With his focus firmly on his own re-election and retaining his Australian prime ministership, Liberal MP for Cook Scott John Morrison continues to lay waste to established relationships with a number of other nations having trade or sovereign territorial interests in the region

 

On Thursday 16 September 2021 a forgetful geriatric US president, an English buffoon of a UK prime minister and, a somewhat desperate, 'trumpian' braggart Australian prime minister suddenly robbed of an active war zone to use in his upcoming election campaign photo ops, came together in a digital space to make an announcement - with as yet no substance behind it - which disturbed, upset, irritated or angered at least five other nations and possibly a well-established common market.

Our largest two-way trading partner in goods & services China accounting for est. one-third of our trade with the world; our oldest regional ally New Zealand; our most populous close neighbour Indonesia; another of our defence & regional security partners with which we a long-term, strong trading relationship Malaysia, a country known to use violent force in the Pacific against those it feels threatens its interests France; and, the European Union our third largest two-way trading partner in goods & services.

ABC News, 18 September 2021:

Senior French officials have accused Australia of deliberately keeping the country in the dark before announcing it would procure nuclear-powered submarines from the US and the UK, criticising a "breach of confidence".

The diplomatic spat is now threatening to spill over into Australia's trade relationship with Paris. Australia is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with the European Union.

When referencing the negotiations France's European Affairs Minister, Clément Beaune, told broadcaster France 24: "I don't see how we can trust our Australian partners."……

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the Australian and US ambassadors were recalled on request from President Emmanuel Macron, adding the decision was "justified by the exceptional seriousness of the announcements" made by the new AUKUS alliance between the US, Australia and the UK.

Mr Le Drian said the cancellation of the deal constituted "unacceptable behaviour between allies and partners, whose consequences directly affect the vision we have of our alliances, of our partnerships and of the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe".

France has also called off a gala at its ambassador’s house in Washington scheduled for Friday. The event was supposed to celebrate the anniversary of a decisive naval battle in the American Revolution, in which France played a key role.

BBC News, 18 September 2021:

How do you even pronounce Aukus? Something along the lines of "awkward" came the wry suggestion from one Brussels diplomat this week.

And while France has condemned the Australia-UK-US security pact as a "stab in the back", it is certainly awkward for the European Union too.

Firstly, because not only were they not in the room for discussions, they barely seemed to know the room existed…...

“We regret not having being informed, not having been part of these talks. I understand how disappointed the French government will be” Josep Borrell,EU foreign policy chief ….

The Sydney Morning Herald, September 2021:

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob fears the new three-way defence alliance between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom will trigger a nuclear arms race in the contested Indo-Pacific.

On Saturday, Malaysia joined Indonesia in raising alarm bells about the military build-up in the region and the impact that the AUKUS pact, which includes Australia acquiring nuclear-propelled submarines, could have on regional stability……

“At the same time, it will provoke other powers to act more aggressively in the region, especially in the South China Sea,” his statement said. “As a country within ASEAN, Malaysia holds the principle of maintaining ASEAN as a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality.”…..

Aaron Connelly, an analyst at Singapore’s International Institute for Strategic Studies…..As Australia moves ever closer to the US under the AUKUS deal, Connelly thinks other nations in the region “will be less likely to side with Australia on specific issues because Australia has done this”…..

The Washington Post, 17 September 2021:

China on Thursday slammed a decision by the United States and Britain to share sensitive nuclear submarine technology with Australia….

At a regular news briefing in Beijing, Zhao said the alliance “seriously undermined regional peace and stability, aggravated the arms race and hurt international nonproliferation efforts.”…..

On Thursday, the state-run Global Times described the United States as “losing its mind trying to rally its allies against China” and accused Australia of becoming a “running dog” of Washington…..

The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 April 2021:

Australia’s plan to arm itself with a fleet of nuclear-propelled submarines to combat the rising threat of China has been met with alarm by near neighbour Indonesia.

South-east Asia’s largest country has expressed unease about Australia’s dramatic enhancing of its military, notably its intention to use US technology to build eight nuclear-powered submarines as part of the new three-way defence alliance with Washington DC and London.

