Military legislator hails agreement with Australia<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A leading military legislator said yesterday
\nthat the new security agreement between Indonesia and Australia,
\nto be signed in Jakarta on Monday, will improve the image of the
\nArmed Forces (ABRI) among the Australian public.<\/p>\n
Aminullah Ibrahim, the chairman of the ABRI faction in the
\nHouse of Representatives, told The Jakarta Post that the armed
\nforces of the two countries have managed to forge cordial
\nrelations, although ABRI has often come under criticism from the
\nAustralian public.<\/p>\n
Differences occurred chiefly between the government and the
\npublic, including non-governmental organizations, rather than
\ntheir military, Aminullah said.<\/p>\n
He noted that some members of the Australian public still have
\nnot accepted East Timor's integration with Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Australia's criticism of Indonesia's policy on East Timor are
\noften targeted at ABRI because of the strong presence of troops
\nin the former Portuguese territory. The Australian government,
\nwhile accepting Indonesia's rule in East Timor, has also
\ncriticized the strong military presence.<\/p>\n
ABRI has significantly scaled down the number of troops in
\nEast Timor, keeping just enough to oversee military and to help
\nwith civic works in the underdeveloped province.<\/p>\n
Aminullah said the Agreement on Maintaining Security, as the
\ndocument is to be called, will create greater understanding
\nbetween the two countries, and not restricted only to their armed
\nforces.<\/p>\n
The agreement, the result of 18 months of negotiations, will
\nbe signed on Monday by the foreign ministers of the two countries
\nin the presence of President Soeharto and Prime Minister Paul
\nKeating. The agreement commits the two countries to holding
\nregular mutual consultations on security issues, particularly
\nwhen one of the two countries face a threat from a third party.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Aisyah Amini, a legislator specializing in foreign
\nrelations, hailed the agreement as a measure further enhancing
\nstability in the region.<\/p>\n
"With the mutual responsibility of watching over one another,
\nthe treaty will bolster stability," Aisyah told The Post.<\/p>\n
"Stability has always been an important factor here to enable
\ndevelopment," said the legislator who is also on the central
\nexecutive board of the United Development Party.<\/p>\n
The treaty would bring greater mutual trust within the region,
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
"A lack of sense of security requires a country to devote much
\nenergy and resources in beefing up its defense." she said, adding
\nthat the two governments could instead concentrate on improving
\nthe welfare of their peoples.<\/p>\n
Aisyah also underlined that the agreement need not lead to a
\nmilitary or defense pact, she said.<\/p>\n
The agreement could also add to a greater sense of community-
\nspirit for Australia as it is integrating more and more with
\nAsia. (01\/anr)<\/p>",
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