Australia-Indonesia relations
Encyclopedia
Australia–Indonesia relations are foreign relations between Australia
and Indonesia
.
Since Indonesian independence, the two countries have maintained mutual diplomatic relations
, formalised co-operation (especially in the fields of fisheries conservation, law enforcement, and justice cooperation), a measure of security co-operation, broadening treaty
relationships, co-membership of regional forums, and co-participation in several multilateral Treaties of significance
.
The two nations differ in terms of religion and language: Indonesia is a largely Muslim
country with mostly Austronesian
heritage shared among its diverse ethnicities
, whereas Australia possesses an Anglo-Saxon
culture with a Judaeo-Christian heritage. Recent years have seen a deepening of Australia's aid commitment to Indonesia, and Australia has become a popular venue for Indonesian students.
In 2008-09, Indonesia is the largest recipient of Australian aid at a value of AUD462 million.
survey showed 29% of those polled identified Indonesia as 'most likely' to pose a threat to Australia in the future, a slight decline from the figure of 31% recorded in 2001. In all surveyed periods, Indonesia was unambiguously recognised as the country representing the most likely threat to Australia.
restore control over the former Dutch East Indies
. Australian forces also participated during the Borneo campaign
alongside American forces particularly the Battle of Balikpapan
in 1945.
On 17 August 1945, Indonesian nationalist leaders Sukarno
and Mohammed Hatta proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
Despite sympathies among the political left for the Indonesian Revolution, Australia cautiously withheld de facto regonition of the Republic until 9 July 1947, and then only over the regions of Java
, Sumatra
, and Madura
Following frustrations over negotiations with Indonesian republicans, the Netherlands
launched a major military offensive in Java
and Sumatra
on 20 July 1947. From that point and until Netherlands recognition of Indonesian independence in December 1949, Australian waterside workers banned Dutch vessels and vessels taking munitions and equipment to the Netherlands East Indies.
On 30 July 1947 Australia
referred the conflict to the United Nations Security Council
naming the Netherlands as the violators of the peace. Later, Australia raised the matter of Indonesia
's decolonisation in United Nations
. On 1 August 1947 the UN Security Council ordered a cease-fire and established a committee to broker a truce and a renewal of negotiations. The Indonesian Republic nominated Australia
to sit on that committee. The committee produced the Renville Truce Agreement
of January 1948. The Dutch launched a second major military offensive, occupying Republican territory in Java. Following a Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference
from August to November 1949, Republic of Indonesia sovereignty over Indonesia was officially recognised in December 1949.
in Australia held strong reservations about Sukarno's flirtation with the Indonesian Communist Party
continuing through to 1965.
In 1962, Sukarno and his communist allies
began a propaganda campaign to seize Irian Barat. The Australian Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs took the view that it was important that such a campaign should fail. However, the territory was transferred to Indonesia in 1963 and voted for its incorporation as such in 1969
.
Australia conducted warfare in aid of Malaysia against Indonesia at the time of the Konfrontasi from 1964 until August 1966. Australian forces in Sarawak
were frequently deployed across the border into Indonesia to ambush patrols moving towards Malaysia during 1965 and 1966. Even during the course of the Indonesian defeat a number of Indonesian army officers were still receiving their military education in Australia. 22 Australian soldiers died during the deployment, of which 7 were killed in action.
East Timor has been a central issue in Australian-Indonesian relations since the time of the territory's decolonisation from Portugal
and its subsequent invasion and annexation by Indonesia in the mid-1970s. On 16 October 1975 at Balibo, Portuguese Timor
, members of the invading Indonesian military murdered five Australian journalists
who had been reporting events in the build up to Operasi Seroja. The circumstances of their executions is a matter of current coronial investigation in New South Wales, Australia.
Prime Minister Whitlam
made assurances of Australian non-intervention, and even encouraged the Indonesia action to take over East Timor
in 1975. Subsequent killings and famine eliminated one-third, or 200,000, of the territory's population. In subsequent years Australia became the only foreign government to afford complete recognition of the incorporation, even representing Indonesia's case in that regard to the UN.
from Indonesia in 1999. Following a United Nations
agreement between Indonesia, Portugal
and the United States
, a UN-supervised popular referendum
choosing between autonomy within Indonesia and full independence, was held on August 30, 1999. The people of East Timor
overwhelmingly voted for independence. An Australian-led and Indonesian-sanctioned peacekeeping force, INTERFET
, was sent into the territory to restore order following a violent 'scorched-earth' policy carried out by pro-integration militia
and supported by elements of the Indonesian military
INTERFET was replaced by a UN force of International Police
, the mission became known as UNTAET, and the UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment
was formed to investigate alleged atrocities.
Since 2002 a number of Islamist-inspired terrorist attacks in Indonesia have been directed at Western
interests including the Australian embassy in Jakarta and the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings
, which killed a total of 92 Australian nationals. Indonesian diplomatic and consular premises in Australia received a number of hoax and threat messages
in 2005. Both the United States
and Australian governments have issued warnings against travel to Indonesia, advising their citizens of a continued risk of attacks.
visited Indonesia in 1959.
Australian foreign minister Paul Hasluck visited Indonesia to meet Suharto three times between August 1966 and January 1968, before Suharto's formal appointment as acting President.
Suharto visited Australia in 1972 and met Prime Minister William McMahon
.