In a statement issued on Friday, Indonesia foreign affairs spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said Jakarta had taken note of Australia’s decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines and stressed “Indonesia is deeply concerned over the continuing arms race and power projection in the region”….

Naval News, 16 September 2021:

Following yesterday’s announcement that the Australian Government will no longer be proceeding with the Attack Class Submarine Program, France’s Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Defense issued the following statement:

France takes note of the decision just announced by the Australian government to stop the “Future Submarine Program” ocean-class submarine program and to launch cooperation with the United States on nuclear powered submarines.

It is a decision contrary to the letter and the spirit of the cooperation which prevailed between France and Australia, based on a relationship of political trust as on the development of an industrial and technological base of defense of very high level in Australia.

The American choice which leads to the removal of an ally and a European partner such as France from a structuring partnership with Australia, at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, whether on our values or on respect for multilateralism based on the rule of law marks an absence of coherence that France can only observe and regret.

While the joint communication on the European strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region is being published today, France confirms its desire for very ambitious action in this region aimed at preserving the “freedom of sovereignty” of everyone. . The only European nation present in the Indo-Pacific with nearly two million of its nationals and more than 7,000 soldiers, France is a reliable partner which will continue to keep its commitments there, as it has always done.

The regrettable decision just announced on the FSP program only reinforces the need to raise the issue of European strategic autonomy loud and clear. There is no other credible way to defend our interests and values in the world, including the Indo-Pacific.

Newshub.com.nz, 16 September 2021:

New Zealand's Prime Minister has now responded, saying she discussed the arrangement with Australia's Scott Morrison on Wednesday night [15 September 2021].

"New Zealand is first and foremost a nation of the Pacific and we view foreign policy developments through the lens of what is in the best interest of the region," Ardern said.

"We welcome the increased engagement of the UK and US in the region and reiterate our collective objective needs to be the delivery of peace and stability and the preservation of the international rules based system.

"New Zealand’s position in relation to the prohibition of nuclear powered vessels in our waters remains unchanged."

UPDATE:

Reuters, 20 September 2021:

PARIS, Sept 19 (Reuters) - France has cancelled a meeting between Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly and her British counterpart planned for this week after Australia scrapped a submarine order with Paris in favour of a deal with Washington and London, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Parly personally took the decision to drop the bilateral meeting with British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, the sources said.

The French defence ministry could not be immediately reached. The British defence ministry declined comment.

The sources confirmed an earlier report in the Guardian newspaper that the meeting had been cancelled…...

Has Morrison's loose lips sunk the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

The populous Indonesian archipelago is one of our nearest northern neighbours. This predominantly Muslim nation is a significant trading partner which purchased $7.03 billion worth of goods and services from Australian business/industry in 2017.

On 24 August 2018 when Scott John Morrison walked over the political corpse of Malcolm Bligh Turnbull to become Australia’s 30^th prime minister the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was well on its way to being signed by both governments.

Dept. Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2018:

Australia and Indonesia announced the substantive conclusion of negotiations on the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) on 31 August 2018. This agreement will launch a new chapter in economic relations between Australia and Indonesia…..

Indonesia is a growing market for Australian goods and services exporters. In 2017, total two-way trade in goods and services with Indonesia was worth $16.4 billion, making Indonesia our 13th largest trading partner. IA-CEPA will provide Australian and Indonesian businesses an opportunity to expand and diversify this economic partnership.

IA-CEPA builds on commitments under our existing free trade agreement, the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) across goods, services and investment.

In addition to reducing non-tariff barriers to trade and simplifying paperwork, IA-CEPA will allow 99% of Australia's goods exports to enter Indonesia duty free or with significantly improved preferential arrangements. All Indonesia's goods exports will enter Australia duty free.

IA-CEPA will improve conditions for services suppliers and the climate for two-way investment. Australian services suppliers and investors will have greater certainty for entry and operation in the Indonesian market, helping to facilitate more Australian investment in Indonesia. This will create more opportunities for Australians to help meet Indonesia's growing needs for investment and for the supply of world class services in its market.

