Wikileaks and Kevin Rudd...

It must hurt to be Prime Minister of Australia and then be described by the US Ambassador, a close ally, as "a mistake prone control freak". But, to Rudd's credit, he does not give a damn. And, he makes a good point that there has been worse written about him in the past and there is likely to be worse written about him in the future. So, his job is to get on with the job of being Australia's number one diplomat.

Nevertheless, the scathing assessment suggested that he was also abrasive and impulsive while being not up to the task according to this little burst from the former US Ambassador:

''Rudd … undoubtedly believes that with his intellect, his six years as a diplomat in the 1980s and his five years as shadow foreign minister, he has the background and the ability to direct Australia's foreign policy. His performance so far, however, demonstrates that he does not have the staff or the experience to do the job properly.''

And, this was from just over 12 months ago. However, this was generally the gist of most assessments fired off by the former US Ambassador, Richard McCallum, to the former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and more recently the current Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.


The micro-management style of the former Prime Minister and his habit of undertaking large commitments without first consulting those that would be doing the hard yards in getting the initiatives up and running was ultimately his downfall. So, there really is nothing all that surprising or new in the diplomatic cables being leaked by Wikileaks. Perhaps, Kevin Rudd knows himself well enough to know the blunt assessments of him are one interpretation of his manner and style. He might not agree with those assessments, but it is probably true that he does not give a damn.

So, what is next on the Wikileaks front for Australia's diplomats?

Have Three Prime Ministers Really Failed Schapelle Corby?

It really is hard not to have a chuckle when stories like this wend their way into the media. Admittedly, Lawyers Weekly is not the most mainstream of media, but it is a publication that shares the concerns and voices of lawyers. So, in that sense, Kerry Smith-Douglas is a lawyer, she does represent the Corby Family in Australia (as far as I can tell), and there are interesting legal issues to be discussed and debated in this case.

Unfortunately, the significant issues that need to be debated here are not whether John Howard, Kevin Rudd, and now Julia Gillard have failed Schapelle Corby. The reality that the talking head that is Kerry Smith-Douglas fails to comprehend is that there are protocols and methods to the madness that constitute international relations that do not include successive Australian Prime Ministers jumping up and down on the spot and shaking their fingers at the democratically elected president of the Republic of Indonesia saying "give us back our girl or else!"

There is nothing funny about Schapelle Corby's case nor the predicament that she finds herself in. Kerobokan Prison is not a great prison to be doing a 20-year stretch in for smuggling drugs into the sovereign state of Indonesia. However, Kerobokan is not the worst prison in Indonesia nor is it the worst prison in Asia. Nevertheless, there are many people who think she has done enough time and it is time that she came home to Australia. Yet, it would be irresponsible to suggest that all Australians are in support of Schapelle Corby's repatriation to Australia, because they are not. There are still significant numbers of people, at least anecdotally, who argue "if you do the crime, you do the time".

This post is not about the technicalities of her conviction. If you want to read those posts then search this blog using the term "Schapelle Corby". Justice in this case was served in Indonesia. The cold hard reality that some refuse to accept is that the alleged crime occurred in Indonesia, Corby was arrested in Indonesia, she was prosecuted in Indonesia and she has been jailed in Indonesia since her conviction. The case was appealed pursuant to Indonesian law and these appeals ultimately failed. The case has be subject to judicial review and this failed to alter the result. The final step in this process is an appeal for clemency, this is pending a decision by the president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

It is a little bit weird to now start blaming this outcome on successive Australian Prime Ministers, isn't it? This case went belly-up, it was cactus, it was poisoned way before any of the past three Australian Prime Ministers could have conceivably launched a successful intervention. What remains now is some pretty solid bilateral lobbying and diplomacy. I am sure there will be those out there who want to jump in and argue that being silent has not served their cause well. Maybe this is so, but to be honest, I have not heard silence in this case since the outset. This has been a media circus from day one.

Final point, I am not going to argue that the best solution for Corby is to wait for a prisoner transfer agreement. However, that remains an option. The best bet is some form of humanitarian clemency from the Indonesian president that sees Corby's sentence slashed to time served. The most likely outcome is that she will be released having done at least 10 years of her sentence. Therefore, the clemency appeal will be successful in gaining a reduction in her sentence to about 15 years. Then with continued remissions for good behaviour, Corby will see freedom as early as 2014.