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
met Indonesian President Suharto at Central Java in 1974. The leaders again met at Townsville in 1975.
Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser
met Suharto in October 1976. Fraser offered de facto recognition of the Indonesian annexation of East Timor
, which was followed by de jure
recognition in 1979
Visits between Prime Minister Paul Keating
and Suharto were exchanged in the 1990s. In 1994, Keating said:
President Yudhoyono
visited Australia in April 2005.
The Eighth Australia-Indonesia Ministerial Forum (AIMF) was held in Bali
on 29 June 2006 and was attended by five Australian and eleven Indonesian ministers. A key outcome was support for the conclusion of a security agreement, later realised as the Lombok Agreement, to provide a framework for the development of the security relationship by the end of 2006. The AIMF, established in 1992, provides an important platform for the expansion of bilateral ties. Representatives of the Australian and Indonesian business communities also held a dialogue with ministers.
The Sixth Australia-Indonesia Trade Ministers' Meeting (TMM) was held in Canberra
on 10 August 2006. The meeting focused on reviewing implementation of the Trade and Investment Framework. An inaugural Policy Dialogue was held concurrently with the Meeting to provide an opportunity for officials to meet with the business community to exchange views on business climate issues in both countries.
Australia-Indonesia-East Timor Trilateral Ministerial Meetings have occurred three times to September 2006.
and President Yudhoyono
announced the formation of the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development (AIPRD) under which Australia will contribute $1 billion over five years towards reconstruction and development in Aceh
and elsewhere in Indonesia
. All funds have now been allocated to projects.
The current travel advisory suggests travellers Australia travellers to reconsider the need to visit Indonesia because of the 'very high threat of terrorist attack', threat of kidnap, violence against the Australian Embassy, suicide attacks that have been known to target great numbers of Australians.'
Both nations are members of APEC and the East Asia Summit
.
A total of 92 Australians died as a result of the Bali bombings in 2002 and 2005
in Indonesia. As of February 2007, Australian Government travel advisories suggest Australians 'reconsider their need to travel to Indonesia' due to the 'very high threat of terrorist attack'.
is revealed by the circumstance that 60% of Australia's exports pass by its Northern approaches.Indonesia
is also the most populous country neighbouring Australia
, and is nearer by landfall to Australia than all countries excluding Papua New Guinea
. Ahead of Indonesia
, Australia
's favoured trading partners include China, Japan, the US, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, Taiwan, Singapore, and India.
The significance of Australia
to Indonesia
is firstly demonstrated by the existence of a maritime boundary
between the two countries. Both countries have been concerned to definitively delimit that boundary for the purpose of protecting fisheries from encroachment, and determining the limits of responsibility for vessels found in that area. The significance of Australia
to Indonesia
is less than that of its ASEAN co-members, particularly its close neighbours in the Philippines
and Malaysia. Indonesia
's highest trade volumes are with Japan, the USA, Singapore, Germany and Saudi Arabia.
Under the Australia-Indonesia Partnership (AIP), which includes the A$1 billion committed by Australia following the Indian Ocean tsunami
, Australia is providing funds to help rebuild communities in Aceh
and in other disaster affected areas, and to promote economic growth across Indonesia. Combined with the pre-existing Australia-to-Indonesia program it boosts the value of the Australia-to-Indonesia aid over a five year period from 2005 to A$2 billion(figure includes at least A$500 million in concessional loans)
The AIP is governed by a Joint Commission, overseen by the Prime Minister of Australia and the President of Indonesia.
In 2008-09, Indonesia is the largest recipient of Australian aid at a value of AUD462 million.
Some examples of the assistance given or to be given (all figures A$):
During a Bilateral meeting in the Indonesian Island of Bali on 10 December 2008,Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made an announcement that Australia will Contribute about $650 million to Indonesia to survive the Global Credit Crisis.
announced the development partnership with Indonesia during his visit with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta. This strategy reveals the purpose to help resolve poverty in Indonesia and also to promote peace and stability between both countries. Australia aspires to accelerate Indonesia’s progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, chiefly in improving the health of mothers and children, providing access to proper sanitation and clean waters, and combat climate change.
Australia is providing a four-year maternal and neonatal aid estimated to be AUD49 million to ensure pregnancy and childbirth are safe for these women. The program includes:
In light of the tsunami which struck Sumatra
in 2004, it demonstrated the vulnerability of Indonesia to natural disasters. In response, Australia has reacted immediately by forming an Australia Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development (AIPRD) in reconstructing and developing the infrastructure of the tsunami-affected areas. Furthermore, the Australian government will be providing up to AUD50 million to support the worst-hit tsunami areas to construct a sustainable and prosperous future. This includes; providing a quality education, promoting community members in the participation of democratic course and establishing economic development.
Apart from humanitarian efforts to combat poverty and rebuild the tsunami-affected areas, development programs also include economic reforms and political governance in supporting anti-corruption measures in the parliamentary and electoral institutions and also in the financial sectors.
In Australia’s 2010 budget speech delivered by the Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan
, it was estimated that the aid granted to Indonesia amounts to AUD458.7 million. The assistance focuses on promoting sustainable growth and economic management, supporting climate change and health systems, improving access to water, clean sanitation and education, improving governance and democracy and lastly maintaining peace and safety..
