RI told to start developing defense industry<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite the recent lifting by the United States of its military
\nembargo, Indonesia should start developing its own defense
\nindustry to reduce its dependence on foreign countries, say
\nmilitary analysts.<\/p>\n
J. Kristiadi of the Centre for Strategic and International
\nStudies (CSIS), Yusron Ihza, director of the Institute of
\nInternational Studies (LKII) and military observer Salim Said
\nvoiced a similar opinion on Tuesday that Indonesia would never be
\nindependent and the defense system would remain inefficient if
\nthe country continues to procure arms from other countries.<\/p>\n
\"While accomplishing the national agenda to reform the defense
\nsystem and the military, Indonesia should determine what kind of
\narms it should develop in anticipation of possible threats it is
\nand will be facing,\" Kristiadi told a seminar organized by LKII.<\/p>\n
He said the government and the House of Representatives should
\nalso review the outdated defense doctrine that puts emphasis on
\nthe development of the Army.<\/p>\n
\"We have to start giving more attention to the Navy and Air
\nForce because Indonesia is a maritime country and potential
\nthreats will come in through the sea and air,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The country's arms system is among the weakest in Southeast
\nAsia, despite a bigger part of the defense budget, the second
\nbiggest after the education, being spent to maintain at least 147
\narmament systems and to pay military personnel.<\/p>\n
\"Our defense system will remain weak and inefficient if we
\ncontinue relying on the United States, Russia and other countries
\nunless the development of the defense industry starts,\" Salim
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said that Indonesia's defense system became weak for the
\nfirst time since its 1945 independence after Russia stopped its
\narms exports in the 1960s and, then, there was a similar
\nexperience in 1990s for different reasons. \"We will be facing a
\nsimilar fate if we turn our eyes to China.\"<\/p>\n
Salim said Indonesia should learn a lesson from the 14-year
\nembargo of U.S. military and training aid imposed on Indonesia
\nfollowing the 1991 Santa Cruz massacre in East Timor which forced
\nthe military to ground most of its cargo and bombing aircraft and
\nwarships.<\/p>\n
Yusron said Indonesia could start developing its defense
\nindustry by coordinating with relevant state agencies and
\nresearch and development centers and by allocating a sufficient
\ndefense budget.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia has experts at the National Nuclear Power Agency
\n(Batan), aircraft designers at the Bandung Institute of
\nTechnology and state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara
\nIndonesia, researchers and other experts at the Indonesian
\nInstitute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Agency for the Assessment
\nand Application of Technology (BPPT), arms designers at PT Pindad
\nand PT PAL,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Washington lifted the military embargo after President Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono held talks with his U.S. counterpart George W.
\nBush on the sidelines of a recent APEC meeting in Busan, South
\nKorea.<\/p>\n
Kristiadi and Salim said the lifting of the military ban was
\nlinked to Indonesia's commitment to fulfilling the interests of
\nthe U.S. and its allies in Asia.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia has demonstrated that it can develop a democracy,
\ngiving an impression that Islam, which is followed by most
\nIndonesian people, is compatible with democracy and it has been
\nable to maintain the unitary state,\" said Kristiadi.<\/p>\n
Salim said the lifting of the embargo was the best alternative
\nfor the U.S., in order to discourage Indonesia from importing
\narms from China which the U.S. and its allies perceived as a
\npotential enemy.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, the U.S. and its allies want Indonesia to be serious
\nin the global war on terrorism and to enhance security along the
\nMalacca Strait,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-told-to-start-developing-defense-industry-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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