Both sides will 'scrub' the full text of the agreement, to verify its accuracy and internal legal consistency.  The agreement will be translated into Indonesian with the Indonesian and English versions being equally authentic.  Once translated, the agreement will be ready for formal signature.  The full text of the agreement will be released publicly once it has been signed.

After signature, Australia and Indonesia will then follow their domestic treaty making processes to bring IA-CEPA into force. For Australia, this will include tabling the text of the agreement in Parliament and an inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT). [my yellow highlighting]

By Day 81 of his time as prime minister Morrison had managed to publicly offend moderate Muslims here and around the world not once but twice and, the Agreement which was to be signed before the end of the week has now been delayed indefinitely by Indonesia.

Scott Morrison captain's call over the status of Jerusalem in particular was a grave error -based as it was on Pentacoastal teachings and not existing Australia Government policy.

He needs to think before he opens his mouth in future.

Headline of the Week

Time Magazine online

Gillard would never have brought Australia to the sorry pass Abbott has

If one looks back on the life history of the Federal Member for Warringah, Tony Abbott MP, it is obvious that he operates best as a belligerent. That he thrives on conflict.

Not being known as a creator of good public policy or a builder of lasting parliamentary consensus, he seeks to aggressively oppose as a substitute for effective political action.

No longer being able to oppose the Federal Government because he is now the head of that very government, one has to suspect that Abbott is now casting about for another political enemy – a ‘baddie’ to his own ‘goodie’ - to fight for the sake of being seen to be fighting.

I fear that he seeks to engage Indonesia as his new opponent and that he would not (given his obvious admiration of all things military) be averse to leading Australia into a physical skirmish with this close neighbour.

One senses that Abbott finds the idea of being a ‘wartime’ prime minister an attractive proposition, given his recent rhetoric about the enemy and war with regard to towing/turning back asylum seeker boats.

If the Liberal Party of Australia doesn't swiftly depose this mindless adrenalin junkie he will bring our country to its knees.

The situation thus far.......

The Jakarta Post 23 January 2013:

9:35 AM

With Canberra pressing ahead with its hard-line policy of turning back asylum seekers to Indonesian waters, Jakarta told its neighbor on Wednesday the policy could lead to violations of Indonesia’s sovereignty and that it had increased security on its borders to prevent incursions. 

A number of Indonesian Navy warships have been deployed and four Air Force defense radars have been programmed to closely monitor the southern border, military officials told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. 

“We are watching four radars in Timika, Merauke [in Papua], Saumlaki [Maluku] and Buraen [East Nusa Tenggara], which all face Australia,” Air Force chief spokesman Air Commodore Hadi Tjahjanto said.

“If we notice any border violations, our air base in Makassar will be ready. Australia is reachable from there.” Hadi was referring to the Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base in the South Sulawesi provincial capital, which is the base of the 11th squadron, consisting of 16 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27/30 Flankers. 

The Flankers have a maximum range of some 3,000 kilometers. The sea border lies some 1,000 km from Makassar. At Mach 1, or the speed of sound, the Flankers would reach the border in little over an hour. 

Navy chief spokesman Commodore Untung Suropati confirmed that a number of warships had moved toward the Australian border. He said these included frigates, fast torpedo craft (KCT), fast missile craft (KCR) and corvettes as well as maritime patrol aircraft. He declined to reveal the precise number and location of the assets.

“All the ships are on the move, patrolling the waters,” he said.

Tension between the two neighbors reached a new height Wednesday after Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that stopping the boats was “a matter of sovereignty” and Jakarta should understand Canberra was taking the issue seriously. 

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who suspended cooperation with Australia following allegations that it attempted to spy on him and members of his inner circle, skipped the Davos meeting to oversee the handling of recent nationwide flooding and the eruption of the Mount Sinabung volcano. 

Abbott’s statement came only days after Australia admitted that its naval ships had entered Indonesian waters. It later apologized to Indonesia for the incursion. 

Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto said it was Australia that should respect Indonesia’s sovereignty, “which was violated by the Australian navy.” 

