Jakarta's decision to suspend military co-operation between Indonesia and Australia has all the hallmarks of being a storm in a teacup.
The suggestion is that an Indonesian instructor felt materials on display at a joint training facility were insulting to Pancasila, the philosophical foundation of the Indonesian state.
More World News Videos
- Video duration
- 01:51
Indonesia suspends military ties with ...
Indonesia suspends military ties with Australia
Military co-operation between Australia and Indonesia has been suspended temporarily for "technical reasons", according to Indonesia's military spokesman Major-General Wuryanto. Vision courtesy Ten Eyewitness News.
Up Next
Refugees aren't issues, they're people
- Video duration
- 01:36
- Video duration
- 01:36
Refugees aren't issues, they're people
Refugees aren't issues, they're people
The UNHCR brings a human face to the refugee debate through the stories of four former refugees. Vision courtesy UNHCR.
Up Next
Trump trolls White House press dinner
- Video duration
- 01:29
- Video duration
- 01:29
Trump trolls White House press dinner
Trump trolls White House press dinner
During a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday night, US President Donald Trump mocked members of the media attending the White House Correspondents' Association dinner back in Washington DC.
Up Next
Donald Trump's first 100 days
- Video duration
- 05:02
- Video duration
- 05:02
Donald Trump's first 100 days
Donald Trump's first 100 days
A look back at what the US president has accomplished (or not) in his first 100 days in office.
Up Next
Trumps 100th day: climate protesters march on Washington
- Video duration
- 01:24
- Video duration
- 01:24
Trumps 100th day: climate protesters ...
Trumps 100th day: climate protesters march on Washington
Protesters marched in Washington on a second consecutive Saturday to challenge President Donald Trump's stance on the environment and call on him to stand by policies to stop climate change championed by his predecessor.
Up Next
Turkey blocks access to Wikipedia
- Video duration
- 00:59
- Video duration
- 00:59
Turkey blocks access to Wikipedia
Turkey blocks access to Wikipedia
Turkey has blocked access to the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, citing a law allowing it to ban access to websites deemed obscene or a threat to national security.
Up Next
Russians, in peaceful protest, call for Putin to quit
- Video duration
- 01:12
- Video duration
- 01:12
Russians, in peaceful protest, call for ...
Russians, in peaceful protest, call for Putin to quit
Several hundred Russians lined up in central Moscow on Saturday under the gaze of riot police to hand over handwritten appeals for President Vladimir Putin to quit, as similar protests took place in other cities.
Up Next
North Korea test-fires ballistic missile
- Video duration
- 01:14
- Video duration
- 01:14
North Korea test-fires ballistic missile
North Korea test-fires ballistic missile
The reclusive state unsuccessfully test-fired a ballistic missile, South Korea's military said, defying intense pressure from the US and main ally, China.
Indonesia suspends military ties with Australia
Military co-operation between Australia and Indonesia has been suspended temporarily for "technical reasons", according to Indonesia's military spokesman Major-General Wuryanto. Vision courtesy Ten Eyewitness News.
This is hard to imagine, not least because it is in Australia's national interest to do everything in its power to support that philosophy, rather than insult or undermine it.
Pancasila underpins the Indonesian constitution and rests on five guiding principles: a common belief in humanity, in one God, in national unity, in democracy and in social justice.
Related Content
Right now these principles are under attack on the streets of Jakarta and across the Indonesian archipelago, along with the social cohesion that has generally been a defining quality of Australia's most populous near neighbour.
The blasphemy trial of Jakarta's Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja 'Ahok' Purnama, and the demonstrations accompanying it are one manifestation of what Barack Obama has described as a shift from a relaxed, syncretistic Islam to a more fundamentalist, unforgiving interpretation.
This shift, combined with Indonesia's growing economic might, makes it all the more important for Australia to forge a stronger, more resilient strategic partnership with Indonesia and do its best to support Indonesia's multiculturalism.
Tony Abbott understood this, but could not deliver for a variety of reasons, some beyond his control. Malcolm Turnbull's challenge is to do what Abbott could not.
Indonesian military spokesman Major-General Wuryanto has played down the potential for a serious, long-term fissure, describing the perceived insult as not the main reason for the "temporary" cessation of joint exercises.
Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne has responded by saying the Australian Army has looked into the "serious concerns" raised about the teaching materials and that the investigation into the incident is being finalised.
One reason to doubt the Major-General's confidence of a speedy resolution is that Australia appeared to be caught on the hop, with no response until more than three hours after the story broke.
Another is that Australia does not appear to have kept Indonesia in the loop on the progress of its investigation, prompting an act of frustration.
This smacks of a two-way failure to communicate at the most inopportune time.
That's the problem with storms in teacups. In the absence of direct, honest and reassuring communication, based on mutual respect, they can turn into something far more serious.