MORE OF THE DARK SIDE

For Indonesia, some say East Timor remains a scaly scab that just won't go away. No doubt the pathetic attempts to address the issue of East Timor and what happened during the Indonesian Occupation is a continual source of embarrassment to Indonesia that ever reminds the world that, in Indonesia if you have enough influence and power then you remain untouchable.

One things for certain if they do release the movie in Indonesia it is sure to raise the temperature of debate between Australua and Indonesia.



Indonesian censors consider Balibo ban (From AAP)


INDONESIA'S censors have formed a special team to decide whether to allow the politically sensitive Australian movie about the Balibo Five to be shown in the country.

The Indonesian government has declared Robert Connolly's Balibo "offensive'' and the Indonesian military has urged the country's censorship board, the LSF, to ban it.

The movie depicts Indonesian soldiers brutally murdering five Australia-based newsmen in the East Timor border town in 1975.

The movie, which is in the running for 14 AFI awards, contradicts the official Indonesian explanation they were killed in crossfire.

But the organisers of the Jakarta International Film Festival (JIFF), which kicks off next month, want to show the movie despite the possible controversy it could generate.

The have submitted the movie to the LSF, which has formed a special team to decide whether the thriller is too politically sensitive for Indonesian audiences.

The LSF prevented the JIFF screening several films about East Timor in 2006 because of similar concerns. But organisers are optimistic Balibo will be approved.

The film's release in Australia earlier this year came just weeks before federal police announced they would conduct a formal war crimes investigation into the Balibo killings, a move that sparked some diplomatic tensions.

The probe follows a 2007 coronial inquest that concluded Indonesian deliberately killed the journalists to cover up their invasion of East Timor.

AAP

GO TO HELL AUSTRALIA

It didn't take long..Sigh..The "Rent a Thug" crowd are protesting along with the usual threats of mayhem outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. In a fine display of a civilisation at its zenith "hundreds of protesters mainly from youth groups, rallied outside the embassy in Jakarta. The protesters chanted: "Get out, get out, Australia"; "Burn it down, burn it down"; and "Go to hell, Australia."
Like a lot of Australians, sometimes I think its not a bad idea (the get out bit anyway, hardly seems any point some days)..

The thugs are predictable and dangerous (and very buffed for someone just off the streets), I wonder if there is any statesmen around to notice the link between reactions like the above and the headline on the same page, RI on the outs with tourists

Ben over at Indonesia Anon
(see comments) took me to task somewhat and said the action was counter-productive and in essence not real smart.

Not sure what Indonesia A really expected Australia to do..Unlike a lot of places, in Oz raising a summons against anyone is a fairly simple process and government intervention would be political suicide. Secondly, A Summons is NOT an arrest warrant but a direction to attend formal proceedings (although failure to obey a summons can lead to an arrest warrant in certain circumstances).

A statesman of any standing would have understood the domestic political and legal situation in the country he/she was visiting and acted accordingly.
i.e.
1. Pass the summons to his lawyers and get on with what he was trying to achieve or;

2. If the case is as dead, buried and complete (black pun intended..do Google search Balibo Five "completed") as Indonesia insists then comply with the summons and answer the questions in the spirit of inter-country relations o

3. The last option (which does not apply to statesmen) is rush off home in a hissy fit, watch the "rent a thugs" protest your "impolite" treatment despite the dangers they pose to life and limb.

Of course, Option three merely confirms the contempt for due process and well being of others and..........

Meanwhile Sooty, the person at the centre of the current storm and Jakarta Mayor is still fuming. Sooty prefers the title Governor, but the reality is he's a Mayor in charge of the three Rs rates, roads and rubbish. None which are great points of achievement after a gazillion years in office).

Sooty has now stated that unless Australia apologised he would cease cooperation with Australia (big call for a council Mayor). Now that's counter-productive, what Sooty fails to realise is the moment he said that, a number of Australian Tax Payer's breathed a sigh of relief.

The vast majority of Australian's view Indonesia with a high degree of suspicion as do Indonesians Australia. It should be the aim of statesmen to understand the two cultures and build the relationships, not endanger all with childish hissy fits. But such creatures are few and far between.

Now a conspiracy theorist would wonder, how the hell did John Howard get Sooty to go along with his plan, to ramp up "the evil Indonesians are just waiting to get us" election ploy. John Howard has made a career out of raising the unease and security factor just prior to elections (In full knowledge the ALP, is renown as a bunch of security wimps). I would not be surprised if little John doesn't flash Sooty a get well card.

Anyway Sooty, thanks from the stump for drawing attention to the unresolved issues of 35 years ago..funny how bad rots ya bones and the smell never goes away..

Oh the report widespread in Indonesia that the summons was delivered by police using a duplicate key to get into his room..is plainly nonsense. Summons serving is such a routine procedure even the newest rookie understands the procedure. Mind you it would have been far more interesting to serve it during an official function, much more dramatic and newsworthy.

As for the picture.....There are brave men and then there is the Mob! One of the deceased (completed?)Balibo Five..

Here Sooty Sooty ..

Like all of us I am very proud of my nation of birth but sometimes she really gives you reason to be really really proud:

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso cut short his trip Tuesday after "discourteous" Australian officials served him with a summons.

In what the Indonesian side is likening to "illegal entry", officials from the New South Wales coroner's office reportedly barged into the governor's room at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney without permission, thrusting a summons toward Sutiyoso to testify at an inquiry into the 1975 deaths of Australian journalists in East Timor.

"They entered the room using a duplicate key accompanied by a hotel employee," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday night about the incident, which occurred at around 4:15 p.m. local time.

Check out the front page of the today's Jakarta Post and/or here for full details..Absolutely beautiful.

Must be hard for someone like Sutiyoso to accept that outside of his own little worl of grovellers and arse lickers he is nobody special just another dodgy suspect!

Now of course, Sutiyoso obeyed the laws of the land he was in and answered the summons (after all isn't that what the treaty with Singapore is all about). Actually, no he didn't..He ran all the way home, bleating and whinging about naughty, disrespectful ozzies...Tsk BLOODY tsk. Don't hurry back, you won't be missed! Still its nice to know if I am ever summoned to court in Indonesia, the correct course of action is to run.

Lastest information is Poor little sooty is demanding an apology, well on behalf of us all...Sooty..you have two chances........ Buckleys and Nunn. (I was going to use a picture with a nice polite hand gesture but nagh way too subtle).

The inquest is to do with the MURDER of five journalists in East Timor. There are thousands of pages on the actual murder both in print and on the web. I encourage you to view them all. Type Balibo Five in Google search and prepared to be disgusted.

Strange how things work though, my last post was on the dishonest, morally bankrupt Australian Labour Party. The ALP and its icon on inept Gough Whitlam is still trying to wash the blood of the Balibo five from their hands (not mention the blood of thousands of East Timorese.

Ooops late update: Sooty back in Jakarta and full of his won self importance has demanded a full and formal apology from the Australian Government or "If not, is there any point continuing the relationship between the two countries?"

You would find more than a few Australians agree with you Sooty but not for the same reasons. I concur an apology is due from the OZ Police but that is to the Australian public on why they didn't lock up a person plainly fleeing a legal summons.

In closing, I would on behalf of the Australian Legal System, I would like to para-phrase a recent Australian Tourist Ad...


"SOOTY WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE YA!!"


Please come back.......we're waiting