of The Celebration Of Indonesia's Independence Day

SPEECH BY
CHARGE D'AFFAIRES A.I. OF THE INDONESIAN EMBASSY IN AUSTRALIA
ON THE OCCASION OF THE CELEBRATION OF INDONESIA'S
INDEPENDENCE DAY
(Adelaide, 25 August 2002)

In the name of God the most compassionate and merciful,
May peace be upon all of us,

Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is indeed an honor for me to gather here to jointly celebrate with you the 57th Independence Day of the Republic Indonesia. 57 years have elapsed since Soekarno and Hatta proclaimed the 17th of August 1945 as our independence day, a litmus test of the Indonesian people's strong determination to liberate themselves from the colonialist powers attempted over many torturous decades.

The challenges faced by our leaders, in particular by Soekarno and Hatta, were certainly of gigantic proportions prior to, during, and after the proclamation. The colonialist powers' ill-intention to subjugate our nation at the time was stronger than ever. The inhumane oppression continued unabated, claiming many lives of innocent people whose sacrifices had made it possible for Indonesia to proclaim its independence. These sacrifices finally brought Indonesia to the realm of those independent nations. We should indeed be proud of the fact that the courageous acts taken by our predecessors - in particular in proclaiming Indonesia's independence - had highly motivated other colonized nations to set themselves free from those evil forces.

Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

As the time progressing, we - as a nation - encountered a number of ups and downs ranging from regional rebellions, religious upheavals, as well as the national tragedy occurred in 1965, during which many of our best compatriots fell victim in order to defend the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia that led to the establishment of pseudo-political stability regime under former President Soeharto. We should however acknowledge the fact that this regime managed for approximately three decades to achieve an economic progress to the point it became a role model for other developing countries.

It will do no justice also should we fail to recognize that this pseudo-political stability accompanied by the application of a conglomeration economy had practically impeded the people to participate in the political decision making process both at the national and regional level which, in turn, produced only alienated leaders uprooted from their own people. It is therefore predictable that when the economic crisis swept Indonesia in 1997, this seemingly stable regime and the 'bubble economy' associated with it easily crumbled, creating instability in almost all of the Indonesian regions. In spite of this critical condition, a golden momentum has been created ushering in a new era - era of reforms - where democratic values as well as the protection and promotion of human rights holistically enshrined in our national philosophy 'Pancasila' - again play an important role. Under the leadership of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, we are all duty-bound to maintain the momentum in order to speedily create a democratic and prosperous Indonesia.

Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

With regard to the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Australia, we have to be always aware of the fact that relations between and amongst countries have always dotted with not only opportunities, but also formidable difficulties. The bilateral ties between Indonesia and Australia are no exception. It is all the more so, for the two nations are culturally different while their political orientations, developmental stages and needs are also in sharp contrast.

As the representative the Indonesian government in Australia, the Embassy of Republic of Indonesia in Canberra and Indonesian Consulate-Generals in Australia would do their utmost to further excel our bilateral ties, which are based on the principles of 'equal footing, mutual respect and mutual benefit'.

Ever since the two governments managed to overcome the turbulent time associated with the East Timorese and illegal migrants' issues, a sound, sustainable and mature relationship has emerged between the two neighboring countries. The continuous supports showed by the Australian government and Prime Minister John Howard to Indonesia's territorial integrity expressed on a number of occasions, in particular during Howard's recent visit to Jakarta, are highly appreciated by the government of Indonesia.

The significant improvement of Indonesia and Australia relations can be detected by the increase in number of visits of senior government officials from respective countries. During these visits both sides underlined the importance of building mutual trust and understanding and of opening dialogue to enhance the bilateral ties. The two countries also reaffirmed their strong desire to excel the relationship through continuing practical cooperation in a wide-range of fields. Several agreements have been successfully concluded thanks to these visits, covering areas such as, inter alia: education and culture, agricultural, fishery, antiterrorism, money laundering, forestry, environment, social security, energy and mineral, and security cooperation.

The current level of economic and trade relations between Indonesia and Australia is nonetheless still far from reflecting what our countries could possibly achieve together. Hence, there is an imperative need for vigorous efforts to enhance our economic and trade relations. For Indonesia, Australia remains one of the most important trading partners. There are a number of reasons for these traditional trade flows, to include cultural links and industrial partnership. I am confident that Indonesia can intensify trade links with Australia, not only because the obvious synergies, but also because Indonesia is one of the largest markets in the region and, better still, it is geographically close to Australia.

Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

In reference to the theme of our independence day, namely: 'The nation's unity and integrity is the key to achieve the 1945 proclamation's goal', I wish to take this opportunity to call on you to support the government's efforts in maintaining, protecting, and enhancing the nation's unity. History has taught us that conflicts between ethnic groups, races, and religions, would only ruin our nation. Indeed, 'UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE CRUMBLE'.

To conclude, let me avail of this opportunity to call on all Indonesian students to use the valuable opportunity available to them to study hard to tap the Australian knowledge to be used - at the later stage - to improve the prosperity of our nation. I also call on all members of Indonesia's society in Australia to create a conducive environment to enable these future leaders to achieve such a lofty objective.

Thank You.

Imron Cotan
Charge d' Affaires a.i.

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Canberra - Australia