, sporting ties are not significant. No Indonesian athlete or sporting team has achieved a high profile by visiting Australia. Popular Australian sports such as rugby
, cricket
, Australian rules football
, swimming
and netball
raise little interest in Indonesia. Both countries maintain professional Football (soccer)
leagues: see Liga Indonesia
and A-league
. The two leading teams from the Australian A-League and the champions of the Indonesian Liga compete in the Asian Champions League.
Since 1989, an Australia-Indonesia institute has funded youth exchanges, journalist fellowships, and artistic residences in Indonesia.
trading terms have been allowed to lapse. The table below summarises the course of bilateral treaty
relations, significant multilateral treaties
of which one or both nations were party, and other noteworthy diplomatic events
:
There is no existing protocol for prisoner transfer. Authorities in both countries have expressed the desire to seal such an agreement as a matter of priority to facilitate the repatriation of prisoners of either nationality residing in the others' jails.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
Since Indonesian independence, the two countries have maintained mutual diplomatic relations
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
, formalised co-operation (especially in the fields of fisheries conservation, law enforcement, and justice cooperation), a measure of security co-operation, broadening treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
relationships, co-membership of regional forums, and co-participation in several multilateral Treaties of significance
Multilateral treaty
A multilateral treaty is a treaty to which three or more sovereign states are parties. Each party owes the same obligations to all other parties, except to the extent that they have stated reservations...
.
The two nations differ in terms of religion and language: Indonesia is a largely Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
country with mostly Austronesian
Austronesian people
The Austronesian-speaking peoples are various populations in Oceania and Southeast Asia that speak languages of the Austronesian family. They include Taiwanese aborigines; the majority ethnic groups of East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Madagascar, Micronesia, and Polynesia,...
heritage shared among its diverse ethnicities
Ethnic groups in Indonesia
There are over 300 ethnic groups in Indonesia. 95% of those are of Native Indonesians ancestry.The largest ethnic group in Indonesia is the Javanese who make up 41% of the total population. The Javanese are concentrated on the island of Java but millions have migrated to other islands throughout...
, whereas Australia possesses an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
culture with a Judaeo-Christian heritage. Recent years have seen a deepening of Australia's aid commitment to Indonesia, and Australia has become a popular venue for Indonesian students.
In 2008-09, Indonesia is the largest recipient of Australian aid at a value of AUD462 million.
Public opinion
The proportion of those voters mentioning Indonesia as a threat reached one in five after the Dili massacre of 1991 and increased to three in ten after the atrocities in East Timor following its 1999 independence referendum. In 2004, an Australian Strategic Policy InstituteAustralian Strategic Policy Institute
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute is an Australian Government-funded think tank that was established in 2001. ASPI's role is to develop ideas on Australia's defence and strategic policy options and help inform the public on defence and strategic policy issues...
survey showed 29% of those polled identified Indonesia as 'most likely' to pose a threat to Australia in the future, a slight decline from the figure of 31% recorded in 2001. In all surveyed periods, Indonesia was unambiguously recognised as the country representing the most likely threat to Australia.
Indonesian National Revolution
Following the Japanese surrender at end of the Second World War, Australian forces occupied Eastern Indonesia in coordination with the British Southeast Asia Command's occupation of Java. As Allies during the War, Australia and Britain were both under obligations to help the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
restore control over the former Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. Australian forces also participated during the Borneo campaign
Borneo campaign (1945)
The Borneo Campaign of 1945 was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area, during World War II. In a series of amphibious assaults between 1 May and 21 July, the Australian I Corps, under General Leslie Morshead, attacked Japanese forces occupying the island. Allied naval and...
alongside American forces particularly the Battle of Balikpapan
Battle of Balikpapan (1945)
The Battle of Balikpapan was the concluding stage of the Borneo campaign . The landings took place on 1 July 1945. The Australian 7th Division, composed of the 18th, 21st and 25th Infantry Brigades, with support troops, made an amphibious landing, codenamed Operation Oboe Two a few miles north of...
in 1945.
On 17 August 1945, Indonesian nationalist leaders Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
and Mohammed Hatta proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
Despite sympathies among the political left for the Indonesian Revolution, Australia cautiously withheld de facto regonition of the Republic until 9 July 1947, and then only over the regions of Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, and Madura
Madura
Madura is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately 4,250 km². Madura is administered as part of the East Java province. It is separated from Java by the narrow Strait of Madura.-History:...
Following frustrations over negotiations with Indonesian republicans, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
launched a major military offensive in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
on 20 July 1947. From that point and until Netherlands recognition of Indonesian independence in December 1949, Australian waterside workers banned Dutch vessels and vessels taking munitions and equipment to the Netherlands East Indies.
On 30 July 1947 Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
referred the conflict to the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
naming the Netherlands as the violators of the peace. Later, Australia raised the matter of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
's decolonisation in United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. On 1 August 1947 the UN Security Council ordered a cease-fire and established a committee to broker a truce and a renewal of negotiations. The Indonesian Republic nominated Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to sit on that committee. The committee produced the Renville Truce Agreement
Renville Agreement
The Renville Agreement was a United Nations Security Council brokered political accord between the Netherlands who were seeking to re-establish their colony in South East Asia, and Indonesian Republicans seeking to secure Indonesian independence during the Indonesian National Revolution...
of January 1948. The Dutch launched a second major military offensive, occupying Republican territory in Java. Following a Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference
Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference
The Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference was held in the Hague from August 23 - November 2, 1949, between representatives of the Netherlands, the Republic of Indonesia and the BFO representing various states the Dutch had created in the Indonesian archipelago...
from August to November 1949, Republic of Indonesia sovereignty over Indonesia was officially recognised in December 1949.
