IF I WERE BELDEN NAMAH

I would have done things differently in my approach to the Indonesian Government. As Deputy Prime Minister, I would have seen the importance of the bi-lateral relationship between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

I would have taken the approach that our neighbor Indonesia had been given false information on our flight perhaps by our opponents in Papua New Guinea.

I would have recommended to the Prime Minister an apology be made to the Indonesians for the inconvenience that unknown informants had caused them in advising of the $250 million on board the aircraft, should these informants have come from the Papua New Guinea side.

I would have acknowledged the right of the Indonesian Government to take action by sending up fighter jets to investigate. I would acknowledge that no harm was done.

I would have looked forward to a continued positive relationship between two neighbouring countries.

This is advice from one retired army officer to another. In the armed forces and parliament, the chain of command is all important.

In the army, no officer has the right to go off and do their own thing outside the chain of command. The above would be the recommendations made to the Commanding Officer, Mr O'Neill.

Saya akan mohon maaf kepada pemerintah Indonesia atas kesulitan yang disebabkan olseh pihak yang rahasia mungkin dari Papua New Guinea. Di masa depan kedua negara tetangga kita akan bekerja sama.

It is good diplomacy always to turn every adverse event to advantage. That is politics. AIDS Holistics does it all the time.

Take ten extra duties, Captain Namah.

Bruce Copeland
Major - Australian Army (retired)
Ex-Papua New Guinea Defence Force
Linguist Bahasa Indonesia

Ten Year Independence Medal
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