The problem here is not three successive Australian Prime Ministers failing Schapelle Corby, the problem has always been one of bad advice in the critical first few days after arrest.

I hope she is released immediately and returns to Australia as a free woman.

Ho hum...

MUI, Fatwas, and Kopi Luwak...

Each passing day further highlights the fact that the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has way too much time on its hands. Unfortunately, rather than doing something useful like marshalling their considerable resources and self-confessed moral authority to rid Indonesia of poverty, they instead focus their considerable energies on really useful world-changing matters such as the prohibition of drinking kopi luwak.

Kopi luwak is the world's most expensive coffee. What makes this coffee so unique, and apparently worth up to USD 600 a kilo is that the coffee beans are eaten by the civet and then passed through their intestinal tract and excreted in their feces. Then the feces are collected, the beans washed, and the coffee ground. All pretty simple really.

It is likely that there are many people who would turn up their nose at the prospect of paying top dollar for a recycled coffee bean, particularly so for a coffee bean recycled in this way. Yet, there are those who believe that kopi luwak is one of the world's great coffees, exquisite, and so worthy of the high price tag. Then there are others, probably not to be classed as connoisseurs of the little black beans, who think it to be just another cup of coffee, no better or no worse than you might get from a McDonalds McCafe.

Funnily enough, the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) decided that it was exquisite enough to give a bag to Kevin Rudd (former Australian Prime Minister) when Rudd visited Indonesia. That led to the inevitable, and somewhat lame jokes, of "crappacino" and "dung diplomacy".

However, when one thinks about it, it was pretty prophetic of the Indonesian president because it was not all that far into the future after that the then Australian PM found himself in a world of crap and was deposed as PM by his deputy.

The interest from the MUI (and according to the MUI, the NU) stems from concerns that kopi luwak is najis. Najis means ritually unclean, and unclean foods are forbidden in Islam. There is no doubting that najis exists in Islam and there are very specific provisions in place relating to things that are najis. It remains to be seen as to whether kopi luwak is one of those things.

However, no matter what the outcome, it remains a truism that there are so many far more important and pressing matters facing Indonesia and Indonesians that the MUI would be better served thinking about those and directing their collective energies to the successful resolution of those problems first before worrying about the najis or lack of najis-ness of kopi luwak.

Ho hum...

World Wide Chain Of Compassion...

Maybe it is time to spin off the posts that I have done on Schapelle Corby and her case into a blog of its own. I am intent on The RAB Experience remaining a blog on a wide and varied subject matter. However, I received this email earlier today. My visitor statistics are showing that there are lots of people passing through looking for information on Schapelle Corby and her plight.

If you feel strongly enough about wanting to help then perhaps you could start with copying and pasting the letter included on the previous post about letters to the PM of Australia, which you can find here. I have not heard of the World Wide Chain of Compassion before (but it turns up about 515 hits on a Google search).



From The World Wide Chain of Compassion

Regardless of how you, the reader of this email, currently feel about her
innocence or guilt, I ask you, please, to show compassion for Schapelle
Corby.

Jailed for 20 years, she has maintained her innocence to the crime and now,
after 5 years, has been reduced to a severe state of mental illness.

A report from eminent psychiatrist Dr Jonathon Phillips, who has just been
to Bali to assess Corby's mental condition, has been sent to the Australian
Government. It paints a shocking picture of Schapelle's state of mind. This
once fun loving, clean living young woman, has been reduced to a state of
mental illness with severe psychosis, hallucinations and suicidal
tendencies. She has already cut her arms with broken glass in an attempt to
end her life.

I believe this action was a desperate and final cry for help. Next time she
could go all the way and die in a pool of blood, somewhere in the squalor of
her prison hell.

In 2006, Schapelle wrote this:

"Right now I'm empty, lost and numb. I used to have a clear fresh sparkle
radiating within, showing through my laugh and my eyes. I never had a
problem looking in the mirror, I knew who I was, I didn't question myself.
Lately now, two years on from that fatal date and after repeated blows, I'm
finding a confusing, distant reflection in the mirror; it's dull, my eyes
don't seem to speak anymore, they're lifeless as though my soul is drying
up. Where have I gone, where am I going?"

