Missiles don't destroy RI-Australia ties<\/p>\n
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Thanks to good neighborly relations and fast track diplomacy,
\nIndonesia's concerns over Australia's acquisition of long-range
\ncruise missiles have failed to shake the ties between the two
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
The Australian government has assured Indonesia that its plan
\nto equip its fighter jets and aircraft with long-range cruise
\nmissiles is not targeted at specific countries within the Asia-
\nPacific region, Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda said
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
\"We have been informed by the Australian government through
\nboth our embassy in Canberra and the Australian Embassy in
\nJakarta about the plan and its pledge that the purchase of the
\nmissiles was not intended to target specific countries in the
\nregion,\" Hassan told reporters after inaugurating the Center for
\nEast Asian Cooperation Studies (CEACS) in Jakarta on Monday.<\/p>\n
In a bid to assuage the fears of countries in the region,
\nAustralian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer announced that the
\ngovernment had briefed Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and
\nThailand about its program, a day after Indonesia expressed its
\nconcern over the plan.<\/p>\n
Australian Prime Minister John Howard was quoted as saying
\nlast week that, \"We have no hostile designs on any of our
\nneighbors\".<\/p>\n
While such an assurance should come as a huge relief to
\nIndonesia, Hassan warned that installing missiles was not an
\nanswer to Australia's feeling of insecurity as a result from the
\nfree flow of people into the country.<\/p>\n
\"We see how the Australian government is so bothered by the
\ninflux of massive illegal migrant workers. Of course, it can't be
\nsolved through the use of missiles but (it must be solved)
\nthrough the regional cooperation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Australia is a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).<\/p>\n
Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto has also
\nexpressed confidence that Australia's decision to arm itself with
\ncruise missiles did not constitute a threat to the country.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia does not see the development as a threat,\" he told
\nreporters on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"It is Australia's (sovereign) right to develop its defense
\nsystem based on their own considerations. This must be respected
\nby other countries, including Indonesia,\" he was quoted by AFP as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
He said that the Indonesian government should prioritize
\nbuilding closer ties with Australia to eliminate any
\nmisunderstandings or friction between two countries.<\/p>\n
Australia Defense Minister Robert Hill announced last Thursday
\nthat his government's planned to create what it believed would be
\nthe most lethal force of war planes in Southeast Asia, by
\nequipping its fighter jets and aircraft with long-range cruise
\nmissiles.<\/p>\n
The plans had triggered security concerns in Indonesia,
\nespecially because the plan was announced only a day after the
\nAustralian Strategic Policy Institute, a defense and strategic
\nthink-tank set up by the government, issued in Canberra a report
\nthat Australians believed Indonesia posed the greatest threat to
\ntheir national security.<\/p>\n
Hariyadi Wirawan a director at the newly established CEACS
\nexplained that the perception of the defense upgrade as a threat
\nto Indonesia's security stemmed from past unpleasant relations.<\/p>\n
\"This is an improvement in Australia's defense particularly
\nits weapons capability. The plan created concern because
\nhistorically, we have problems in our relationship with
\nAustralia. This prompted Indonesia to view the plan as
\nAustralia's way of boosting its offensive capability, which might
\ndestabilize the Southeast Asian region,\" Hariyadi said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/missiles-dont-destroy-ri-australia-ties-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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