Common Enemies: Crime, Policy and Politics in Australia-Indonesia Relations

Over the last two decades, Australia and Indonesia have built a remarkable partnership in the fight against terrorism and other transnational crimes. Common Enemies: Crime, Policy, and Politics in Australia-Indonesia Relations is the first in-depth study of this partnership, examining both its successes and its failures. Drawing on over 100 interviews and extensive archival material, the book tells the inside story of the joint police investigation into the 2002 terrorist bombings in Bali, the extradition of Indonesian corruption fugitive Adrian Kiki Ariawan, the public campaigns in support of Australians detained in Indonesia for drug trafficking, and the 2013 spying scandal that led to a freeze in cooperation. It also investigates many cases that never made the headlines in an effort to understand the conditions that promote criminal justice cooperation between these two very different countries. The book reveals a tension between parochial politics and policy ambition at the heart of the bilateral relationship, and explores how politicians, bureaucrats, and private actors animate this tension. It also considers how various 'wars on crime' since the 1970s have shaped the relationship, and the importance of reciprocity in maintaining the relationship. Based on this analysis, it identifies strategies for enhancing cross-border cooperation to combat crime. The mix of engaging case studies and novel theorising in Common Enemies will appeal to both practitioners and scholars of transnational policing, international relations, regulation, and global governance.

About the Author :
Michael McKenzie, Australian National University Michael McKenzie is a Sir Roland Wilson Fellow in the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University. He is also a senior legal official in the Australian government. Over the last decade he has worked on justice and security reform in Australia and Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on combating terrorism and other transnational crimes. Since 2016 he has served as Counsellor (Legal) at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. Michael has a PhD from the Australian National University, and has published widely on topics including transnational policing and international law.

Review :
"The book's detailed case studies make a rich contribution to the literature on Australia�Indonesia relations. Indeed, one of its strengths is the roughly 100 interviews with current and former police, prosecutors, legal officials, diplomats, politicians, defence lawyers, activists, journalists, and academics. To this add archival material and McKenzie's professional experience and personal contact with Indonesia as an Australian Embassy official and public servant [...] His careful research is filled with valuable lessons about the value of face-to-face engagement, exercising patience, and deep expertise on bureaucratic systems and political culture [...] As such, Common Enemies should be essential reading for policymakers, law enforcers, scholars, and the general public interested in the future of criminal justice, international relations, or Indonesia." -- Natalie Sambhi, The Interpreter "McKenzie sets out to analyse the extensive cooperation on criminal justice between the two countries, and to make suggestions about strategies for future cooperation. The result is engrossing." -- Bill Farmer, Australian Foreign Affairs "This book makes important theoretical and empirical contributions to the transnational policing literature that will no doubt influence thinking in other regulatory domains of transnational policy, law and regulation." -- James Sheptycki, Policing and Society "Common Enemies by Michael McKenzie is undoubtedly a very fine contribution to the study of the internationalization of criminal justice and deserves to find its place in this ever-growing literature." -- Mathieu Deflem, Global Policy "This important new book, based on original and extensive empirical research, offers the first detailed study of the roller-coaster ride of criminal justice cooperation between Australia and Indonesia. It provides vital insights into the mechanics of transnational policing and the messy business of East-West diplomacy, and suggests ways the two countries could use criminal justice cooperation to build a closer, more resilient relationship." --Tim Lindsey, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor and Malcolm Smith Professor of Asian Law, University of Melbourne "This is a masterly probe into the importance and fragility of international cooperation." --John Braithwaite, Author of Anomie and Violence: Nontruth and Reconciliation in Indonesian Peacebuilding (with Valerie Braithwaite, Michael Cookson and Leah Dunn). "In Common Enemies, Michael McKenzie has made an important scholarly and practical contribution to the vital question of how Australia and Indonesia can effectively manage their complex, enduring relationship." --Allan Gyngell, National President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs and former Director-General of the Australian Office of National Assessments (ONA) "This is a unique book as the first in-depth study of the criminal justice relationship between Australia and Indonesia, based on unparalleled access to senior government officials on both sides. It is written with remarkable clarity and verve and is filled with a wealth of detailed empirical material and scholarship. . . . We commend this book for making a significant contribution to the field of criminology." --Loraine Gelsthorpe and Kyle Treiber, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge