Understanding the Australia-Indonesia bilateral relationship from a Northern Australian Perspective

How can Australia better understand Indonesia? In fact, what does Australia know about Indonesia? The answer to the latter question depends on who you ask and what you ask. The average Australian might respond, cheap Bali holidays, Bintang beer, nasi goreng fried rice, and friendly “Hindu” people with the same four names, Wayan, Made, Nyoman, and Ketut. The reality is that Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is much more complex. Australians who understand Indonesia know that there has been incredible effort on both sides to improve the relationship, which has manifested in positive government to government links, enhanced defence cooperation, comprehensive economic partnership agreements, educational collaboration, as well as civil society links in the form of diaspora lead community groups in both countries.