News Focus - CEPA MARKS NEW MILESTONE IN INDONESIAN-AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC TIES

Jakarta, March 11, 2019  (Antara) - The signing of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) has marked a new chapter in the economic relations between the two countries.

     The IA-CEPA creates a framework for Australia and Indonesia to unlock the vast potential of bilateral economic partnership, fostering economic cooperation between businesses, communities, and individuals.

     On March 4, 2019, the IAPA was officially signed by Indonesian Minister of Trade, Enggartiasto Lukita, and Australian Minister of Trade, Tourism, and Investment, Simon Birmingham, in Jakarta.

     The agreement had been negotiated since 2010 but was halted until November 2013. Later, in March 2016, the agreement had been reactivated.

      "The signing of this agreement is very valuable. After six years of consideration, it has been signed," Lukita stated, adding that it also reflects the strong economic bond between the two countries.

     The IA-CEPA will erase 100 percent goods tariff rate from Indonesia to Australia, and 94 percent goods tariff rate from Australia to Indonesia.

      By signing the agreement, both Indonesia and Australia will gain benefits, such as The Indonesian Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FCMG) market, which is expected to benefit from Australia's cheaper sugar, and Indonesian pesticides, which will be more competitive in Australian market.

     Indonesian Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto considered the signing of the agreement as a new milestone in the Indonesian and Australian bilateral relations.

      "The IA-CEPA will have a positive impact on the Indonesian and Australian economies in the long term," Hartarto noted.

INDONESIA REMAINS FAVORITE DESTINATION FOR AUSTRALIAN INVESTMENT By Fardah

    Jakarta, March 11, 2017 (Antara) - Indonesia remains one of the fifth most favored place for investment by Australia, according to a survey by Austrade.

        The result of the survey was in fact revealed during a meeting of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) with 13 Australian business leaders in Australia on Feb 25, while Jokowi was paying a two-day state visit to the immediate neighboring country.

         During the meeting, several Australian businessmen expressed interest in investing up to US$5 billion in Indonesia, according to Thomas Trikasih Lembong, chairman of the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), who moderated the business meeting.

         They are mostly interested in mining and processing, food and beverage industry, tourism, water supply, and hotel industry and infrastructure.

         Based on data at the BKPM, Australian investment in Indonesia in 2016 had reached $174 million, up four percent from $167 million in 2015.  
   Within the next three to five years, Australian businessmen have planned to invest a total of Rp39 trillion, according to Lembong.

        BKPM invited Austrade, an Australian government institution in charge of promoting and attracting investors to Australia, to visit Indonesia.

        Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the Australian business players expressed their interest to expand businesses in Indonesia.

          One of the investors personally expressed his expression of confidence to Jokowi in the business climate in Indonesia .

AUSTRALIA STRENGTHENS PRESENCE IN INDONESIA by Fardah

Jakarta, March 25, 2016 (Antara)- Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, as part of her busy schedule, visited Jakarta, Makassar in South Sulawesi Province, and Bali during a working visit on March 20-23, 2016.

        Bishop started her agenda by holding meetings with her Indonesian counterpart Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla in Jakarta to discuss efforts to boost bilateral, political, trade, and investment cooperation.

        Foreign Minister Bishop then formally inaugurated Australia's newly constructed embassy in the Patra Kuningan area, South Jakarta, which includes a five-storey Chancery, accommodation for some Embassy staff, and a recreation and medical center covering an area of more than 50 thousand square meters.

        "The state-of-the-art building and joint project between Australian and Indonesian companies symbolizes our commitment to strong and enduring ties with Indonesia. The new embassy facility will accommodate Australia's increased presence in Indonesia and will provide a secure working environment for our personnel," she stated.

BALI PROCESS UNDERLINES CONCRETE ACTIONS TO ADDRESS IRREGULAR MIGRATION PROBLEMS by Fardah

Nusa Dua, Bali, March 23, 2016 (Antara) - Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi of Indonesia and Julie Bishop of Australia here Wednesday closed the sixth Bali Process that yielded a 14-point Bali Declaration on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons, and Related Transnational Crime.

        "...we are committed to have a mechanism of the Bali Process to facilitate timely and proactive consultation to respond to emergency situations. We underline the need to translate political commitments into concrete actions," the Declaration said.

        Minister Marsudi cited the influx of Rohingya refugees in May 2015 as an emergency situation.

        During the emergency situation, the Bali Process failed to offer either a concrete solution or cooperation in addressing the problem, she said at a press conference held after the closing of the meeting.

         Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have been impacted by the influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

         "This must not happen again. Indonesia believes, in this case, that the humanitarian aspect must prevail. It was for this reason that Indonesia went the extra mile in accepting irregular migrants last year. But the task at hand is much bigger than one country can handle by itself. Therefore, we need to establish a special mechanism that would allow us to address this collectively," the minister stated earlier in her opening remarks.

