Full Scale Coalition Communication Brownout

By Lauren Gumbs

When Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said he would only be giving one media briefing a week on border protection issues, the alarm bells started ringing. A media blackout on an issue that virtually dominated the election? Was this new nanny state intent on blanketing possible failures and mistakes in a bid to avoid the persecution doled out to its predecessor on an issue of so little significance even the usually tolerant Indonesians were getting irritated?

Not to worry, because Tony Abbott stopped the boats. Media reports in October had the Coalition claiming they had accomplished in 50 days what Labour had failed to do, in, well, according to the ALP, never. But most semi-lucid people were probably thinking the same thing, “What the hell aren’t they telling us?” Because since September 7th when Abbott took the helm, the Coalition had initiated a concerted exercise in official censorship.

Australians weren’t only ignorant about how ‘Operation Sovereign Borders’ was proceeding, but they are now being subjected to the government’s comprehensive ‘Operation Information Embargo’.

The disturbing situation came to light last Friday when the Australian media had to obtain information from Indonesia about a mid ocean stand-off. An Australian customs vessel was trying to return a boatload of asylum seekers to Indonesia and was in negotiations with Indonesia’s Department of Legal, Political, and Security Affairs.

The conscientious gag on information does not bode well for transparency, especially on an issue that could so easily see a humanitarian problem pushed to the background and hidden from view. If the Coalition had its way, the Australian public would not have found out about this event until next week. If ever. When forced to confront the media at a press conference today Scott Morrison was almost impenetrable, obstinately evading all media questions.

As it turns out the military has been prowling the ocean pro-actively and attempting to turn back boats to Indonesia who have criticised the policy from the start. The situation came to its peak this week, when in the midst of spying allegations and diplomatic tensions, Indonesia decided they would not accommodate Australian efforts to offload asylum seekers.

The conclusion took 24 hours, with both countries digging in their heels and 63 asylum seekers in the middle, totally and utterly disenfranchised. Eventually Australia backed down and took the boatload to Christmas Island.

Downplaying the event, MP Christopher Pyne told ABC News today that Indonesia had already accepted 10 boats. The information is far from clear. The Jakarta Post said six asylum boats were recently rescued by Australian authorities but the past three requests for transfer were declined. Morrison denies this and said only two requests were rejected. However the Jakarta Post reported that a spokesman for the Indonesian security affairs minister confirmed Indonesia will no longer accept asylum seekers from Australia.

Morrison’s media strategy has hidden a military solution whereby the military was quietly attempting to turn back boats before they reached international waters, with Indonesia refusing several of these. The government’s silence has meant the government cannot be criticised and Australians cannot empathise with asylum seekers.

If the government was hoping that once out of sight and officially censored Australians would readily accept that the problem was solved, they have not only underestimated the Australian public, but they have underestimated the Indonesians. Again.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten told the ABC that Abbott has damaged the relationship with Indonesia in record time and his ‘turn back the boats’ policy has failed. In light of the furore generated in Indonesia over spying, the Australia Indonesia relationship is now high on the agenda of Indonesia’s presidential candidates’ who will use these issues to show Australia that Indonesia is not a pushover.

The Indonesian media has extensively reported the spying allegations, giving the issue the sort of disproportionate attention that Australia gives to asylum seekers, and demonstrating that Indonesians view spying as a betrayal that will likely be used for politicking in upcoming campaigns.

Several Indonesian newspapers reported MP Ramadan Pohon calling for the severing of diplomatic ties with Australia, while MP Mafudz Siddiq said Australian diplomats involved should be expelled from Indonesia. Foreign Minister Marty Natelegawa has requested a confession and said such surveillance was “not in line with the spirit of friendship and mutual trust”.

Now more than ever Indonesia has the incentive to demonstrate its regional significance, long taken for granted by Australia, and if Yudhoyono is hesitant to do so, next year’s president most certainly won’t be.

Lauren is a freelance journalist and human rights student based in East Java Indonesia.