In a letter to supporters she once said:

"Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes it's just a little voice at the end
of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow'."

How many more tomorrows does Schapelle have? How much longer can she last
before she finally succumbs to the voices in her head saying, "enough is
enough?"

Is it now time for us all to say, "enough is enough?" She has suffered
enough! It's time for compassion.

Indonesia's Most Wanted Malaysian -- Part III

Most of the recent reports are suggesting that the of the men killed in yesterday's raids against Noordin M Top and his associates have not, as initially reported, resulted in the death of Top. This might be a big dampener for Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia, who has reportedly already called Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), to inquire about Top and congratulate his Indonesian counterpart on killing Top.

Australia's Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, has been a little more realistic in stating that it is still too early to tell whether any of those killed is Top. So, rather than speculate, he is going to wait and see. Although, what is clear is that the Australian government is appreciative of the efforts of Indonesia and the fight against terror.

Top is responsible for a large number of deaths, and the deaths of almost 100 Australians, in a series of bombings starting with the first Bali bombings of 2002.

I would not be sad if Top was killed yesterday. I would also not be sad if he was killed at some point in the future during a similar raid. If the man is guilty of the crimes that he has alleged to have committed, then there is no reason that I can conceive of to be sad. However, this lack of sadness must not be construed as condoning his killing.

To the contrary, my preference would be to see the man caught, interrogated, and then tried for his crimes. It is clear what a guilty verdict would mean in this case, particularly when one considers the sentences that were handed down to foot soldiers like Amrozi, Mukhlas, and Samudra.

Confirmation, one way or the other, will happen over the next week or so.

Postscript...
Then again, maybe not a week or so. Counter-terrorism forces are anonymously confirming that the fingerprints of the dead terrorist do not match those of Noordin M Top.

This is not good. The longer this man evades capture and succeeds in killing innocent people his status among his followers only increases as does the likelihood that his following among those vulnerable to his influence will also increase.

More on Naked Kids as Art

The girl whose picture sparked the latest outbursts in the sexualization of children / child porn debate has come out in her own defence. The girl, Olympia Nelson, at the time the picture was taken was a mere six years old. She is now a much more commanding 11 years old. At 11 years old I am still not convinced that she knows or understands the implications of the photo or the debate that surrounds them.

The photos were taken by the Olympia's mother, Polixeni Papapetrou. I am not sure this makes a difference to the idea or arguments relating to exploitation. However, it does add to the dynamic of the argument the question, who should be able to make decisions relating to the photographing of minor children?

Nevertheless, the interesting part of this story is that Olympia Nelson is "really, really offended" that the PM, Kevin Rudd, cannot stand the images of a naked six year old Olympia. I prefer Brendan Nelson's (no relation as far as I know) characterization of the cover of Art Monthly Australia being the equivalent of a two-fingered salute to the rest of society.

The arguments being presented from both sides have some validity but none seem to be structured with a view to finding or striking some balance between the value of protecting children and any artistic value such images might have.

Art Monthly Australia have missed an opportunity to advance the argument by including other images of bondage involving a Japanese schoolgirl and a woman on the receiving end of some oral sex from an octopus. Sounds a little fetishy to me but I am sure it will peak some one's interest. Nevertheless, this is hardly a good means of getting people on side with your position.

The idea that these publications receive federal funding and therefore must comply to a certain standard would seem that the government offers funding as a means of dictating norms. There are probably arguments relating to free speech on this front but there are equally valid arguments that if the government is paying for it then it perhaps has a right to expect certain content acceptability provisions are to be put into place.

It would seem that this debate still has a ways to go before any resolution is found.

Child Pornography Debate -- Reignited

Is this child pornography?

Israel and Hamas

It is interesting that when the focus or spotlight is on you in a bad way the easiest way to shift the spotlight is to demonize someone or something else. Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, has been doing it tough of late with corruption scandals swirling all around him and with allegations surfacing of his direct involvement. Hence, the warning issued by Olmert that this cease fire or truce that is scheduled to come into force on Thursday is Hamas' last chance. It seems that if Hamas does not play ball and behave then Israel is prepared to strike deep into the heart of the Gaza Strip.

In the Israeli PM's own words, the people of Gaza are "pissed off with Hamas".

