S

o much for our public diplomacy. When the Indonesia mission’s offices in New York City renege on paying parking fines and instead simply rake up the bills, what does it really say about the nation’s reputation abroad?

The Foreign Ministry has been working hard and has succeeded in crafting Indonesia’s image as the third-largest democracy in the world, the largest democracy in a Muslim-majority nation and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono never tires in reminding us that as a member of the G20, Indonesia ranks among the 20 largest economies in the world.

New Yorkers aren’t impressed. As far as they are concerned, Indonesia is the third largest offender of the city’s parking rules. This year, up until July, it had collected US$725,000 in parking fines, behind Egypt with $1.9 million and Nigeria with $1 million.

Both the Indonesian representative office to the United Nations and the Indonesian consulate office are in prime locations in Manhattan, notorious for the lack of parking spaces. Responding to criticism in Jakarta, Indonesian Ambassador to UN Hassan Kleib said this is an old story that surfaced every year. He said that in spite of repeated requests, the New York City administration had failed to provide more parking spaces for Indonesian diplomats.

In other words, Indonesia has no intention of paying up and is instead invoking diplomatic immunity while deliberately breaking the law.

We share the sentiments of some members in the House of Representatives that this is an embarrassment for the nation. Indonesia is not exactly poor. It should just pay the fines and get the problem under control somehow.

If this was a common problem in New York faced by other countries as Ambassador Kleib insists, we take no pride at being number three. It’s as bad as being ranked among the most corrupt nations year-in and year-out by Transparency International.

The attitude of the Indonesian missions, with the full knowledge of the Foreign Ministry (Minister Marty Natalegawa led the Indonesian mission to the UN himself in the past), is simply unbecoming for a nation that is trying to project an image of a modern, democratic and law-abiding nation.

One would have assumed that Indonesia sent its best negotiators to the United Nations to secure and protect its interests but if they can’t even negotiate for more parking spaces from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, it is simply unthinkable what Indonesia has been missing out in the larger negotiations in New York.