Trouble In Paradise

Two issues today, but both involving our international relations and by proxy, the performance of Alexander Downer and ultimately John Howard.

One, there are riots in Honiara in the Solomon Islands and two Australian Federal Police were seriously injured plus a there were about half a dozen other comparatively minor injuries.  The response from Howard is that we may send more troops as we must enforce the democratic decision of the people in the elections and cannot be held to ransom by a violent mob disgruntled at the result.  Well that’s all very noble Mr Howard, but according to the interview I heard last night on the radio from the leading local journalist in Honiara the government that was elected was actually rejected by the Prime Minister and he has appointed a person who is very much out of favour to be the Deputy PM when the local populace actually voted against this man.  (Why anyone would get into a mob and run riot over the Deputy PM’s appointment is beyond me… can you imagine doing the same in protest about Mark Vaille?  Sure he’s an idiot, but its not worth trashing the joint about)

So in essence, our troops (are Federal Police ‘troops’?) are defending the dictatorial decision of a ruler over the freely elected result – and yet tells us the average Joe Punter in Australia that we’re doing the good deeds here…

Second issue, the bending over Downer and Howard have done for Indonesia on this West Papuan refugee thing.  We let in some refugees and Indonesia protests that we consider people from West Papua to be political asylum seekers (hello! You’re an oppressive Muslim regime!) and we change the immigration laws over night with no debate on the subject to rule out any future West Papuan political asylum seekers.  But this isn’t good enough for Mr Bang Bang in Jakarta, he demands a personal apology in person by Downer and/or Howard.  He is demanding that our Foreign Minister and/or Prime Minister drop everything and duck up to Jakarta and kiss his arse.  And guess what, they partially agree by sending a senior diplomat.  What the hell is that about?!?! And Bang Bang, who must be laughing it up over his Roti this morning, says “No thanks, he’s not senior enough, send someone else.”  And we again agree and Howard says “that there will be a meeting between myself and the Indonesian Prime Minister shortly”.

Get some balls Howard!  Tell them to piss off!

Weak, weak as.  We are so weak on international relations that we do what ever the US says – you betcha we’ll be in up to our necks in Iran – and we also basically try to throw our pathetic weight around the South Pacific and we are now grovelling to the Indonesians and have changed the way we accept political asylum seekers… all because they didn’t like it.  We are a pathetic laughing stock on the international stage and I wonder if it has anything to do with the incompetent Nancy Boy we’ve had as Foreign Minister for the past 10 years?