Even if the rumours of a “Jakarta Lobby” are true, the expression has been around for so long that it is now very much a cliché that could put at least half of would-be readers off when they see it used again.

Even if we accept the contention that criticising some Indonesian practices – real, imagined or manufactured – does not necessarily make the accusers anti-Indonesian, we do not have to criticise in the first place.

What Indonesia does or does not do is not our business. If people in Indonesia believe that they are treated badly, it is up to them to do something about it. Democracy is not given, it is won. Some people who have enjoyed democracies that have been around for a long time seem to think that we have been lucky; that it just dropped into our laps. We are lucky only in the sense that our ancestors long ago fought for and gained what we have today.

Third World people and their governments have to come to terms with what they have now, and change it if it is bad. Democracy is not a gift; it is a struggle. Outsiders have nothing to do with it

Leigh,
You're only partly right. It's certainly true that democracy has to be fought for by the people themselves not imposed from outside. The Indonesians did this against all the odds in 1998. I was there. Now were there any external factors at play? Of course there were. Only an absurb anti-globalist would argue that global events didn't play a role - albeit a supporting one - to the Indonesians themselves.

Leigh, look at what the IMF was doing in 1998. Look at what USAID was funding? Look at what Congress and even the Clinton administration were saying. Look at the international media. Countries can't be sealed off hermetically from the outside world.

And further to the article, did you see Ed Aspinall's article in "Inside Indonesia" arguing that Papuan activists were motivated by racism and religious bigotry? Now that really is Orwellian...

LOL, who the hell does this little dimwit Adam Henry think he is?

We the great and proud people of Indonesia will do whatever we feel like concerning our internal affairs. If Indonesian people feels like it, we will establish democracy like in 1998. If Indonesian people feels like it, we will establish an authoritarian system like in 1959 and 1965. It is also the unshakable iron will of Indonesian people to mercilessly annihilate the barbaric and murderous Papuan separatists. In Indonesian affairs, only the opinion of the great Indonesian people matters.

We the mighty people of Indonesia don't give a rat's arse on Australian concerns. The opinions of weakling Australians are irrelevant and worthless, we value Australian opinions as much as a handful of dust. Should Australia try to interfere in our internal affairs, we the proud people of Indonesia are always ready to give Australia the b!tchslapping it desperately needs to put this little country in its proper place.

Proud to be Indonesian, it's funny how you only ever contribute when an opportunity appears to have a go at Australia. If Indonesia was so great and mighty, surely you wouldn't need, nor ask for our help every time you have a little disaster. I mean you have ten times more people than we do, yet you come crying to us over every little thing. It's pathetic, and typical of predominantly Muslim nations, and their weak arse victim mentality. Always crying poor when things are bad, then claiming strong & proud independence whenever a criticism is thrown your' way. What a joke. One would imagine when a nation has that many people, that it might be able to mobilise them to help themselves, but this isn't the case is it? And you call us weaklings? Hilarious. I doubt your' military could do much to Australia if it came to that anyway, since their preferred foes are unarmed civilians. If it were so great, you wouldn't need our endorsement to legitimise your successive corrupt ratbag regimes, and if you didn't have natural resources, we wouldn't help you at all, since people like you prove to us you aren't worth helping. We're all laughing at your' pathetic backward little third world 'nation'.

In fact, the average Aussie simply couldn't care less about you, or anything that goes on in your piss weak excuse for a nation, and sees no reason to assist you when you’re down. I certainly don't, I don't know anyone who does, and really if it weren't for the fact that we hold helping our fellow man so dearly (unlike yourselves), we'd probably kick you instead. It'd be no less than most of you deserve with the attitudes you display. Little wonder Indonesia is not an internationally respected nation. The only people in need of a slapping around here is you with your' grandiose & entitled rubbish.
I just feel sorry for the Papuans, and every other little country whose sovereignty your stole, and who now have to live under the violently oppressive thumb of the likes of you.

Cont’d...

I find it very amusing how Indonesians think we should care about what they think of our internal affairs, such as our treatment of Muslims (which in my opinion is too soft anyway considering their apparent criminal complicity through silence), but they don't have to care what we think of them & their behaviour. Such hypocrisy. Why we eat crow for these scum beggars belief.

When a nation executes small time drug traffickers as a matter of course, and in the same breath allows mass murderers to walk free, there can be no respect for this country, and we shouldn't give them a damn thing, least of all friendship, humanitarian aid or endorsement of their criminally corrupt regime. It's obvious they are protecting the real drug dealers by executing those who can finger them (since the Mr. Bigs are clearly connected to the authorities in countries like Indonesia & Singapore who have reaped huge profits from Heroin), and giving overt government support to terrorist groups like JI.

The only thing they do is stem the tide of boat people, and I honestly doubt they do a very good job of that. Why would they? They don't do anything else well (except kill innocent people).

Speaking of hypocrites, it wouldn't be at all surprising to me if I discovered that "Proud to be Indonesian" actually lives in Australia, and furthermore works for some scumbag area of the Indonesian government, possibly their ambassador?

@Stomont:

LOL, don't worry mate. Indonesia does not need any "aid" from your puny little weakling country. Indonesia is capable of handling every disaster that occurs in its country by itself, as it has been doing since time immemorial. The bulk and core of every aid effort is always Indonesian.

It is only because Indonesia is such a popular country, so many foreign friends want to help Indonesia during the recent series of unfortunate natural disasters. We always help ourselves, and even if we feel like receiving foreign aid, we don't need little Australia, since we have every country from Afghanistan to USA making aid to us without the annoying chest-thumping attitude that came from the stupid little Australians.

AUSTRALIA, GO TO HELL WITH YOUR AID!

Other indicator that Indonesia is so popular abroad is that we are elected by hundreds of countries into the UN Human Rights and Security Councils, while nobody votes for the despicable Australia.

We the mighty and powerful Indonesian people couldn't care less about your "internal affairs". We don't bother with weakling and powerless little country like Australia. Heck, even the tiny Solomon Islands enjoy thumbing their noses at you. We only feel sympathy to the legitimate owners of Australia, the Aborigines, who have suffered genocide and whose lands have been stolen by the despicable whites, descendents of criminals.

BTW we actually don't need nor want this little pact with your weakling country, this pact is actually the result of years of begging from your PM Howard and FM Downer. We Indonesians are hardly aware that this pact even exists, since we just value Australia as much as we value Democratic Republic of the Congo or Burkina Faso.