The success in diplomacy regarding protection issues of Indonesian citizens (WNI) hinges on political impacts of an issues and public opinions. As the result, diplomats ought to consider all everything which might happen after a negotiated issue shares to public.
The aforementioned statement was uttered by Dr. Lalu Muhammad Iqbal (Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection and Indonesia legal entities of Ministry of Foreign Affairs) as a speaker of a seminar of “Media Roles in Constructing Public Opinion”. It was conducted on Monday (5/4) in A.R. Fachruddin A, Floor 5, UMY. It was one of the event series of KOMAHI EXPRESS (Exhibition of Press) of International Relations Student Association, Social and Political Science Faculty, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY).
Dr. Lalu conveyed that being successful in diplomacy needs to deal with media in any context, in either or not facing a case or not. “In any condition, a diplomat should always interact with media since it is an essential aspect of his diplomatic process. If he does not do that, they would get difficulties in confronting issues which does not emerge from ours (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ed.),” he stated.
According to Lalu, issues which did not come from Ministry of Foreign Affairs occasionally made his party and diplomats hard to overcome the unexpected issues. The spread issues could be affected by public opinions. If the issues were not unwilling issues, public opinions must be negative and distinct from what actually occurred. “Hence, diplomats should have good relationship with media. If they do not have that, there would be changing circumstance in an ongoing diplomatic issue,” he said.
Lalu continued that somebody or International Relations Students dreaming of being a diplomat are required to concern with an aspect, being honest to media. They have to tell the truth to media about negotiated issues. “For example, we as a diplomat are negotiating for coping with issues of Indonesian citizens. We ought to state honesly to media how our efforts to solve the issue. It is significance because public opinion would have great impacts on the diplomacy,” he elucidated.
He also gave an instance that there was failing in negotiating issues owing to lawyer mafia as Satinah’s case which she had to pay fine 2.5 million rials but she then paid 7 million rials or 21 billion rupiahs. “It happened because the news of Satinah’s execution was heard by media so that media in Indonesia also broadcast the news. It emerged public opinion that Indonesian government should save Satinah. That moment was used by lawyer mafia to take advantages the fine from 2.5 million rials to 7 million rials or 21 billion rupiahs,” he informed.
Furthermore, the other speaker of the seminar was Ali Nur Yasin (Head of Editorial Bureau of Tempo DIY-Jateng). KOMAHI EXPRESS also presented a photography workshop and competition for university students in DIY and Central Java. Wahid Ar. (a photographer of ISGRA Design Yogyakarta) and Aris Wijayanto (a photographer of ALC Photosyndicate Yogyakarta) would be the speakers of the photographer workshop on Thursday (5/5). In addition, the announcement of photography competition would be on Saturday (9/5).