“Asylum seekers that have entered a country, including Australia, must be managed according to the UN Convention on Refugees,” he asserted in a written statement. 

Australia is a signatory to the convention. He added that the country concerned must also handle the problem in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Yudhoyono’s foreign affairs spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said, “A violation of our national territory for any reason cannot be tolerated.”

“If Prime Minister Abbott asks President Yudhoyono and the Indonesian people to understand Australia’s seriousness with regards to its sovereignty, in the same vein, Indonesia also asks Australia to understand our firm commitment to our vital interests.”

Novan Iman Santosa contributed to the story.

4:08 PM

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s statement saying that Australia would continue to stop the boats carrying asylum seekers was a defiant stance against the 1951 Refugee Convention, an expert says.

“Abbott’s statement which used Australia’s sovereignty as the ground of his policies to turn back the boats is not in line with the convention. The asylum seekers were labeled as illegal immigrants without scrutiny first,” University of Indonesia international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Thursday.....

Calling Abbott’s statement as “very unfriendly to Indonesia,” Hikmahanto also slammed Australia’s decision to unilaterally address the boat people issue using military forces.

“It is a pity that such a nation that as developed as Australia still has policy makers that tend to violate human rights. Traditionally, it is nations like Australia which are supposed to preach developing nations how to respect human rights,” he said....

Jakarta has recalled Indonesia’s ambassador to Australia since November and it is not yet known when he would be returned to Canberra.

BACKGROUND

The Sydney Morning Herald 15 January 2014:

Navy personnel carrying out border protection were quietly stripped of some workplace safety protections and obligations last month in an apparent preparation for dangerous operations such as turning back boats.

The Chief of the Defence Force, General David Hurley, used his powers under workplace safety laws shortly before Christmas to exempt Navy sailors from their obligation to take ''reasonable care'' to ensure their own safety and that of other sailors and asylum-seekers.

The change aims to give sailors legal protection, meaning they would ''not face individual criminal sanctions under the Act for giving effect to Government policy'', an explanatory statement issued by General Hurley states.

General Hurley acted in consultation with Employment Minister Eric Abetz to make the change, which effectively puts the sailors on a similar footing to military personnel fighting in battle.

The change, made on December 19, came as the government enacted its hardline election promise of turning back asylum-seeker boats, which critics have warned poses dangers to Navy personnel and asylum seekers. As many as six are believed to have been turned back to Indonesia in recent weeks.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT, Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety (Operation Sovereign Borders) Declaration 2013,ISSUED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCE

This is what happens when you put a right-wing political ideologue and an army general in charge of sensitive naval operations

I am well aware that Royal Australian Navy ship drivers can be very gung-ho, but I also know that in the past they were trained up to be accurate navigators and better officers than the type of men who would deliberately cause international incidents in peace time at the behest of federal politicians.

So what has happened to the professional discipline and ethical perspective of senior naval officers and ships' captains since the Abbott Government came to power?

Review of positioning of vessels engaged in Operation Sovereign Borders

Joint media release

21-01-2014 –

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) and the Australian Defence Force have commenced a joint review into Australian vessels which entered Indonesian waters contrary to Australian Government policy, during operations conducted in association with Operation Sovereign Borders.

The review was announced by Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, and Commander Joint Agency Task Force Lieutenant General Angus Campbell DSC, AM, on Friday 17 January 2014. The review will be co-chaired by senior officers from the ACBPS and the Australian Defence Force.

ACBPS and Defence acknowledge the seriousness of this matter and the urgency required as a consequence of the importance of our relationship with Indonesia.

The joint review will focus on the circumstances leading to the entry of Australian vessels into Indonesian waters. Specifically, the review will assess the sequence of events and cause of Australian vessels entering into Indonesian waters in connection with Operation Sovereign Borders.

The joint review will identify any potential procedural weaknesses or deficiencies in maritime operations and make recommendations to ensure that any immediate operational policy or procedure issues are highlighted and rectified promptly.