SIGNING OF COC SMOOTHENS INDONESIA-AUSTRALIA TIES by Fardah

 Jakarta, Aug 30, 2014 (Antara) - The signing of a joint understanding of Code of Conduct (CoC) between Indonesia and Australia in Nusa Dua, Bali, on August 28, 2014, marked the normalization of bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries.

         The signing of bilateral intelligence protocol is expected to formally end the diplomatic rift caused by allegations that an Australian spy agency had intercepted the phone calls of the Indonesian president.

         The CoC will also help resume cooperation in defense, intelligence, and border security between the nations.

INDONESIA AND AUSTRALIA, ONCE GOOD FRIENDS, ALWAYS BE GOOD FRIENDS by Fardah

     Jakarta, June 19, 2014 (Antara) - Indonesia and its immediate neighbor Australia have always had an exciting relationship, as the two countries are very friendly with each other, need each other, but sometimes they quarrel.

         The latest example of a diplomatic rift between the two countries occurred last year, following revelations of illegal wiretapping conducted by Australian surveillance agencies targeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his inner circle and the First Lady. 
    Indonesia strongly protested the spying and recalled its ambassador to Australia, Nadjib Riphat Kesoema in November 2013. But, six months later, the ambassador returned to Canberra, indicating that the bilateral relations between the two neighbors have normalized.

INDONESIAN, AUSTRALIAN TIES NORMALIZE AFTER AMBASSADOR'S RETURN TO CANBERRA

Jakarta, June 2, 2014 (Antara) - Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Nadjib Riphat Kesoema has "quietly" returned to Canberra after he was recalled by the Indonesian government in November 2013, indicating that the bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries have normalized.          Ambassador Kesoema and Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop spoke over the phone upon his arrival, and they went a step further when they met in person at the parliament house in Canberra on May 28, 2014, according to Australian media.

SCHAPELLE CORBY'S SISTER INTERVIEW TRIGGERS CONTROVERSY By Fardah

    Jakarta, March 5, 2014 (Antara) - News about Schapelle Leigh Corby, an Australian tourist, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2005 for attempting to smuggle 4.2 kilograms of marijuana into Indonesia  through Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport in October 2004, is often controversial.

         In 2012, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's decision to cut her sentence by five years on humanitarian grounds sparked a political uproar at home. The reduction of Corby's sentence triggered a perception that the government had bowed to pressure from Australia.

GOVT URGED TO STERNLY DEAL WITH AUSTRALIA'S BOAT TURN-BACK POLICY by Fardah

   Jakarta, Jan 9, 2014 (Antara) - Indonesia is observing a moratorium on cooperating with Australia on people-smuggling following a spying scandal revealed by the whistle-blower Edward Snowden and reported by the Australian media last year.

        The bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries are severely strained following the revelation of a "top secret" document alleging that an Australian intelligence body had intercepted the phone lines of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the First Lady, the Vice-President, and other senior ministers.

SPYING ROW AFFECTS INDONESIA'S HANDLING OF BOAT PEOPLE TO AUSTRALIA by Fardah

    Jakarta, Nov 23, 2013 (Antara) - Indonesia has been acting as "the fortress" for shielding Australia from thousands of boat people seeking to reach its country.

        For Asian immigrants seeking a better life, particularly those from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Iraq, and Iran, Australia has become a favored destination.  
   As Australia and Indonesia share maritime borders, foreign immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, often referred to as boat people, have used Indonesia as a transit country as they travel to Australia.

INDONESIA PROTESTS STRONGLY IN WAKE OF NEW SPYING REVELATIONS By Fardah

   Jakarta, Nov 19, 2013 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has decided to recall its ambassador to Australia as a strong protest over the illegal wiretapping conducted by Australian surveillance agencies that had targeted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the First Lady.

        Documents released by whistle blower Edward Snowden reveal that in 2009 Australia's Defence Signals Directorate wiretapped the personal mobile numbers of both Yudhoyono and his wife, Kristiani Herawati, as well as eight others in the President's inner circle, including Vice President Boediono.

AUSTRALIA PLEDGES TO RESPECT INDONESIA'S SOVEREIGNTY IN HANDLING BOAT PEOPLE By Fardah

    Jakarta, Oct 2, 2013 (Antara) - The recent visit of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to Indonesia is believed to have strengthened cooperation between the two countries in handling the issue of the boat people, who use Indonesia as a transit country while making their way to Australia.

         Abbott's first overseas state visit since taking over as Prime Minister on September 7, took place just a few days after a sea tragedy that claimed the lives of at least 31 would-be asylum seekers, whose boat sank off the southern coast of Indonesia while they were trying to sail to Australia.

AUSTRALIA SPARES NO MERCY FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS, CHARGES CRITICS by Fardah

    Jakarta, Aug 24, 2013 (Antara) - In Indonesia, there is an old saying expressing one's love of country, regardless of problems.