The Sukarno era
The Menzies GovernmentRobert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
in Australia held strong reservations about Sukarno's flirtation with the Indonesian Communist Party
Communist Party of Indonesia
The Communist Party of Indonesia was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world prior to being crushed in 1965 and banned the following year.-Forerunners:...
continuing through to 1965.
In 1962, Sukarno and his communist allies
Communist Party of Indonesia
The Communist Party of Indonesia was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world prior to being crushed in 1965 and banned the following year.-Forerunners:...
began a propaganda campaign to seize Irian Barat. The Australian Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs took the view that it was important that such a campaign should fail. However, the territory was transferred to Indonesia in 1963 and voted for its incorporation as such in 1969
Act of Free Choice
Act of Free Choice was an event in July to August 1969 by which Indonesia asserts that the Western New Guinea population decided to relinquish their sovereignty in favor of Indonesian citizenship...
.
Australia conducted warfare in aid of Malaysia against Indonesia at the time of the Konfrontasi from 1964 until August 1966. Australian forces in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
were frequently deployed across the border into Indonesia to ambush patrols moving towards Malaysia during 1965 and 1966. Even during the course of the Indonesian defeat a number of Indonesian army officers were still receiving their military education in Australia. 22 Australian soldiers died during the deployment, of which 7 were killed in action.
The Suharto era and East Timor
On 11 March 1966, Suharto was installed as Indonesia's Acting President and then made President in March 1968. Robust anti-communism characterised his administration through until his resignation in 1998, and that proved to be a point of common cause with successive Australian administrations.East Timor has been a central issue in Australian-Indonesian relations since the time of the territory's decolonisation from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and its subsequent invasion and annexation by Indonesia in the mid-1970s. On 16 October 1975 at Balibo, Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia....
, members of the invading Indonesian military murdered five Australian journalists
Balibo Five
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian television networks based in the town of Balibo in East Timor where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions prior to the invasion....
who had been reporting events in the build up to Operasi Seroja. The circumstances of their executions is a matter of current coronial investigation in New South Wales, Australia.
Prime Minister Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
made assurances of Australian non-intervention, and even encouraged the Indonesia action to take over East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
in 1975. Subsequent killings and famine eliminated one-third, or 200,000, of the territory's population. In subsequent years Australia became the only foreign government to afford complete recognition of the incorporation, even representing Indonesia's case in that regard to the UN.
Recent relations
Relations between the two countries reached one of their lowest points at the time of East Timor's secessionSecession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
from Indonesia in 1999. Following a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
agreement between Indonesia, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a UN-supervised popular referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
choosing between autonomy within Indonesia and full independence, was held on August 30, 1999. The people of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
overwhelmingly voted for independence. An Australian-led and Indonesian-sanctioned peacekeeping force, INTERFET
INTERFET
The International Force for East Timor was a multinational peacekeeping taskforce, mandated by the United Nations to address the humanitarian and security crisis which took place in East Timor from 1999–2000 until the arrival of United Nations peacekeepers...
, was sent into the territory to restore order following a violent 'scorched-earth' policy carried out by pro-integration militia
Pro-Indonesia militia
Pro-Indonesia militias were East Timorese paramilitary militia groups that formed to show loyalty to the Indonesian government during the movement for East Timorese independence in the late 1990s...
and supported by elements of the Indonesian military
INTERFET was replaced by a UN force of International Police
International Police
The International Police is the title used for an organization of police officers representing various countries throughout the world, brought together to assist in the training, organization, stabilization of a destabilized region, or creation of indigenous police forces primarily in war-torn...
, the mission became known as UNTAET, and the UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment
UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment
The UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment was the common title for an elite investigative unit created in the war torn and newly liberated country of East Timor in November 1999, under the direction of the United Nations mission in East Timor, consisting of International Police, Australian Military Police...
was formed to investigate alleged atrocities.
Since 2002 a number of Islamist-inspired terrorist attacks in Indonesia have been directed at Western
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
interests including the Australian embassy in Jakarta and the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings
Bali bombings
Bali bombings can refer to either of two separate incidents on the Indonesian island of Bali:* The 2002 Bali bombings, occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali...
, which killed a total of 92 Australian nationals. Indonesian diplomatic and consular premises in Australia received a number of hoax and threat messages
2005 Indonesian embassy bioterrorism hoax
The 2005 Indonesian embassy bioterrorism hoax occurred when Indonesian ambassador to Australia Imron Cotan received a suspect letter addressed to him at the Indonesian Embassy in Australia on June 1, 2005. The suspect letter later turned out to be harmless....
in 2005. Both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Australian governments have issued warnings against travel to Indonesia, advising their citizens of a continued risk of attacks.
High-level visits and meetings
Australian Prime Minister Robert MenziesRobert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
visited Indonesia in 1959.
Australian foreign minister Paul Hasluck visited Indonesia to meet Suharto three times between August 1966 and January 1968, before Suharto's formal appointment as acting President.
Suharto visited Australia in 1972 and met Prime Minister William McMahon
William McMahon
Sir William "Billy" McMahon, GCMG, CH , was an Australian Liberal politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Australia...
.
