Abstrak
That relations between states are often full of ups and downs forms part of normal international political life. They occur even between the closest of friends and allies, and between immediate neighbours such as Indonesia, Australia and Papua New Guinea. But the fact that for the past few years Indonesia’s relations with two of its most immediate neighbours, Australia and PNG, seem to have been marked more by troubles and turbulance than calm, more downs than ups, seems to merit some special attention.