I am just one Australian citizen, but I am deeply embarrassed about the latest muttering of our prime minister, John Howard.

Australians who are keen in improving links with Southeast Asian countries are placing their hands in their hair in exasperation and wondering what Howard will say next to make Australia further apart from our neighbors.

The problem is that Howard's mindset is still stuck in the 1950's. He is a staunch supporter of having the Queen of England as our head of state and has a track record of disliking multiculturalism.

He has not realised that Asean countries are not a 'backward' corner of the world emerging from colonialism but one of the most vibrant and exciting parts of the globe due to the sheer hard work and intelligence of its inhabitants.

Unfortunately Australians have been historically fearful of the 'outside'. As a mainly European nation between Asia and the Pacific, so far away from similar cultures in Europe and North America they have been historically fearful of foreigners.

Prime ministers such as Gough Withlam, Malcolm Fraser and Paul Keating have worked hard to overcome these irrational fears and make Australia outward looking.

Howard however, plays on these deep fears for electoral advantage, as he had done with the asylum seekers and now with these 'pre-emptive strike' comments.

He knows that by making Australians more insecure they are less likely to change how they vote at elections and also look more closely at other issues like the economy.

This comes at the expense of good neighbourly relations. He may win elections but the damage to international relations and to Australia's interests is incalculable