Now I am not pro-Hamas. In fact I have no problem with it being labeled an extreme and fundamentalist organization. The problem as I see it is that Hamas is now a democratically elected entity. The "West", and primarily the US, severely misunderstood the social and political dynamics when there was agreement to the idea of Hamas participating in Palestinian elections.

There seems little doubt that Hamas is anti-Israel and this means, in my mind at least, that any kind of truce will be short-lived. I just do not believe that Hamas has the sort of governance control it needs to reign in the militants and stop the rocket attacks. I hope I am wrong. I would love to see genuine peace in that part of the world in my life time. Yep, the eternal optimist!

The Israeli PM has close links to Australia and has family members living in Australia. In fact his cousin is married to the Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and an aunt in Sydney.

The PM has grand plans of making peace with Lebanon and Syria. The plan even includes opening an Israeli Embassy in Damascus. Now this kind of peace would significantly change the geo-political dynamic of the region for the better. However, before any of these grand plans are likely to come to fruition the PM needs to survive the corruption allegations that by all accounts have two possible outcomes; resignation or new elections.

In any event there seems to be an open invitation to the Australian PM, Kevin Rudd, to visit Israel. This comes on the heals of the Australian Federal Parliament passing a resolution that commemorated Israel's first 60 years of existence in March of 2008.

Maybe I will write more on this Middle East stuff in the future because I am an opinionated bugger on this issue!

Good Interpreters and Translators

Have you ever wondered about the value of a good interpreter or translator? Well, here is your answer!

The normal point man for the President of Indonesia is Dino Patti Djalal, particularly when it comes to foreign affairs and press conferences related to foreign affairs issues. However, unfortunately for the President, Dino is down and out with Dengue Fever. Nevertheless, life goes on and with the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, in town a press conference needed to be conducted with or without Dino present.

So, one of Dino's staff members stepped in and seems to have made a bit of an error in translating the President's response to a question regarding Australia's reluctance to lift its travel warning to Indonesia. The US have already lifted theirs and many think that Australia should do the same. Although, Australia is not one of those thinking that whatever the US does is good for Australia.

Well, it seems that the President speaking in Bahasa said something along the lines of, "Indonesia understood the Australian policy and the desire to protect its citizens from threats". The President also added that the security situation in Indonesia had already returned to normal and Australians were welcome to return to Indonesia. He then further added that the conditions in Bali had returned to normal as evidenced in the 37% increase in tourist arrivals during 2007.

Unfortunately for the interpreter this was translated as Indonesia requesting (perhaps demanding) that the travel warning be revoked!

The mistake is not one that is going to be fatal to the Indonesian and Australian relationship going forward. However, when it was pointed out that the translation had been a little different in the English version to that of the Indonesian version then the President felt the need to send in another of his spokespersons, Andi Mallarangeng, to provide a clarification to the earlier statements.

If there is a need for an Interpreter and Translator, then I am more than happy to offer my services for a mutually agreeable fee!

Does Rudd's Vision Change Australian Policy on RI?

This is an opinion piece from today's Jakarta Post. I re-post it here for the reason that the writer is a personal friend and one of the people that provided me with my education on Indonesia. Despite our often differences in opinion, he is one of the few people I trust to give me the low down on why my opinions are wrong or misguided!

It is also interesting to see how a long-term expatriate Indonesian views the way Australia deals with its nearest and biggest neighbour.

Eko Waluyo , Sydney Thu, 06/12/2008 10:18 AM Opinion

The visit of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to Indonesia from June 12 to 14, along with his trip to Japan, aims to advance Australia's economic and security interests. His ambition to create an Asia-Pacific community by 2020 is a sign Australian foreign policy will focus on engaging Asian countries.

Whether his vision will be a success or not, he is willing to bury Howard's idea of being the U.S. deputy sheriff in the region. Rudd wants to reassure the Asian countries they can be comfortable with Canberra under Labor.

Paul Keating said in 1994 that "no country is more important to Australia than Indonesia", where economic and security cooperation was the focus of bilateral cooperation rather than human rights and democracy issues. As a result, his dictum could be translated as "no country is more important to Australia than Soeharto's regime".

