Can Indonesia and Australia work together?

Is it love they neighbor, or ‘those bloody neighbors’? When you’re talking about Indonesia and Australia, the latter seems most appropriate.

A Sydney Morning Herald article asks if the 2 countries can ever see eye to eye and work together. I think Indonesia and Australia’s misunderstandings are a macro version of what we in Bali have to deal with on a daily basis, people’s perceptions.

Often Australia is viewed as interferring (Timor, Papua) and Indonesia can seem uncaring (raising the sentences of the Bali Nine) of Australia’s feelings, and illogical (death sentence for Scott Rush, 4 years for Bashir).

Can you operate a business in Bali and deal with the differences of opinion / perception, expectation? Just the other day a friend of mine’s driver went AWOL. He showed up hours later, with some excuse, (he was tired, didn’t feel like working anymore, thought it was alright if he went home). How do you deal with people, who carry on like this? I think you have to understand the environment, and position yourself so other people’s action won’t derail you. If you want to move forward, and form some kind of agreement with someone, both parties have to step forward, not just one.

Same is true with nations seeking cooperation. There has to be soem kind of basic agreement, on sovereignty and the appropriate way to change something. Difficult to always be on the same page as your neighbor, but Indonesia has th most to gain. As smart Indonesia would court Australia, to become its closest ally, not a threat.