     As the saying goes, "It is better to live in our own country, although there is rain of rocks, than in another country, even though it has rain of gold". 
   But, in countries which are in turmoil or embroiled in war, many people have no choice but to leave their countries  to live elsewhere, as they seek normal lives.

INDONESIA EMPHASIZES "PREVENTION, DETECTION AND PROTECTION" TO TACKLE PEOPLE SMUGGLING by Fardah

     Jakarta, April 3, 2013 (Antara) - Indonesia and Australia have agreed that people smuggling and trafficking in persons are complex and multidimensional problems that require cooperation among source, transit and destination countries to tackle them.

        The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that 2012 saw unprecedented migratory movements on all maritime routes in the Asia-Pacific region, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr said in his opening speech at the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime.

CLEMENCY FOR DRUG OFFENDER DRAWS HARSH CRITICISM by Fardah

     Jakarta, May 24, 2012 (ANTARA) - The decision of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to cut the sentence of Australian marijuana smuggler Schapelle Leigh Corby by five years on humanitarian grounds, has drawn harsh criticism at home.
      Corby, 34, was caught on October 8, 2004, at Bali`s Ngurah Rai airport when she was attempting to smuggle 4.2 kilogrammes of marijuana upon her arrival from Australia. The District Court in the Bali provincial capital of Denpasar on May 27, 2005, sentenced her to 20 years in jail.

Sri Lankan Immigrants Finally Off to Third Countries by Fardah

    Jakarta, Jan. 21, 2010 (ANTARA) - After staying in Riau's immigration detention center for almost three months, all 78 Sri Lankan immigrants, who had earlier been 'rescued' by Australia's customs vessel Oceanic Viking, have finally left Riau, for third countries, either Australia, Canada or New Zealand.
        Escorted by Indonesian foreign ministry and Australian embassy officials, the last batch of the immigrants left Riau on Wednesday (Jan. 20). The 16 immigrants were flown to Jakarta before proceeding to Australia and the Philippines.
        "They are the last batch of a total of 78 Sri Lankan immigrants who were accommodated at the Tanjungpinang immigration detention center after they had to get off the Australian vessel Oceanic Viking," Samsu Rizal, an Indonesian foreign ministry official, said in Tanjungpinang, Riau Province, Wednesday (Jan. 20).

Sri Lanka Asylum Seekers' Fate Still Uncertain by Fardah

    Jakarta, Nov. 16, 2009 (ANTARA) - At the beginning it was thought that the 'Indonesian solution' would work well but the problem of Sri Lanka asylum seekers aboard the Australian ship MV Oceanic Viking has now led to a standoff not easy to solve.
        On October 18, 2009, the MV Oceanic Viking had picked up 78 Sri Lanka asylum seekers, after they had sent out a distress signal in what Australia called an 'Indonesian search and rescue zone'. But, an Indonesian military officer said they were rescued in waters near Australia's Christmas Island.

RI PROVIDES SOLUTION TO AUSTRALIA'S ASYLUM SEEKER PROBLEM by Fardah

      Jakarta, Oct. 21, 2009 (ANTARA) - Indonesia during the past few days did a few favors to Australia regarding Sri Lankan asylum seekers intending to go to Australia. 

       First, it was on October 11, when Indonesia's Navy intercepted a boat with about 255 Sri Lankans aboard and took them to Merak harbor, western Java, after a phone call from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono about the presence of the Tamils wanting to cross to Australia's Christmas Island.

        Second, it was when Indonesia agreed to take the latest group of 78 asylum seekers, also from Sri Lanka, from the vessel "Oceanic Viking" at an Australian Customs ship which had picked them on Sunday (Oct. 18) after sending out a distress signal in Indonesia's search and rescue zone. 

REFUGEES STUCK IN "TRANSIT COUNTRIES" by Fardah

      Jakarta, June 30, 2009 (ANTARA) - Escaping from war-torn Afghanistan, more and more Afghan refugees, including women and children, in fact have ended up in Indonesian jails instead of in the land of their dreams, Australia. 

       Indonesia has been 'kind enough' to become a 'very strong fortress' protecting neighboring Australia from refugees, especially those from Afghanistan. 

        Stuck in Indonesia, most of them have lived in the country for four to six years, cannot work, go to school, or settle down. According to information from Crikey website, Australia provides $18 million a year directly to the Indonesian government to improve 'migration management and border security in Indonesia'.         

News Feature - Turning Indonesia Into "Fortress" of "New World" by Fardah Assegaf

  Jakarta, May 9, 2009 (ANTARA) - It was the land of the Aborigines who are believed to have migrated from some unknown point in Asia to Australia 50,000 to 60,000 years ago.

          Later some European explorers and traders including from the Netherlands charted the coastline of Australia which they named  New Holland beginning in the 1600s, until eventually  Captain James Cook of Britain claimed the continent for the British Crown in 1770.