Security treaty eliminates mutual suspicions<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): International relations experts welcomed
\nyesterday the announcement of a new security agreement between
\nIndonesia and Australia, saying that the treaty should eliminate
\nany remaining mutual suspicions between the two neighbors.<\/p>\n
Dewi Fortuna Anwar of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
\n(LIPI) said that many past conflicts between the two countries
\noriginated from mutual feelings of suspicion, such as the
\nAustralian fear of Indonesia's \"expansion\" into the south.<\/p>\n
Any suspicion will now be limited to certain members of the
\npublic, but not the governments or their military, Dewi said. \"If
\nthese suspicions are also harbored by the governments or the
\nmilitaries, they could spell danger ... suspicion could lead to
\naction.\"<\/p>\n
But if they have good relations, then the two countries can
\nreduce their defense spending and their defense policies will
\nalso become more transparent to one another, said Dewi of LIPI's
\nCenter for Political and Regional Studies.<\/p>\n
The security agreement, which Australian Prime Minister Paul
\nKeating yesterday described as having a \"treaty status\" will be
\nsigned in Jakarta by the foreign ministers of the two countries
\nin the presence of Keating and President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Juwono Sudarsono of the National Resilience Institute said the
\nagreement is one of the results of the \"confidence building
\nmeasures\" developed between the two countries in recent years.<\/p>\n
\"It is not a pact. It is formalizing existing cooperation
\nprograms (between the two countries) for the maintenance of
\nsecurity,\" Juwono said.<\/p>\n
\"This agreement underlines mutual consultation, not joint
\naction against common threats facing the two countries,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The two governments have worked hard in the last six years to
\nbuild and expand their relations, which were turbulent for most
\nof the 1980s. More recently, the two governments expanded their
\ncooperation into the defense area, conducting joint military
\nexercises and sending their officers to participate in exchange
\nprograms. Indonesia has also begun sending its officers to
\nAustralia for training and education.<\/p>\n
The agreement comes just a few months after Indonesia, for the
\nfirst time, publicly issued its defense white paper, making its
\ndefense doctrine and concepts public.<\/p>\n
Dewi said that if Indonesia and Australia could not have
\n\"affectionate\" relations because of their cultural differences,
\nthey could at least have solid military ties to prevent an open
\nconflict.<\/p>\n
\"With this agreement, Australia will know that Indonesia is
\nnot a threat,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Their respective intelligence agencies will be less likely to
\nmake miscalculations, she added.<\/p>\n
Like Juwono, Dewi pointed out that the agreement is not a
\nmilitary pact, which would go against Indonesian principles.<\/p>\n
A defense pact requires all signatories to come to the defense
\nof any member that comes under attack.<\/p>\n
Jusuf Wanandi of the Centre for Strategic and International
\nStudies, meanwhile said the agreement reflected a more balanced
\nmilitary relationship between the two countries.<\/p>\n
Jusuf, who was speaking in Bangkok where he is attending the
\nASEAN summit, said the agreement institutionalizes the good
\nrelations between the armed forces and no longer solely dependent
\non cordial ties between the heads of government.<\/p>\n
He said the security agreement will neutralize Indonesia's
\naversion to the Five-Power Defense Arrangement formed in 1971 by
\nby Australia, Britain, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand to
\ncounter the perceived Indonesian threat.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's distaste for the FPDA has now been nullified since
\nit will also have a strategic agreement with Australia. (anr\/mds\/rid)<\/p>",
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