Indonesia allegation ‘incorrect’

I write to object to the article written by Audrey Young “Visiting leaders show disrespect by failing to share platform with Jacinda Ardern” (March 25).

Young alleges that, upon the refusal of the Indonesian government, the bilateral meeting between President Joko Widodo and the Prime Minister was not followed by a joint press conference between the two. Young says it is a disrespectful gesture by President Widodo towards Jacinda Ardern.

This is a serious allegation that has gone too far, since the article was written based on Young’s assumption, rather than information or verification from the Embassy of Indonesia or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

For the best of the visit, both sides had several meetings prior to the arrival of the President and the sizeable delegation. The Indonesian side could accept the proposal of not doing a press conference after the bilateral meeting at Parliament House. We could also accept that, for public consumption, results of the visit would be summarised in a joint statement and publicised on the respective governments’ websites. This is a common practice in state visits. Indonesia, as the guest country, is not in a position to dictate the host’s protocol, including media arrangement.

Being the world’s third-largest democracy, the press is an important part of the Indonesian system. Freedom of speech is protected by law. The press functions as the check-and-balance power. On the other hand, as in other democratic countries, the press is expected to deliver accurate information and a balanced perspective. This article fails to do that, as it makes conclusions without cross-checking with the concerned parties.

In short, the article is basically a public deception. Tantowi Yahya,

Indonesia Ambassador to New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga, Wellington. dealing with the problem by expelling socalled Russian spies from our country, let’s be honest. If the same incident were to happen in NZ would the world respond the same way? Remember the Rainbow Warrior!

Australia has expelled two spies. Only two? Such a big country with American bases, those two spies must have been very busy. It was a nice gesture. Purely token. Much like all the other countries. All the spies will be back in business in six months. I don’t understand why the Western Alliance allows spies to operate in their countries knowing they are there.

This whole world reeks of hypocrisy and all this drama is nothing but windowdressing for the multitudes. But behind the scenes the money still keeps flowing.

Good on you New Zealand for letting the rest of the world see that we are capable of making our own decisions.

The government should be supported on this. Ray Sinclair, Port Chalmers. Had a laugh (cynical) when I saw the picture on the back page of the front section of Saturday’s NZ Herald showing all the space junk in outer space surrounding Earth.

Here we are spending trillions of dollars on trying to find a way to inhabit another planet when we cannot even get it right on our own. God help any other planet we are able to inhabit.

We would probably be better off if we spent those trillions on trying to get it right on our own planet first.

Emmett Hussey, St Johns. Back in 1985 in downtown Auckland an act of terrorism was committed by the French Government when it bombed the Rainbow Warrior, killing one crew member and destroying a boat.

No country came to the support of New Zealand following this terrible incident so why do we feel obliged to align ourselves to 20 or so countries, all of whom chose to ignore our plight in 1985.

Margaret Tait, Mairangi Bay. I am appalled at the lack of outcry over the latest armed police attack on a single man, eventuating in yet another death.

I read a number of UK newspapers where their police regularly encounter such attacks. I read one recent account of how they rugby-tackled the offender and cuffed him, armed with a baton.

Meanwhile, New Zealand police have shot dead 16 people in the last decade.

The police here are constantly asking to be armed. First it was Tasers and now there are several Glock pistols and a highvelocity rifle in their car, so they are already heavily armed.

I noted there was great sympathy for the “traumatised” officers. What about the dead person’s family?

We need to disarm our police. Let them have Tasers and train them in hand-tohand combat, not issue them with more arms, otherwise our police force risks being labelled another gang of armed thugs. Not the reputation this once peaceful country needs overseas.

Kim Hegan, Grey Lynn.

I am one ratepayer, who after 30 years of voting, letter writing and attending meetings, has had enough of the council “spiel” of “have your say”.

There is only one way to make council listen to its ratepayers: Plan a mass deduction of let’s say 5 per cent of your rates and file it into a lawyer’s trust account, released only when council fulfils its government obligations.

Cut the golden lifeline for these bureaucrats and rattle the only cage ratepayers have.

Juergen Petersen, Point Chevalier. Your report (March 28) states “a majority of Auckland motorists aren’t happy about the idea of a regional fuel tax”.

That’s from an AA survey to which less than 1 per cent of their Auckland members responded, of whom about one third were in favour and one third against the tax. Others could feel differently. Lower income, non-AA member drivers might well tend to be against. On the other hand, bus commuters could be in favour.

I’d expect that many of the AA’s respondents would have been more positive if the survey questionnaire had noted — as did Mayor Phil Goff in your article — that every dollar raised by the tax would be matched by another dollar from the National Land Transport Fund.

Personally, as an economist, I am against an extra Auckland fuel tax. Our problem is peak-time congestion, not road usage in general, and the best policy to deal with that will be a targeted congestion tax. Tim Hazledine, Economics Dept, University of Auckland. Spending millions on boat races and other spectator events while basic services struggle shows the exact same brain disease as afflicted citizens of ancient Rome.

They flocked to amphitheatres to bay for blood even as the Visigoth hoards advanced across their empire.

The mass delusion seems to be that so long as we’re having intense fun right here right now all must be okay in the world.

Tell that to the sick on waiting lists, the special-needs kids excluded from their local school, the addicts getting penalties rather than rehab, the missing nurses and teachers.

The word government should imply that they govern. But in our post-1960 media age it’s only important to look good and to make sympathetic pronouncements. Actually fixing problems is not included.

Jim Carlyle, Te Atatu Peninsula.