Indonesia today is much different than when Keating was in office. National and local elections are held regularly and the military's role in sociopolitical life has been eliminated in certain cases. Keating's road map to cement the relationship with Indonesia expired after Soeharto's departure; however, the Rudd government should take the social and political transformation in Indonesia as the foundation to build a genuine relationship.

The Labor government in Canberra now has the potential to develop a bilateral relationship with Indonesia by learning from Keating's and Howard's paths, with Canberra possibly playing a role to strengthen democratic processes and human rights.

There are several places Rudd's government can play a significant role. Issues that need to be addressed when Rudd meets President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono include whether Australian aid can be effective to eradicate poverty in Indonesia and create equal rights for citizens, how the half-heartedness of Jakarta to address the problem in Papua has created mistrust among Papuans toward Jakarta, and how to support security sector reform, particularly among the Indonesian Military and the National Police.

The culture of egalitarianism within democratic systems like Australia exists because of the country's social security system among citizens. The consequence of the 1998 economic crisis created unemployment and widespread poverty in Indonesia. There are 37.2 million people living in poverty without basic income and other social securities. Despite the economic growth of 6.2 percent, there is a big shortage of jobs. Human rights must include access to employment and economic security.

Kevin Rudd has promised to increase Australia's overseas aid program from 0.3 percent of GDP to 0.5 percent by 2015 as Canberra's part in the global movement against poverty. If aid is subordinate to foreign policy, it's hard to believe aid will effectively address these substantial problems.

Indonesia is among the biggest recipients of Australian aid, but this program is more about cementing intergovernmental relations (especially after the 1999 rupture over now Timor Leste) and most aid programs are delivered by Australian businesses (called "boomerang aid" by critics).

Several regencies in Indonesia (Jembrana in Bali, Makassar in South Sulawesi, Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara, Blitar in East Java and more) have been implementing social programs in health and education. Australian aid should support similar programs in other regencies.

When Jakarta introduced the 2001 law on Papuan special autonomy, the message was clear that education, health and unemployment would be addressed. In addition there would no longer be human rights abuses and past abuses would be addressed to destroy the culture of military impunity.

But the presence of so many troops in the province has only created conflict with local communities, and as a result Papuans do not have the power to exercise their democratic rights. Health and education infrastructure does not meet their requirements. In addition Papua is no longer a major issue in the eyes of Jakarta's ruling political elite and special autonomy is not fully implemented as a consequence.

Kevin Rudd's genuine commitment to support special autonomy for Papua should be proved by addressing the Papuan issue with his Indonesian counterpart.

The transformation from three decades of authoritarian role (where the military was able to control social and political life) to democratic transparency is an impressive change in 10 years. Security sector reform is part of the political agenda for further democratization, through legal regulations to put the military under democratic institutions and turn the police into civilians. However, security sector reform is just beginning, and here international cooperation can play a role.

Rudd's first salvo in foreign policy was to sign the Kyoto Protocol and promise to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq. The most crucial aspect is whether he is willing to differ with Washington's policy. Is he also willing to change past patterns of supporting the Indonesian armed forces regardless of human rights concerns, the pattern seen under Keating and Howard?

Howard's legacy on security cooperation with Indonesia needs to be evaluated. Especially in an era of military reform it is inappropriate if Australian forces train with Kopassus. In addition, the police cooperation should go beyond counterterrorism because the police need a new democratic paradigm.

Kevin Rudd's vision to promote an Asia-Pacific Community should not only be about economic and security issues that especially benefit Australia but also about economic security and human rights in Asia. In regards to Indonesia, the Asia-Pacific community should articulate the reform of the security sector.

The writer is a program coordinator of Indonesian Solidarity, a nonprofit organization that support human rights in Indonesia and Sydney -- Australia

Art or Child Porn -- An Update

The exhibition was to be of 41 photographs of naked teenagers, mostly. Some of the models were allegedly only 12 years old and by my reckoning makes them pre-teen. However, the police have seized 20 of the 41 photographs as evidence and it is expected that both NSW and Commonwealth charges are to be laid under Child Protection Act. My reckoning is that there are probably offences committed under the Crimes Act as well. The Commonwealth law is being used with respect to the publishing of an indecent article on the Internet.

The actual offence requires the depiction of a child under 16 years of age in a sexual pose. I must say that I have not seen the pictures and can only refer to what has been written by others, but it would seem that at least some of the photographs would fall into that category. This is probably also affirmed in the decision for the police to execute a search warrant and seize 20 of the items that were listed to be exhibited.