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
met Indonesian President Suharto at Central Java in 1974. The leaders again met at Townsville in 1975.
Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser
Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
met Suharto in October 1976. Fraser offered de facto recognition of the Indonesian annexation of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, which was followed by de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
recognition in 1979
Visits between Prime Minister Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
and Suharto were exchanged in the 1990s. In 1994, Keating said:
"No country is more important to Australia than Indonesia. If we fail to get this relationship right, and nurture and develop it, the whole web of our foreign relations is incomplete [and] ... the emergence of the New OrderNew Order (Indonesia)The New Order is the term coined by former Indonesian President Suharto to characterize his regime as he came to power in 1966. Suharto used this term to contrast his rule with that of his predecessor, Sukarno...
government of President Suharto, and the stability and prosperity which [it] has brought to [Indonesia] was the single most beneficial strategic development to have affected Australia and its region in the past thirty years".
President Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
visited Australia in April 2005.
The Eighth Australia-Indonesia Ministerial Forum (AIMF) was held in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
on 29 June 2006 and was attended by five Australian and eleven Indonesian ministers. A key outcome was support for the conclusion of a security agreement, later realised as the Lombok Agreement, to provide a framework for the development of the security relationship by the end of 2006. The AIMF, established in 1992, provides an important platform for the expansion of bilateral ties. Representatives of the Australian and Indonesian business communities also held a dialogue with ministers.
The Sixth Australia-Indonesia Trade Ministers' Meeting (TMM) was held in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
on 10 August 2006. The meeting focused on reviewing implementation of the Trade and Investment Framework. An inaugural Policy Dialogue was held concurrently with the Meeting to provide an opportunity for officials to meet with the business community to exchange views on business climate issues in both countries.
Australia-Indonesia-East Timor Trilateral Ministerial Meetings have occurred three times to September 2006.
Contemporary relations
In January 2005, Prime Minister HowardJohn Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
and President Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
announced the formation of the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development (AIPRD) under which Australia will contribute $1 billion over five years towards reconstruction and development in Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
and elsewhere in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. All funds have now been allocated to projects.
The current travel advisory suggests travellers Australia travellers to reconsider the need to visit Indonesia because of the 'very high threat of terrorist attack', threat of kidnap, violence against the Australian Embassy, suicide attacks that have been known to target great numbers of Australians.'
Both nations are members of APEC and the East Asia Summit
East Asia Summit
The East Asia Summit is a forum held annually by leaders of, initially, 16 countries in the East Asian region. Membership will expand to 18 countries including the United States and Russia at the Sixth EAS in 2011. EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings...
.
A total of 92 Australians died as a result of the Bali bombings in 2002 and 2005
2005 Bali bombings
The 2005 Bali bombings were a series of terrorist suicide bomb and a series of car bombs and attacks that occurred on October 1, 2005, in Bali, Indonesia. Bombs exploded at two sites in Jimbaran Beach Resort and in Kuta away, both in south Bali. The terrorist attack claimed the lives of 20 people...
in Indonesia. As of February 2007, Australian Government travel advisories suggest Australians 'reconsider their need to travel to Indonesia' due to the 'very high threat of terrorist attack'.
The Strategic Relationship
Indonesia's strategic significance to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
is revealed by the circumstance that 60% of Australia's exports pass by its Northern approaches.Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
is also the most populous country neighbouring Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and is nearer by landfall to Australia than all countries excluding Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. Ahead of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's favoured trading partners include China, Japan, the US, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, Taiwan, Singapore, and India.
The significance of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
is firstly demonstrated by the existence of a maritime boundary
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
between the two countries. Both countries have been concerned to definitively delimit that boundary for the purpose of protecting fisheries from encroachment, and determining the limits of responsibility for vessels found in that area. The significance of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
is less than that of its ASEAN co-members, particularly its close neighbours in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Malaysia. Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
's highest trade volumes are with Japan, the USA, Singapore, Germany and Saudi Arabia.
Australian aid to Indonesia
In some areas, like education, development aid to Indonesia traces back to the early 1950s commencing with scholarships funded through the Colombo Plan.Under the Australia-Indonesia Partnership (AIP), which includes the A$1 billion committed by Australia following the Indian Ocean tsunami
Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Indonesia
Indonesia was seriously affected by the earthquake and tsunami created by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on 26 December 2004, swamping the northern and western coastal areas of Sumatra, and the smaller outlying islands off Sumatra...
, Australia is providing funds to help rebuild communities in Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
and in other disaster affected areas, and to promote economic growth across Indonesia. Combined with the pre-existing Australia-to-Indonesia program it boosts the value of the Australia-to-Indonesia aid over a five year period from 2005 to A$2 billion(figure includes at least A$500 million in concessional loans)
The AIP is governed by a Joint Commission, overseen by the Prime Minister of Australia and the President of Indonesia.
In 2008-09, Indonesia is the largest recipient of Australian aid at a value of AUD462 million.
Some examples of the assistance given or to be given (all figures A$):
- $50 million for restoration of services in ACEHAcehAceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
- 600 scholarships
- $10 million for emergency response capacity building
- $50 million for 'government-to-government partnerships'
- $328 million loans/grants for road improvement
- $300 million loans/grants for school construction and rehabilitation
During a Bilateral meeting in the Indonesian Island of Bali on 10 December 2008,Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made an announcement that Australia will Contribute about $650 million to Indonesia to survive the Global Credit Crisis.
