Patrol boats peace offer to Indonesia
The Sydney Morning Herald
By Michelle Grattan, Lindsay Murdoch and Tom Allard
Graphic: Words that wounded
Australia promised Indonesia five police boats to patrol its borders and the two countries agreed to a memorandum of understanding to counter terrorism in landmark talks between the Prime Minister, John Howard, and President Megawati Sukarnoputri last night.
Mr Howard reaffirmed in the strongest possible terms that Australia supported the territorial unity of Indonesia.
The meeting came against the fraught background of both the presiding officers of the Indonesian parliament snubbing Mr Howard by pulling out of a meeting with him amid claims that Australia had blamed Indonesia for people smuggling and was encouraging the independence movement in West Papua.
All of Indonesia's 10 political parties and several Jakarta newspapers also expressed
opposition to Mr Howard's visit, his second to Jakarta in six months.
The Prime Minister went out of his way to play down differences over people smuggling and to reassure Indonesia on the West Papua issue.
Mr Howard said: "I told the President that Australia supports the unity and integrity of Indonesian territory."
Ms Megawati said after the meeting: "We are convinced relations between Indonesia and Australia should be more realistic and rational in the future."
The proposal for the anti-terrorism pact came from Indonesia. Mr Howard said that he and the Government were very favourably disposed towards it and that it might be signed during his visit.
"That will send a very strong signal that Indonesia and Australia are serious about this challenge," he said.
At a brief news conference after their meeting, during which there were no questions, the two leaders gave little detail of their discussion on people smuggling.
Mr Howard said the two countries would jointly convene this month's regional conference in Bali on the issue.
Although there were bilateral issues on people smuggling between Australia and Indonesia, it was an issue that must be tackled on a regional basis. He and Ms Megawati had covered the "major areas of the bilateral relationship".
Mr Howard said that this relationship must "be based on realism" and recognised that there would be areas in which the two countries would not always agree.
The delicate issue of separatist movements in Papua was on the mind of both leaders.
Mr Howard made a major feature of Australia's support for Indonesia's unity and said he respected the autonomy package for West Papua.
The Co-ordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said after the meeting that Ms Megawati had told Mr Howard she would like to see Australia taking some concrete steps to reinforce its support for Indonesia's territorial integrity.
Despite the opposition to his visit, the Prime Minister was greeted with a full ceremonial welcome at the Presidential Palace, before he and Ms Megawati went straight into their meeting.
During the talks Mr Howard also promised $1 million to help the victims of Indonesia's floods, which will probably be delivered through the Red Cross and the World Food Program.
Mr Howard said Australia also looked forward to the conference with Indonesia and East Timor on February 25, which was another important example of the co-operation between Australia and Indonesia as well as between the three countries.