So, it seems as if the debate on what constitutes art and what constitutes porn is about to enter the legal realm and specifically the courts of NSW. This will pit the experts against each other from the art, porn, and child advocacy worlds and their respective supporters in opposing camps.

On the Federal level the PM has already weighed in with a statement that he finds the images revolting and a case of stripping away the rights of children to be children and in essence do things that normal children do. One assumes that his statement is based on a viewing of the offending images and not just hearsay. As PM he could demand a look couldn't he?

As an additional note. Bill Henson is one of the artists that Year 11 and 12 students in NSW can study as part of a course for their Higher School Certificate (HSC) for a Board of Studies approved subject titled "Photography, Video, and Digital Imaging". It should be pointed out that this comes with a disclaimer in the sense that it mandates that teachers must choose appropriate subject material for study.

The Balibo Five -- Now That He Is PM...

Now that Kevin Rudd has graduated from Opposition Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, to leader of the Opposition, and now to Prime Minister is the Prime Minister going to follow through to its logical conclusion his previous statements relating to the Balibo Five.

The Prime Minister is on the record making statements with respect to the findings of the NSW Deputy Coroner, Dorelle Pinch, late in 2007. The Deputy State Coroner had found that the Balibo Five had been intentionally murdered and not killed in the cross-fire as claimed by Indonesian officials. Pinch then went on to forward the file to the Attorney General with a recommendation that at least two individuals, Christoforus Da Silva and Captain Yunus Yosfiah, be indicted and prosecuted for the commission of war crimes.

Yosfiah was a Captain at the time, but he went on to make the rank of Major General and became the Minister of Communication in the Habibe Government. He stands accused of being the man responsible for issuing the kill orders and he was the ranking officer on the scene at the time.

So, what did the now PM say when he was not PM?

"This is a very disturbing conclusion by the Coroner concerning the fate of the Balibo Five back in 1975." And "I believe this has to be taken through to its logical conclusion. I also believe those responsible should be held to account." Well, with the findings of the Deputy State Coroner in the hands of the Attorney General do you think that the PM has come out and made a public pronouncement that the Attorney General has been instructed to draw up the indictments, issue the arrest warrants, liaise with Interpol, and contact the Indonesian government about arresting the alleged perpetrators for prosecution. No way!

However, this may change if the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) makes a recommendation that an indictment must be issued. The ball will then be firmly in the court of the Attorney General and the PM to ante up and bite the bullet one way or the other.

The reason this never became huge news in Indonesia is that the Indonesian government does not believe that Australia has the courage of its convictions to pursue this and risk good bilateral relations with Indonesia. This is at a time where the rumor and innuendo is that the PM as a result of his past as a Diplomat in China and his Mandarin skills is promoting Australia's relationship with China in preference to any ongoing relationship with Indonesia. This was not entirely unexpected and in any event even the PM would have to acknowledge that the relationship with Indonesia is an important one.

The PM has allegedly been a staunch supporter of maintaining ties with the Indonesian military even when almost every one else was moving away from any kind of relationship. This has some negative implications as to whether the PM will have the testicular fortitude to follow through on his earlier statements that the Balibo Five case should be followed through to its logical conclusion, which to my mind is prosecution!

The Lombok Security Treaty of 2006 covers issues of law enforcement and the Extradition Treaty covers the matter of moving a person or persons for prosecution. The recent discussion on prisoner transfer are likely to bear fruit in the future and allow for the transfer of prisoners between Indonesia and Australia for the purposes of those prisoners serving out their respective sentences in their own land! The point here though is to highlight that any agreement imposes rights and obligations on both parties to the agreement. These rights and obligations must be lived up to if the agreements are to ever be truly effective.

The real test comes when an indictment is handed down and arrest warrants are issued. These issues will only intensify once an extradition request is lodged. Indonesia, as could Australia if the circumstances were reversed, refuse the extradition application. However, there would be a requirement that the Indonesian court system prosecute the matter. If the final and binding outcomes of the trials that resulted from the violence in Timor Leste in 1999 is any precursor to the outcome, then the trials will be a whitewash and no convictions are likely. This would be a very unsavoury end to a very unsavoury incident.