Five-year Development Strategy (2008-2013)
On June 13, 2008, Prime Minister Kevin RuddKevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
announced the development partnership with Indonesia during his visit with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta. This strategy reveals the purpose to help resolve poverty in Indonesia and also to promote peace and stability between both countries. Australia aspires to accelerate Indonesia’s progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, chiefly in improving the health of mothers and children, providing access to proper sanitation and clean waters, and combat climate change.
Australia is providing a four-year maternal and neonatal aid estimated to be AUD49 million to ensure pregnancy and childbirth are safe for these women. The program includes:
- Increasing the number of trained midwives
- Improving the administration of maternal and neonatal health care
- Improving support from various communities for new expecting mothers
In light of the tsunami which struck Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
in 2004, it demonstrated the vulnerability of Indonesia to natural disasters. In response, Australia has reacted immediately by forming an Australia Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development (AIPRD) in reconstructing and developing the infrastructure of the tsunami-affected areas. Furthermore, the Australian government will be providing up to AUD50 million to support the worst-hit tsunami areas to construct a sustainable and prosperous future. This includes; providing a quality education, promoting community members in the participation of democratic course and establishing economic development.
Apart from humanitarian efforts to combat poverty and rebuild the tsunami-affected areas, development programs also include economic reforms and political governance in supporting anti-corruption measures in the parliamentary and electoral institutions and also in the financial sectors.
In Australia’s 2010 budget speech delivered by the Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan
Wayne Swan
Wayne Maxwell Swan is the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996, and then re elected in 1998 till today , representing the Division of Lilley, QLD...
, it was estimated that the aid granted to Indonesia amounts to AUD458.7 million. The assistance focuses on promoting sustainable growth and economic management, supporting climate change and health systems, improving access to water, clean sanitation and education, improving governance and democracy and lastly maintaining peace and safety..
Cultural ties
With the exception of participations in the Arafura GamesArafura Games
The Arafura Games is a Multi-sport event held every 2 years in the Australian city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory. It is an international event which draws its competitors from around the world. First held in 1991, the most recent Games, held in 2009, involved over 30 nations and over 3,000...
, sporting ties are not significant. No Indonesian athlete or sporting team has achieved a high profile by visiting Australia. Popular Australian sports such as rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
raise little interest in Indonesia. Both countries maintain professional Football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
leagues: see Liga Indonesia
Liga Indonesia
The Indonesian football league system is a series of league system for association football clubs in Indonesia. Since 1994, Liga Indonesia is the league competition featuring association football clubs, as a result of two existing top flight football leagues merger: Perserikatan and Galatama...
and A-league
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
. The two leading teams from the Australian A-League and the champions of the Indonesian Liga compete in the Asian Champions League.
Since 1989, an Australia-Indonesia institute has funded youth exchanges, journalist fellowships, and artistic residences in Indonesia.
History of diplomatic and treaty relations
The two countries have maintained unbroken diplomatic relations since Indonesia's emergence as an independent state in 1949. At times, such as 1970–1972, most favoured nationMost favoured nation
In international economic relations and international politics, most favoured nation is a status or level of treatment accorded by one state to another in international trade. The term means the country which is the recipient of this treatment must, nominally, receive equal trade advantages as the...
trading terms have been allowed to lapse. The table below summarises the course of bilateral treaty
Bilateral treaty
A bilateral treaty is a treaty strictly between two state parties. These two parties can be two states, or two international organizations, or one state and one international organization.It is similar to a contract, so it is called contractual treaty....
relations, significant multilateral treaties
Multilateral treaty
A multilateral treaty is a treaty to which three or more sovereign states are parties. Each party owes the same obligations to all other parties, except to the extent that they have stated reservations...
of which one or both nations were party, and other noteworthy diplomatic events
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
:
| Date | Subject | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Refugee Rights | 145 countries sign the UNHCR Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees is an international convention that defines who is a refugee, and sets out the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum. The Convention also sets out which people do not... . Australia signs. Indonesia declines. |
| 1959 | Trade | Afforded bilateral most favoured nation Most favoured nation In international economic relations and international politics, most favoured nation is a status or level of treatment accorded by one state to another in international trade. The term means the country which is the recipient of this treatment must, nominally, receive equal trade advantages as the... status in respect of trade and tariffs It was extended on a year-by-year basis beyond 1972 with a lapse in the period 1970–1972. |
| 1959 | Trade | Afforded bilateral most favoured nation Most favoured nation In international economic relations and international politics, most favoured nation is a status or level of treatment accorded by one state to another in international trade. The term means the country which is the recipient of this treatment must, nominally, receive equal trade advantages as the... status in respect of trade and tariffs It was extended on a year-by-year basis beyond 1972 with a lapse in the period 1970–1972. |
| 1964 | War Cemeteries | Grants two cemeteries in Indonesia for the graves of World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... veterans from Commonwealth Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states... countries |
| 1967 | ASEAN | Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... , a founding member. Amity and cooperation among nations in Southeast Asia Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population... |
| 1968 | Cultural Agreement | Voicing aspirations about fostering mutual language and cultural understanding through education. Vague and broad |
