Our aim is to please

Rudd put the relationship, with the political and military power structures of Indonesia, under some strain as a result of attempting to push refugees in boats back into the 'care' of Indonesia in 2009. He was seen as arrogant and crude and his departure both as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister was not lamented in Jakarta, just as it was not in Beijing.

Abbott, if he gets elected, threatens to do the same thing with his 'tow the refugee boats back to Indonesia policy', a policy crafted without discussion with Indonesian officials, civil and military.

DFAT is acutely aware of these foreign policy short comings with respect to Indonesia by arrogant, gauche and domestically focused Australian politicians. On the other hand DFAT stands in the way of a more mature relationship with Indonesia by seeking to keep in the closet some awful truths which would do both sides far more good than harm to air and then discuss. In theory that is, because the Howard and Rudd governments did tremendous harm to developing a more acceptable relationship with the Indonesian military and police with their double dealing over refugees which involved playing up to the baser requirements and needs of both organisations.

We know what happened in East Timor, there are more than enough East Timorese who survived the horror to tell us and they have. The point Fernandes seems to want to make is that at the official level both sides should acknowledge their complicity. Clear the air, start afresh - all good except that Australia appears to want closer relations outside the region than within it.