Megawati returns home to mounting security problems<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri arrived home on Sunday with a
\nbundle of armament purchases from Eastern European countries to
\nworsening domestic security.<\/p>\n
Ending her 10-day visit to Romania, Russia and Poland,
\nMegawati was met with national security threats resulting from
\nthe failed peace talks on Aceh and two bomb blasts that rocked
\nthe capital within three days.<\/p>\n
A few hours before she landed at Halim Perdanakusumah Airport,
\na bomb blast shook Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, injuring
\n11 people. On Thursday, another bomb exploded near the UN office
\nin Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Megawati will preside over a Cabinet meeting on Aceh that will
\ndecide the future of the peace agreement with the Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) after she ordered Indonesian delegates to forfeit
\nnegotiations with the rebels, which was scheduled to take place
\nin Geneva, Switzerland.<\/p>\n
"Our country is facing two permanent threats, namely
\nseparatism in Aceh, Papua and Maluku, and terrorism,"
\nCoordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono said after greeting the President.<\/p>\n
Looking at Megawati's list of purchases, which includes four
\nnew Sukhoi jet fighters and two Mi-35 assault helicopters worth
\nUS$197 million, plus a US$135 million credit from the Polish
\nmilitary industry, Megawati appears to be focusing on
\nstrengthening the Indonesian Military's (TNI) ability to defuse
\nsecurity threats.<\/p>\n
The new aircraft will be delivered in September, right in time
\nfor a possible war in Aceh, which the military commander there
\nhas predicted will last between six and seven months.<\/p>\n
The government had to pay 12.5 percent of the total value of
\nthe aircraft in cash, while the rest was settled through the
\ncountertrade of 11 products.<\/p>\n
The arms purchases has sparked complaints from House of
\nRepresentatives legislators, who said it would put a considerable
\nburden on the current state budget as it was not part of the
\ndraft budget.<\/p>\n
The government insisted on the arms purchase due to a military
\nembargo imposed by its traditional supplier, the United States,
\nin 1999.<\/p>\n
Government sources told The Jakarta Post earlier that the
\ngovernment decided to reach a deal with Russia after calculating
\nthe windfall profit from oil and gas products due to skyrocketing
\nprices during the three weeks of war in Iraq.<\/p>\n
People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais was among
\nthe supporters of the arms purchase, saying on Sunday that buying
\nthe new military hardware from Eastern Europe was "an excellent
\nchoice".<\/p>\n
"We can worry about the state budget later on, but it can be
\nfurther discussed," Amien told Antara in his hometown of
\nYogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Also welcoming Megawati were Vice President Hamzah Haz,
\nNational Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and other high-ranking
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, who accompanied
\nMegawati on her 10-day tour, said it was more than an arms
\nshopping trip as the government also established several long-
\nterm economic cooperation deals with those countries.<\/p>\n
"Please note that Romania and Poland will join the European
\nUnion in the near future and may open a new door for our exports
\nto Europe," Hassan told a media conference upon arrival at Halim
\nPerdanakusumah Airport.<\/p>\n
He underlined that the trip was to reaffirm the good ties
\nwith these Eastern European countries.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-returns-home-to-mounting-security-problems-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}