Aaron Connelly

@ConnellyAL

Director of the Southeast Asia Project at , focus on Indonesia, Myanmar, and regional diplomacy. Curious American observer of Australian customs.

Sydney
lowyinstitute.org/people/experts…
Joined March 2009
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  1. Pinned Tweet
    Feb 8

    Astonishingly detailed account of one massacre in Rakhine State, with several of the perpetrators on the record. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo appear to have taken extraordinary risks to report it, even before their arrests.

    Today publishes the story and Kyaw Soe Oo were working on when they were arrested on Dec. 12. Please take the time to read their important reporting
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    2 replies 13 retweets 20 likes
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  2. 6 hours ago

    But Indonesian foreign policy has been and continues to be one of carefully calibrated non-alignment between great powers like China and the U.S., and nothing that has happened in the past week gives us any reason to believe this has changed.

    1 reply 3 retweets 9 likes
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  3. 7 hours ago

    This is only accurate in the most indirect way. Sure, good housekeeping in Australia’s relationships with its neighbors in Southeast Asia reduces friction, leaving more bandwidth for other foreign policy goals, like pushing back against China’s assertiveness and revisionism.

    1 reply 3 retweets 5 likes
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  4. 7 hours ago

    Surprised by commentary pushing this weekend’s Australia-Indonesia agreements as a kind of partnership against Beijing, and trying to wedge it into the broader narrative about great power competition in the region.

    5 replies 7 retweets 13 likes
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  5. Retweeted
    11 hours ago

    Since the question I have been repeatedly asked by people at home and in the UK is "Why isn't Julie Bishop the prime minister?" The answer in my oped in today's Sun Herald. |

    60 replies 42 retweets 115 likes
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  6. Aug 31

    Good explainer here from on why this is happening now, and Jakarta’s prospects for getting through the contagion: .

    3 retweets 2 likes
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  7. Aug 31

    Bank Indonesia burned through $200 million in reserves today to defend the rupiah’s level above 15,000. Fortunately, there’s $120 billion more where that came from.

    Indonesia rupiah nears 1998 crisis levels, central bank intervenes in FX, bonds markets
    4 replies 13 retweets 10 likes
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  8. Aug 31

    Could we see IDR 15,000 before the weekend? This is going to cost Bank Indonesia billions in reserves.

    Rupiah falls to Asian crisis low as emerging market pain spreads
    6 retweets 8 likes
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  9. Aug 30

    I actually wonder if Jokowi will be the one to first raise this with Morrison, as a way of explaining his views and the difficulties that he believes he has faced in creating space for tolerance.

    Today Australian Prime Minister Morrison will meet Indonesian President Jokowi in Jakarta. Besides talking trade, it's important that Morrison raise concern about repression of religious minorities in Indonesia. via
    2 replies 1 retweet 3 likes
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  10. Aug 30

    Anwar back in Indonesia, three months after his last visit. Just a little silaturahmi with Pak Jokowi: .

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  11. Retweeted
    Aug 30

    HRW: “This is more proof that Australia’s softly, quietly approach towards Southeast Asian dictators is not just morally bankrupt – it’s also totally ineffective.” 2/2

    2 replies 22 retweets 46 likes
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  12. Aug 30

    That's Chairman , President Jokowi's designated Cabinet minister responsible for relations with Australia and key negotiator on the FTA, greeting PM Morrison at the airport.

    Arrived in Indonesia to a warm welcome. Looking forward to talks with , reaffirming our shared interests and values.
    1 reply 2 retweets 7 likes
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  13. Retweeted
    Aug 30

    good lord, what a farce.

    Australian filmmaker James Ricketson has been found guilty of espionage and sentenced to 6 years in a Cambodian prison.
    1 reply 7 retweets 5 likes
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  14. Aug 30

    Rare to have such a senior delegation from the capital of the free world.

    Can middle powers save the international order? We will discuss at next week's event, Wednesday 5 September at 12.45pm. Register here:
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  15. Retweeted
    Aug 30

    The Myanmar army (through the department of 'public relations and psychological warfare') published a book tellling its narrative of the Rohingya crisis. It says this is "true news". But some of the photos are faked. My story for .

    EXCLUSIVE: Myanmar military pretended this prize-winning 1996 photo of refugees fleeing Rwanda genocide was a historical picture of Rohingya entering Myanmar
    14 replies 428 retweets 440 likes
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  16. Aug 30

    Nice preview of Morrison's trip to Jakarta from here: . Worth noting that while Jakarta was displeased with early implementation of OSB, it has come to quietly value the way that the program discourages asylum-seeker arrivals in Indonesia.

    1 reply 4 retweets 7 likes
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  17. Aug 30

    I was discouraged to see the Sydney Opera House planning to host Chelsea Manning. But the Government's decision to refuse her a visa is a mistake and inconsistent with liberal values, as my former colleague LTC argues here: .

    Replying to @captainbrown
    Why? Is she a threat to Australian National Security? Is she likely to incite hatred and cause public unrest? If not, isn’t free speech and the tolerance of different ideas part of the democratic ideals that make up our fine nation?
    3 replies 2 likes
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  18. Retweeted
    Aug 30

    Extremely this. It's just not tenable to keep pretending anymore

    I don’t have a lot of time for this analysis, which perpetuates the myth that ASSK has no real power. She does. She has a parliamentary majority, which she has used to push through measures important to her, but refused to use to help the Rohingya.
    1 reply 2 retweets 10 likes
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  19. Retweeted
    Aug 30

    A really excellent take on the Rakhine crisis and a way forward for Myanmar from . Hopefully this is read and digested at the highest levels in Naypyitaw.

    Myanmar’s national interest would be better served by a more sincere, inclusive and transparent response to the crisis in Rakhine State
    17 retweets 32 likes
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  20. Aug 30

    We shouldn’t assume that Beijing will always be willing to protect Myanmar in New York. Elections in 2020 and Min Aung Hlaing’s eventual retirement could change Beijing’s calculus.

    Call for Prosecution to Deepen ’s Support of - recommendation by a . team gives Beijing chance to draw country further into its orbit via
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  21. Retweeted
    Aug 29

    Jokowi's desire for compromise over confrontation is one of the Indonesian president's biggest strengths - and weaknesses: my latest Global Insight column, with thanks to

    2 replies 14 retweets 14 likes
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