ACBPS and Defence expect to complete the report in the coming weeks. At that time, the ACBPS Chief Executive Officer and Chief of the Defence Force will consider release of the review’s findings.

Media contact:

Customs and Border Protection Media (02) 6275 6793

Defence Media Operations (02) 6127 1999

Note:

The review’s Terms of Reference are attached.

Snapshot from the 

Terms of Reference – Review of Operation Sovereign Borders vessel positioning

Somewhat typically for a NSW North Coast Federal National Party politician, Page MP Kevin Hogan, is more concerned with medals than breaches of international law by the government of which he is a member.

United Nations asks Abbott Government to explain

ABC News 11 January 2014:

The UN refugee agency says it is awaiting an explanation from the Australian Government over reports asylum seeker boats have been forcibly returned to Indonesia.

Earlier this week, Indonesian police told the ABC that a second boat carrying asylum seekers had been forced back to Indonesian waters by the Australian Navy.

The first boat was found shortly before Christmas on the island of Rote, in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara region.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is warning such actions may place Australia in breach of its obligations under international law.

"UNHCR is seeking details from the Australian parties about these recent reports," said spokesman Babar Baloch.

The agency is also investigating reports of plans to provide lifeboats for asylum seekers for future push-backs.

"For the UNHCR it's a very concerning policy or practice if it involves pushing asylum seeker boats back out to sea without proper consideration of individuals who need international protection," said Mr Baloch.

"Any such approach would raise significant issues and potentially could place Australia in breach of its obligations under the Refugee Convention and international law.

"If people who are in need for international protection seek a country's safety, then they must be allowed to go through a process which helps to determine if these people are in need."

Media reports indicate that up to five asylum seeker boats were towed back/pushed back in recent months and, it is possible that as many as 361 asylum seekers may have been involved since 18 September 2013.

So exactly where is the Australian Navy's favourite asylum seeker dumping ground?

This is Rote Island, just off the tip of West Timor in Indonesia. It is approximately 500kms north-east of Australia, has a population of a little over 100,000 people and appears to be the Australian Navy’s preferred dumping ground for those asylum seekers the Abbott Government rejects out-of-hand without interview or assessment.

Click on image to enlarge

This is where Rote Island is positioned in relation to Australia’s Maritime borders and Australia-Indonesia treaty boundaries:

Click on images to enlarge

On 10 January 2014 The Australian reported:

Immigration and Border Protection Minister Scott Morrison issued a statement yesterday saying he would not comment on operations "on water", but he indicated that if Australian warships or Customs patrol boats had towed asylum-seeker vessels, they did not enter Indonesia's 12-nautical-mile territorial limit.

If this statement is correct in relying on territorial waters as the only significant boundary, then it is possible that the Australian Navy had control in international waters of one or more of the five vessels suspected of being turned around/towed back. A rather dubious proposition.

However, the situation worsens, for one televised media report suggests that Australian Navy personnel deliberately disabled an asylum seeker boat on the open sea and then abandoned it:

http://youtu.be/jXF0fqDtnlg

Despite the Abbott Government refusing to give any details of these turn around/tow backs, reports are emerging that Indonesia is not happy with the situation.

The Sydney Morning Herald 10 January 2013:

Australia's turning back of at least one asylum-seeker boat to Indonesia has sparked political anger in Jakarta, with senior politicians warning it could further damage the already fraught relationship.

The anger came as video emerged of Royal Australian Navy personnel boarding an asylum-seeker boat whose passengers claim they were intercepted near Darwin and towed back to Indonesia over a period of six days....

Mahfudz Siddiq, head of the Indonesian parliament's foreign affairs committee, demanded Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop sit down with her Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa ''as soon as possible'' to explain.

Advertisement 

''The situation is not helpful. It will get worse for our bilateral relations,'' he said. ''Unless the situation is handled soon, I fear it will deteriorate further after the spying affair and the end of our military co-operation. I worry if the issue of people-smuggling is not resolved … it will inflame [this].''

