Former US President Richard Nixon once declared: “One should always negotiate as from a position of strength.”
He was right, when we consider the recent erratic behaviour of Indonesia’s top officials.
Asylum seekers smuggling and the gathering of secret intelligence are two separate issues.
No doubt, Australia values co-operation and the maintenance of good relationship with its neighbour Indonesia.
But, there’s no reason, however, why Australia should be bullied, blackmailed or even be held as hostage on the question of wild and illegal immigration that it endeavours to stop.
Does Australia have a greater obligation than Indonesia to respond to distress calls from those who deliberately and knowingly put their own lives at risk?
Australia has the means and the power to protect its borders against this massive invasion.
Tactics and strategies have changed; instead of carrying conventional weapons, the smugglers are using human shields – women, children and babies – to conduct their odious trafficking.
In a decade or two, future Australian born generations might curse some of our current politicians for having failed, because of their lack of foresight, vision and wisdom, to prevent Australia from becoming like Lampedusa island which now has more migrants fleeing Tunisia and Libya than inhabitants.
It’s time for all our political leaders to stop trying to play games but instead unanimously confront that danger to Australia’s security and its wellbeing.
Eliezer Francois,
Endeavour Hills.
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