| 1969 | Air Services | Facilitation agreement |
| 1973 | Borobudur Borobudur Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues... |
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... contributed one million dollars the preservation of the temple situated there |
| 1973 | Seabed Boundaries Australia-Indonesia border The Australia–Indonesia border is a maritime boundary running west from the two countries' tripoint maritime boundary with Papua New Guinea in the western entrance to the Torres Straits through the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea and terminating in the Indian Ocean... |
For an area in the Arafura Sea Arafura Sea The Arafura Sea lies west of the Pacific Ocean overlying the continental shelf between Australia and New Guinea.-Geography:The Arafura Sea is bordered by Torres Strait and through that the Coral Sea to the east, the Gulf of Carpentaria to the south, the Timor Sea to the west and the Banda and Ceram... from west of Cape York Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth... to a point South of West Timor West Timor West Timor is the western and Indonesian portion of the island of Timor and part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara, .During the colonial period it was known as "Dutch Timor" and was a centre of Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian National Revolution... , excluding points South of Portuguese Timor Portuguese Timor Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia.... . Entry into force of two prior agreements |
| 1974 | PNG Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands... /Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... Boundary |
Superseded an 1865 Agreement between Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... and the Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... . Followed up on the work of a Joint Survey in 1970. A further 1974 Agreement confirmed border policing arrangements including a measure of toleration for cross-border movements with 'customary and traditional purposes' |
| 1976 | ASEAN | Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... excluded. Both countries are now part of the ASEAN Regional Forum, and Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... has in more recent years been invited into numerous ASEAN Treaties. |
| 1981 | Fisheries Surveillance | Created a provisional 'Surveillance and Enforcement Line' |
| 1991 | Timor Gap Timor Gap Treaty Officially known as the Treaty between Australia and the Republic of Indonesia on the zone of cooperation in an area between the Indonesian province of East Timor and Northern Australia, the Timor Gap Treaty is a treaty between the governments of Australia and Indonesia... |
Provides for a 'zone of co-operation' in an area between Timor Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres... and Northern Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... , with a 'Joint Authority' responsible to the Ministerial Council for the zone until 2031. Contemplates joint exploration and exploitation of the petroleum Petroleum Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling... resources on the continental shelf Continental shelf The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,... in the area between the two regions |
| 1991 | Cambodia Conflict | Provides for a 'Comprehensive Political Settlement' of the conflict. Both countries party In 1992-3, both countries collaborated with the involvement of military personnel comprising the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia. |
| 1992 | Taxation | Provides for the avoidance of double taxation Double taxation Double taxation is the systematic imposition of two or more taxes on the same income , asset , or financial transaction . It refers to taxation by two or more countries of the same income, asset or transaction, for example income paid by an entity of one country to a resident of a different country... on income tax Income tax An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate... , and co-operation to prevent fiscal evasion |
| 1993 | Fisheries Cooperation | Acknowledged certain boundaries as 'yet to be established'. Described the 1981 fisheries line as 'of provisional status'. Recalled the 1974 Understanding and 1989 Guidelines about the operation of Indonesian traditional fishermen. Enjoined cooperation on fisheries research |
| 1993 | Copyright Copyright Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time... |
Reciprocal protection and enforcement of copyright Copyright Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time... , mutual admissions as most favoured nation Most favoured nation In international economic relations and international politics, most favoured nation is a status or level of treatment accorded by one state to another in international trade. The term means the country which is the recipient of this treatment must, nominally, receive equal trade advantages as the... s in that regard |
| 1995 | World Trade Organisation | Both countries members. Prior trade agreements superseded |
| 1995 | Extradition Extradition Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties... |
Double criminality Double criminality Double criminality is a crime punished in both the country where a suspect is being held and a country asking for the suspect to be handed over or transferred to stand trial.... required for extradition Extradition Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties... . Broad range of extradition crimes, excluding 'political crimes' except attempt attempted murder Attempted murder Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace... of a Head of State Head of State A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of... |
| 1996 | Nuclear Test Ban | Both countries members of the Disarmament Conference and parties |
| 1996 | 'Agreement on Maintaining Security' | Bilateral. Provides for regular consultations at Ministerial level on 'matters affecting ... common security', and 'consult[ation] in the case of adverse challenges to either [country] or to their common security interests' as well as 'agree[ing] to promote ... mutually beneficial cooperative activities in the security field' |
| 1996 | Scientific Research and Technological Development | Provides for future cooperative activities. Each country to nominate an executive officer to responsible for coordination and facilitation of those activities |
| 1997 | Nuclear Science and Technology Cooperation | Each country identifies as a 'non-nuclear weapon State'. Enjoined 'cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy Nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity... for social and economic development' |
| 1997 | Seabed Boundaries Australia-Indonesia border The Australia–Indonesia border is a maritime boundary running west from the two countries' tripoint maritime boundary with Papua New Guinea in the western entrance to the Torres Straits through the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea and terminating in the Indian Ocean... |