Susaningtyas Nefo Handayani Kertopati, a member of the Indonesian parliament's oversight commission on international affairs, urged Jakarta to make a stern response to Australia, which she accused of having an ''extreme attitude'' on people-smuggling. ''The government should not be ambivalent or hesitant in addressing Australia's extreme attitude. It must deal with it seriously,'' she said.

Seven News on Thursday night aired mobile phone footage purportedly filmed by asylum seekers of Royal Australian Navy personnel boarding their boat.

The asylum seekers claimed they were intercepted near Darwin on January 1 and towed for six days back to Indonesian waters. Some have said they were mistreated....

Given that up to five more asylum seeker boats were allegedly heading towards Australia in December 2013-January 2014 than were reported in Operation Sovereign Borders media releases, then this situation also makes a mockery of Abbott's claims about asylum seekers numbers.

Abbott's adviser deletes Twitter account now the damage is done - blames death threats

Mark Textor an adviser to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has deleted his Twitter account @markatextor after employing the same boots and all approach to Australia-Indonesia relations as Abbott himself.

Textor claimed he could not tolerate the 'death threats' received since he sent the tweets set out below, however if these alleged threats happened they must be thin on the ground because the Topsy archive carries little or no trace of these threats as far as I can tell.

Indeed the twitterverse was more likely to respond with comments such as You are a bogan moron, end of story or "Conduct unbecoming?" Don't f*cking flatter yourself, no one expects anything better from you.

Time online 22 November 2013:

Textor has admitted he slipped up. "Twenty-five years in politics, one or two mistakes, this is certainly one of them," he said Thursday.

As we ponder what the other mistake of his career could be, here are some of his mud-slinging tweets preserved for posterity.

The one where he brought up the 2005 suicide attack in Bali and linked to a photo of the bombers

"Last time I looked no Indonesians were ever bombed in Australia" (removed from Twitter)

The one where he slammed Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's propensity to use Twitter

"What sort of head of state communicates with a head of a neighbouring government by twitter FFS? SBY" (removed from Twitter)

The one where he gave tips for saving on apparently alcoholic beverages to the leader of the country with the biggest Muslim population in the world

@Drew_Bowie @Colvinius @SBYudhoyono @TonyAbbottMHR I think he should sack his foreign service and just do twitter. Save on the drinks bill

— Mark Textor (@markatextor) November 19, 2013

The one where he predicted journalists would find Indonesia's relationship with Australia sexually arousing…

Indonesian junior official criticises Oz Government. 2 things happen: left media gets hard on. Govt gets more domestic support

— Mark Textor (@markatextor) November 11, 2013

… but that anyone who mattered didn't care if Indonesians were offended

"No one gives a rat's arse in the real world. The bubble at work." (removed from Twitter)

The one where he described Indonesia's ambassador to Australia as a chess piece

Indonesian ambassador Read: Pawn of Indonesian domestic politics #indonesiavotes2014

— Mark Textor (@markatextor) November 18, 2013

The one where he implied the Indonesian President was senile

"Poor old bugger SBY is confused." (removed from Twitter)

The one where he re-tweeted a political reporter's response to his porn star slur

@latikambourke @markatextor Personally I disagree Mark. Marty looks more like a bad 70′s Bond villain.

When he reacted to the controversy over his porn star slur

@cathywilcox1 @jonathanvswan it's dull. Silly, gossipy and moronic. Compensated for by fake moral outrage and intellectual snobbery.

— Mark Textor (@markatextor) November 19, 2013

The time he claimed Indonesia's reaction to the spying controversy was fake

@PetefromHayNSW I think we act peacefully. But the fake indo outrage posturing is frustrating.

— Mark Textor (@markatextor) November 19, 2013

The one where he demanded Indonesia apologize for spying in 2004

SBY should apologise. "Indonesia 'bugged' Australia By Brendan Nicholson National Security Correspondent Canberra November 15, 2004″

— Mark Textor (@markatextor) November 19, 2013

The one where he took a dig at Australia's public broadcaster and gossip columnists

@latikambourke Where did i mention SBY exactly? More ABC inaccurate nonsense. More ant rooting from glorified gossip columnists

Front page mock up courtesy of @lol_trotsky