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PRIME MINISTER
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING, MP
DOORSTOP HYATT HOTEL, SUR. ABAYA, THURSDAY APRIL 23 1992
EELQE PROOF COPY
PM: I just thought I would give you a few remarks on the
visit. I am very happy with the visit, I think it's
gone well, it's been a very friendly and I think a
successful one. We came here to make it clear that
Indonesia is in the top order of Australian priorities,
to say that we are serious neighbours, that we have
obviously the longer term to live together and that we
want to concentrate on issues of substance. But I
think we've got the balance right in talking about
those issues and at the same time making clear our
views on some of the matters which have been
controversial in the past. So we said we come as
neighbours, we've got much to do together, we can
develop each others economies, we can come more closer
together culturally end as well as that, we've been
able to say the things that we feel strongly about and
put a point clearly.
So I think that has been both understood and received
well by the Government of Indonesia and hence I regard
the visit as a successful one.
J: Should Prime Ministers and Ministers come here more
often?
PM, Obviously one should be visiting one's neighbours more
than one visits distant parts. We've had I think now
16 Australian Ministers here in the last couple of
years so there's a great exchange and a substantial
number of visits by Indonesian Ministers to Australia
in the recent past. So there is a lot going on, and of
course getting the Governm~ ent's agreement to a
ministerial Forum will also help because it means we
will have regular dialogue with a range of ministers
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both foreign and economic ministers about that which is
happening. Now I met eight Economic Ministers for
lunch the other day and they're terribly interested in
Australia, they're pleased Australia is investing in
this country and I think they will welcome a greater
frequency of official exchanges.
J: Prime Minister, what should we be expecting, maybe that
is the wrong word, what should we be looking for from
the Indonesians to put the flesh on the bones of this?
PM: I think from my point of view, I came here to make this
a visit which would bring us basically closer together,
to focus on the fundamentals, not to come here looking
for any particular support for initiatives or ventures,
but simply to say we are here as friends, we take you
seriously, we want to be part of your development, we
want you to be part of ours. They've responded In kind
and I think the interest in Australia and the fact that
they accept the fact that Australians are now looking
at the Asia-Pacific seriously, it is no longer
tokenism, that it really is a serious engagement by
Australia with the region, makes us I think a very
serious force here and I think they are the things of
substance, all the other things follow.
J: Have you considered inviting President Soeharto to
visit Australia?
PM: I extended an invitation to President Soeharto this
morning, saying if he would wish to Visit Australia we
would be delighted to have him.
J: ( inaudible)
PM: The response that I normally give when I'm invited is
to say thank you very much, if I have an opportunity
I'll think about it.
J: Would you expect to see him within a year?
PM: No, he's got an election on this year.
J: Foreign Minister Alatas yesterday indicated that It
might not be productive for the relationship for
President Soeharto to visit, he seemed to be indicating
that President Soeharto could face some hostile
reception in Australia due to the East Timor issue. Do
you share that view?
PM: That's a possibility but again it would be the
substance that matters. I would certainly believe that
but again it's a matter for him and his own schedule.
J: Going on to Papua New Guinea, are you aware of the.
Herald Sun's report of the internal Australian defence
industries memo alleging that Australian aid Is being
used to buy guns and American guns at that?
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PM: I was told about it, that was all. I haven't seen the
report.
3: Will you be asking about the direction of aid to Papua
New Guinea.
PM: we fund budget aid to the Government of Papua New
Guinea, what they do with their aid is a matter for
them basically.
3: Prime Minister, you say you've got the balance right,
You feel you've got the balance right between the
economic push and the human rights movement, how do you
respond to those critics back in Australia who say that
you haven't, that in feet you've been too soft and too
apologetic?
PM; I've put my views firmly, I repeated them at a press
conference, everything I said to the President you know
because I've said it to you and I made our position
clear where we stand on human rights questions. But
again the balance has got to be there, and the
appropriate balance is to recognise, I think the
stability which the Soeharto Government has brought to
the region, held the Indonesian archipelago together,
bounded together as a nation, lifted its material
standard of living and in the process given Australia a
quarter of a century of peace of mind it would not
otherwise have had, and to say that we appreciate that,
that the Government Is a feature in our stability and
that we want to do more with it. Now that's the issue
of primary substance, that and economic development in
the relationship and one's got to get the balance
right, governments have got to get the balance right.
J; Mr Keating, any disappointments In your trip to
Indonesia?
PM: None, as I said yesterday I couldn't have had it any
better I don't think.
J: Will you be taking any further steps to promote your
proposal about APEC heads-of-government meetings?
PM: Well, I've written now to President Soeharto, I've
spoken with him and to Prime Minister Miyazawa and
President Bush after a conversation I have with
President Bush in January. This is something which, as
I said, I've got no deadlines on. I think over time it
is going to happen and the earlier, the better.
J: But what is your next step?
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PM: I've got no other next steps to fulfil. As I said
yesterday, I'm not beating a drum about it. I didn't
come here, you know, on the basis that I had to produce
some sort of support by President Soeharto for this. I
came f or the other reason -to build the relationship,
that is why I'm here. And he said himself that he
thought it was Inevitable that it should happen, it is
only a matter of when.
3: Mr Keating, do you think the Papua New Guinean carriers
that helped Australian troops in World War 11 are
entitled to compensation?
PM: That is not an issue I've thought much or know much
about to be honest.
J: Could I ask you a very related topic, what significance
do you think Kokoda has for Australia?
PM: Well I think Kokoda has enormous significance for
Australia. in 1942, Australia was threatened with
invasion for the first time arnd that invasion force was
repelled by Australian troops alone in Papua New
Guinea. When I say alone, of course after the battle
in the Coral Sea, but in terms of the land war, alone.
And while much of the Anzac tradition has been
developed in World War I and around Gallipoli and
Flanders, Austral. ia was never threatened with invasion
in World War I It was in World War II. But the Anzac
tradition has in fact really enhanced itself in world
War II. But that is not reflected much in our
contemporary treatment of the history. So what I would
like to do if nothing else, in visiting Kokoda is to
pay tribute to the Australians who fought for our
liberty and for those who died there and to remember
them.
3; Should a IKokoda day replace Anzac day?
PM: Well I don't think that is at all appropriate.
3: Mr Keating, Dr Hewson will be there for the Anizac Day
celebrations as well. Will you be prepared to put
aside the political differences while you are outside
the country as the former Prime Minister did when he
went to Gallipoli?
PM: Well he is coming, so therefore it is pretty obvious
that we have. But, again, Opposition leaders and Prime
ministers have always been involved in Anzac Day
ceremonies.
3; Does the study of the strategic and technical
imperatives of the Kokoda campaign incline you in any
way towards the policy of forward defence nowadays?
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PM: I don't think the bar room here is a time to discuss
the defence policy of Australia, Dennis, but a1l good
will towards you, I mean, I think probably on that note
I should leave.
ENDS