VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

 Leaders from 10 ASEAN member countries and Australia attended a plenary session of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2018 held in Sydney on Sunday ( 18 March )

"Over the past 50 years, ASEAN has used its influence to defuse tension, build peace, encourage economic cooperation and support to maintain the rule of law," Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in his opening remarks.

He said the day of the Summit`s plenary session is a historic day, as the leaders of ASEAN and Australia come together for the first time in Australia, working together determining their commitment to the centrality of ASEAN and the commitment of Australia to ASEAN which is at the very heart of the stability, prosperity, security of the region. The meeting comes at a critical time for the region. The pace and scale of change is without any precedent in human history, he added.

"Our vision is optimistic and born of ambition, it`s for a neighbourhood that is defined by open markets and the free flow of goods, services, capital and ideas," the Australian leader said.

Australia is fully committed to backing ASEAN as the strategic convenor of the region, Turnbull stated.

"A region where adherence to rules delivers lasting peace, where the rights of all states are respected, where open markets facilitate the free flow of trade, capital and ideas. And where the rule of law protects all nations. And to quote your Chairman`s father `if you want to have a region where the big fish do not eat the little fish, and the little the shrimps.` You want a region where everybody regardless of their size is respected in their sovereignty and their ability to determine their own course," Turnbull added. The events of the past week have shown how vibrant and dynamic the ASEAN-Australia strategic partnership is, he said.

"Our business leaders are driving economic growth and creating jobs and opportunities and we`ll hear from them shortly, our security and law enforcement agencies are keeping us safe from terrorism and other threats and working more closely together than ever and of course our students, our communities our educational, cultural and sporting institutions are engaging with and learning from each other to our mutual benefit," he said.

Meanwhile, Singapore`s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his speech reiterated how important it was for the region to redouble its resolve to pursue trade liberalisation and regional economic integration.

"This is especially crucial as global mood is shifting against international trade and globalisation. The US has imposed tariffs on solar panels, aluminium and steel, and are contemplating further, more dramatic measures," he said. "These steps could easily lead to tit-for-tat responses and a trade war. This will be very harmful to ASEAN economies, as well as Australia`s, because we are all highly dependent on international trade," he noted.

Lee also called on ASEAN and Australia to work closer on cybersecurity issues, which range from Internet crimes to fake news. He noted that cybercrimes are a transboundary problem that is difficult to police.

"It can have a drastic impact on our populations, for example in terms of critical infrastructure; and it can be insidious - undermining the trust which holds our societies together, for example through fake news," Lee added

The plenary session also discussed regional security threats including those from North Korea. Themed "Enhancing Regional Security and Prosperity", the three-day ASEAN-Australia Special Summit discussed issues related to regional security, economic relations as well as counter-terrorism measures so as to further tighten the relationship between Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The leaders who attended the plenary were Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Myanmar`s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, and Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano of the Philippines. ( antara )

British Prime Minister, Theresa May announced plans for the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats in a speech to Parliament on last Tuesday (March 13). The allegations for them are quite serious; Russia spies. The move is  the biggest action taken by UKwithin 30 years. Prime Minister May decided to take firm action because she considered Russia would  not clarify its  involvement in attempted murder of former Russian agent living in Britain, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, using Novichok poison, known used to be produced in the Soviet Union.

In addition, PM May also decided to halt all royal officials’ visits to Russia, including for watching the 2018 World Cup match in Russia. Obviously, this is not a trivial  accusation. The challenge for PM Theresa May is to prove what she alleges is true.

Russia through its Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov's statement, clearly denied British accusations of masterminding attacks on Sergei Skripal. The rebuttal was also delivered by Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia who considered the attack to be a provocation against Russia ahead of the World Cup and Presidential Election.Russia must provethat Russian side is  clear of involvement in the attack. However, before   the investigation is complete, Russia has threatened to also expel British diplomats in Russia.

In this regard, England is not alone. The British ally, the United States also opened the issue in the official UN forum on Wednesday (14 March), after UK  urged a meeting of the UN Security Council. The United States considers that Russia is responsible.US Ambassador to the UN, Nicky Haley called for Russia's accountability and President Donald Trump asked Russia to respond. The United States had also expelled Russian diplomats some time ago.

Hopefully, the British investigation can reveal the case and explain whether there are any involvements of other countries. Britain could have expelled Russian diplomats, but Russia could also retaliate. Expelling each other’s diplomats is, of course, causing more problems instead of solving it.

The great event of the democratic party of both legislative and presidential elections in Indonesia is still one year ahead. But the atmosphere of competition has begun. After the announcement of the political parties to participate in the General Election some time ago, the public are enlivened with discussions about the political maneuvers, such as the possibility of any party that will dominate the acquisition of votes and the candidates of vice president and president to challenge the incumbent. In the discussions, there is a classical story about a new political party –Working Party (Partai Berkarya) led by Hutomo Mandala Putra alias Tommy wanting to raise the name of Indonesian second President Soeharto. This new political party’s symbol is almost similar with Golkar Party which was the political vehicle of past ruling government during New Order. In addition, Tommy's presence as the chairperson clearly indicates that Soeharto's name would be his political commodity. Party Secretary General of Partai Berkarya, Baddarudin Andi Picunang admitted that his party will adopt successful programs in the New Order era.

Although some people underestimate the presence of Partai Berkarya, it is interesting to observe to what extent the new political party's action is in the election later. Entering reform era, some old political parties and Suharto’s family have lost their sympathy. However, the recent results of several surveys mention that Suharto was a successful president. So, this can be interpreted that the memory of some people about the Five Star General who had been in power for 32 years is still strongly implanted in their mind in some remote areas across Indonesia. At least, this is visible with the fulfillment of the provisions of the number of Board members and members of the Working Party throughout Indonesia, as a condition to follow the election. Is that a proof? Tommy was imprisoned from 2002 to 2006 for some crimes, such as plotting the murder of Supreme Court Justice, Syafiuddin Kartasasmita on July 26, 2001, possession of firearms and ammunition, and deliberate escaping. Now, he is chairing one of the political parties to participate in the 2019 presidential election.

It is not something new if the former president's son who had been marginalized eventually returns to the center of the political contestation in Indonesia. Likewise, Megawati Soekarnoputri, the daughter of the Indonesian first president, could also ultimately lead and raise one political party –PDIP that took her as the fourth president of Indonesia. Something impossible could be achieved in the New Order.

Now, the point is that how every political party either the new or old ones has to take the wisdom of what has happened. The life keeps going on. But positive aspects or goodness must be put forward. When someone is in power, he or she cannot forget the grass-root people. This must be a reference of the voters in determining who will lead this country. The former president's great name may be the political commodity of general elections’ participants. But constructive criticism must always come up. Because, a famed name is never enough to build a challenging future with different characteristics from one each other.

Bilateral meetings Minister of Foreign Affairs of INDONESIA Retno Marsudi with Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow (13/03/18). The two sides discussed the efforts improved relations and bilateral cooperation, regional and issues of global concern.