The reality is that two nation States, both democracies, must be able to overcome their differences on this matter and prosecute the alleged perpetrators. If the defendants are not guilty then let the process determine that. Equally, if they are then let the process determine that as well. If Australia does move down this path then it is likely to see considerable support come from other States seeking a resolution to this.

Indonesia should not see this as offering up some sacrificial lamb to the west, although this is how it will be portrayed, but rather as a means of showing to the world that Indonesia is serious about redressing the wrongs of the past, that it is a maturing democracy, and that it is prepared to deal with these matters as a member of the international community. This admittedly would be considerably easier if the States making the claims that Indonesia step up to the plate had spotless records themselves (but that is another post for another time)!

Speaking Mandarin

Australia has managed to elect a Prime Minister that speaks a foreign language. There have been others before him but most of their foreign language skills were restricted to the Queen's English...

You would think that speaking Mandarin would be an advantage for the PM as the issue of Tibet has recently re-exploded onto the world scene with some fierce crackdowns by the Chinese in Tibet as a means of suppressing dissent in the region. Well, it seems it is an advantage although so far the advantage has been limited to discussing the Tibet issue with Chinese students at Peking University.

It is refreshing that a foreign leader (even more so because the foreign leader is an Australian) has the testicular fortitude to go into China's own backyard and talk in the local lingo and suggest that Chinese has some issues to deal with, particularly some significant human rights issues in Tibet. Apparently, he is going to broach this subject in no uncertain terms with Chinese leaders in the future.

Australia recognizes China's sovereignty over Tibet. Okey dokey on that front as most other countries do to and so does the Dalai Lama. The issue is one of effective and substantial autonomy that allows Tibet to remain a part of China but perhaps a self-governing territory (the above map from Al Jazeera).

But this statement from Qiangba Puncog, the chairman of the Beijing-appointed Tibet Autonomous Region government, that the rioters were "an extremely tiny minority" of Tibetans and "do not, and cannot, represent Tibet and the Tibetan people" should be cause for concern as it implies that the Chinese government's response will continue to be ruthless in suppressing dissent against its rule (photo from AFP).

Australia has two competing realities here, the Olympics aside, actively promoting better human rights for Tibetans while simultaneously not alienating the Chinese government altogether as Australia's resource sector has found a large and increasingly demand friendly market for raw materials. Perhaps this is what is known as the "business of human rights"!

This is an issue that is set to continue right up until the opening ceremony in Beijing if the protesters coming out to greet the Olympic Torch in protest as it makes its way around the world on its four-yearly pilgrimage.

The Actual Salute

I suppose I should post the still capture from the video of the offending salute...

It probably would not have made the grade in military training or military school, but whatever makes ya happy!

(photo stolen from here)

Saluting the Bush

Yes, my erstwhile readers another pornographically tinged post! Just kidding! It seems that Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has triggered a storm in a tea cup by apparently being caught red-handed saluting the President of the United States of America, a one George W. Bush.

This has fed all those that have been waiting for an opportunity to get on the bandwagon and trot out the "Australia takes its Deputy Sheriff role in the Asia Pacific seriously"...Some questions have gotta be asked of the Rudd-ster as to why he would let himself get caught out like this. However, if most Australians thought about this a little bit it is something some of them do instinctively anyway as a simple means of acknowledgement. It could be as uninspiring as pretending to dip the old Akubra in respect and then pointing towards the intended recipient of that respect.

This is one of those Clayton's news stories; news that's not really news at all! The Libs and the Greens have gotta be pretty hard up for things to say if they are going after this. If this is the best that Brendan Nelson has got then it is time that the Libs put Peter Costello in charge and made Tony Abbott his deputy, a couple of head kickers is just what the Libs need to turn around their flagging fortunes!

Even if it was a salute so what? Conduct unbecoming of an Australian PM? Evidence of Australia's subservience to the US? -- some people need to get out a little more and smell the flowers! This needs to be filed in the WGAF column! There are bigger problems in Australia than whether the PM has an arse about face understanding of candid camera now that he is PM. Yet, when you think about it this is the same bloke caught on parliament cam picking his ears and eating his ear wax!

It reminds me of this T-Shirt about bush and associated words as reflected in the picture above (stolen from here)!