Delimits boundaries with respect to Christmas Island Christmas Island The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands.... /Java Java Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java... , deprovisionalises 1981 fisheries line. Completes the maritime boundary delimitation Boundary delimitation Boundary delimitation, or simply delimitation, is the term used to describe the drawing of boundaries, but is most often used to describe the drawing of electoral boundaries, specifically those of precincts, states, counties or other municipalities... in Timor Sea and Indian Ocean |
| 1999 | Mutual Assistance on Criminal Matters | Specifically addresses international drug trafficking and money laundering Money laundering Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount... . Obliges both countries to mutually assist 'in the investigation and prosecution of serious crime'. Assistance is excluded in respect of political or military offences, attempts at racial etc. persecution, and offences not categorically excluding administration of the death penalty. Through this the Australian Federal Police Australian Federal Police The Australian Federal Police is the federal police agency of the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the AFP was created by the amalgamation in 1979 of three Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, it traces its history from Commonwealth law enforcement agencies dating back to the federation of... and Indonesian Police co-operated to expose the Bali Nine Bali Nine The Bali Nine is the name given to a group of nine Australians arrested on 17 April 2005, in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, in a plan to smuggle of heroin valued at approximately A$4 million from Indonesia to Australia... drug trafficking syndicate and to investigate the 2002 Bali Bombing 2002 Bali bombing The 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack was claimed as the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia according to the current police general, killing 202 people,... |
| 1999 | Development Cooperation | The focus of this was the sending of missions to Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... in respect of development projects, and the granting of professional study and training for Indonesians Indonesians Indonesians may be:*any nation or ethnic group of Indonesia**see Demographics of Indonesia**see Overseas Indonesians**see Ethnic groups in Indonesia**see Native Indonesians... to study in Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... . No mention of reciprocated assistance from Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... |
| 2005 | Kyoto Protocol Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming... |
Commitments to reduce greenhouse gas Greenhouse gas A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone... emissions. Emissions trading Emissions trading Emissions trading is a market-based approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants.... regime. Both nations signed and ratified. |
| 2005 | Amity and Cooperation with ASEAN | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... a party. Pledge of nonaggression incorporating both countries Both countries are inaugural members of the East Asia Summit East Asia Summit The East Asia Summit is a forum held annually by leaders of, initially, 16 countries in the East Asian region. Membership will expand to 18 countries including the United States and Russia at the Sixth EAS in 2011. EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings... . |
| 2006 | Framework for Security Cooperation | Signed at Lombok Lombok Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east... , not yet in force pending ratification. Establishes a bilateral consultative mechanism. Scope of cooperation includes defence, law enforcement, counter-terrorism Counter-terrorism Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments... , intelligence, maritime security, aviation safety, WMD WMD WMD may refer to:* Weapon of mass destruction, a term used to describe munitions with the capacity to kill large numbers of human beings indiscriminately* Weighted mean difference, a measure in statistical meta-analysis... non-proliferation, and 'bilateral nuclear cooperation for peaceful purposes. Reiterated mutual respect for areas of sovereignty Sovereignty Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided... and territorial integrity |
There is no existing protocol for prisoner transfer. Authorities in both countries have expressed the desire to seal such an agreement as a matter of priority to facilitate the repatriation of prisoners of either nationality residing in the others' jails.
External links
- http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinosrch.cgi?query=Indonesia&results=50&rank=on&callback=on&method=auto&meta=%2Fau&lii=AustLII&logo1=%2Fimages%2Flogos%2FAustLII_small.jpg&mask_world=%3Aaustlii%3Aau&mask_path=au%2Fother%2Fdfat%2Ftreaties&mask_path=au%2Fother%2Fdfat%2Fmonthly_updates&mask_path=au%2Fother%2Fdfat%2Ftreaties%2Fnotinforce&mask_path=au%2Fother%2Fjscot&mask_path=au%2Fother%2Fdfat%2Fseldoc&mask_path=au%2Fother%2Fdfat%2Fnia&mask_path=au%2Fother%2Fdfat%2Fmta&mask_path=au%2Fother%2Fdfat%2Ftreaty_list%2Fdepository&mask_path=au%2Fother%2Fdfat%2FreportsList of Australia-Indonesia Diplomatic Agreements]
- Australia-Indonesia Institute, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- AUSAID Australia-Indonesia Partnership
- Indonesian Embassy, Canberra
- Australian Embassy, Jakarta
- Map of Australian maritime boundaries. Geoscience Australia, 2002
- Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, Australia-Indonesia Maritime Delimitation Treaty, November 1997 (Recommends ratification of the Treaty)
- UNHCR Treaty
- List of UNHCR members
See also
- AusAID
- Australia-Indonesia borderAustralia-Indonesia borderThe Australia–Indonesia border is a maritime boundary running west from the two countries' tripoint maritime boundary with Papua New Guinea in the western entrance to the Torres Straits through the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea and terminating in the Indian Ocean...
- Australia-Indonesia Prisoner Exchange AgreementAustralia-Indonesia Prisoner Exchange AgreementAlthough there is an extradition agreement and a 'Treaty of Mutual Assistance on Criminal Matters' between Australia and Indonesia, there is currently no formal agreement for prisoner transfer between the two countries...
- Foreign relations of IndonesiaForeign relations of IndonesiaSince independence, Indonesian foreign relations have adhered to a "free and active" foreign policy, seeking to play a role in regional affairs commensurate with its size and location but avoiding involvement in conflicts among major powers...
- Foreign relations of AustraliaForeign relations of AustraliaThe foreign relations of Australia have spanned from the country's time as Dominion and later Realm of the Commonwealth to become steadfastly allied with New Zealand through long-standing ANZAC ties dating back to the early 1900s, and the United States throughout the Cold War, to its engagement...
- List of Indonesian Ambassadors to Australia
- Merauke FiveMerauke FiveThe Merauke Five are five Australian citizens who were detained by Indonesian authorities in the West Papuan town of Merauke for entering Indonesian territory without visas. The passengers were assured by the operator of the aircraft that visas were arranged and would be obtained upon arrival...