Bali Nine
IN PHOTO: Michael Chan (L), brother of Australian death row prisoner Andrew Chan, walks beside Chintu Sukumaran, brother of Australian death row prisoner Myuran Sukumaran, who carries a self-portrait painted by Myuran Sukumaran, at Wijayapura port in Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia, April 28, 2015. Nine drug traffickers met their families for what could be the final time at an Indonesian maximum security prison on Tuesday, after Jakarta rejected international pleas for clemency and ordered their mass execution to proceed, possibly within hours. Myuran Sukumaran will be executed by an Indonesian firing squad at midnight for drug trafficking, his mother said. REUTERS/Beawiharta

Two former Australian ambassadors to Indonesia waved their thumbs down on Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s move to withdraw Australia’s ambassador following the execution of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the Bali Nine duo, in Nusakambangan Prison Island near Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia. They both shared the opinion that the latest move from Australian government was the wrong approach.

John McCarthy, whose tenure in Jakarta was between 1997 and 2000, opined communication is essential and it must continue even after Australia lost its bid to save Chan and Sukumaran from execution. Philip Flood, who served in Indonesia between 1989 and 1993 and head of Australia’s foreign affairs department, said if he were to decide, recalling Ambassador Paul Grigson would have been out of the question. But now that the decision was made, Flood cautioned the recall must only be momentary.

Another former official in Australia sided the position of two former ambassadors. Bob Carr, who used to hold the position of labor foreign minister, argued Ambassador Grigson ought to stay in Indonesia to continue pursuit of Australia’s interests. Carr elaborated that pulling out Australia’s ambassador entails they did not get the clout and entire agenda could slip away.

Third Time

By political tradition, withdrawing an ambassador or any official designated in another country is an expression of strong condemnation of a latter’s specific action. Recalling an ambassador is not the first for Australia.

In 1995, Australia withdrew Alan Brown, its ambassador in France, over protests on France’s nuclear weapon tests launched in French Polynesia. Brown said Australia’s recall was not only symbolic but an indication that Australia is seriously not approving French government’s resumption in nuclear tests.

In 2009, Fiji’s strongman Voreqe Bainimarama expelled James Batley, Australia’s high commissioner, due to diplomatic standoff, which according to Flood, resulted in Australia being inflicted with more damage.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced he is withdrawing Grigson from his post in Indonesia for consultations hours after the Bali Nine duo’s execution. Mr Abbott described the execution by firing squad to be “cruel and unnecessary.” Ambassador Paul Grigson announced he is heading home within this week.

For comments or feedback on the article, contact the writer at kizmet@ymail.com.

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