U.S. not the only arms source, analysts say<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Military analysts cautiously responded to the United States'
\ndecision to resume lethal arms sales to Indonesia, warning that
\nJakarta may become trapped in Washington's foreign policy.<\/p>\n
Andi Widjajanto of the Centre for Strategic and International
\nStudies (CSIS) suggests that the government continue maintaining
\nrelationships with other arms suppliers that had promised to help
\nIndonesia modernize its defense systems.<\/p>\n
Dependency on a single country for military equipment, he
\nsaid, would cause problems in the future if Indonesia was
\ninvolved in a political rift with that country.<\/p>\n
Andi, also a member of the civilian think-tank group at the
\nMinistry of Defense, says the lifting of the U.S. embargo would
\nenable the Indonesian Military (TNI) to repair its relatively
\naging American-made weaponry.<\/p>\n
\"Of course Indonesia can save more on its defense budget once
\nit turns back to the U.S. because it will grant Indonesia
\nfacilities, including a longer term of payment and lower interest
\nrate,\" Andi said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He added that the U.S. would offer a better credit export
\nfacility than that proposed by Russia earlier this year.<\/p>\n
\"But if our concern is modernization of our armed forces, I
\nthink Russian-made weapons can be the answer,\" Andi said.<\/p>\n
Washington froze military cooperation with Indonesia in 1991
\nafter a massacre of East Timorese mourners at Santa Cruz
\ncemetery, which the U.S. blamed on the Indonesian Military. The
\nembargo was extended due to allegations of human rights
\nviolations linked to the military, again in East Timor, after the
\n1999 independence vote.<\/p>\n
Following the ban, Indonesia desperately sought military
\nequipment from new sources.<\/p>\n
The embargo has severely impacted the country's defense
\nsystem. Out of 34 military planes that Indonesia has procured
\nfrom the U.S., only five are still able to fly.<\/p>\n
Despite strong objections from legislators, the government
\npurchased in 2003 four Russian-made Sukhoi jet fighters for the
\nAir Force and two Mi-35 assault helicopters for the Army.<\/p>\n
Following the visit of a defense ministry team to Moscow in
\nMay, Indonesia and Russia have agreed on \"a simple mechanism\" for
\narms deals in the future, which include Indonesia's plan to buy
\n12 more Sukhoi jet fighters, transport planes and missiles.<\/p>\n
While, the Navy has turned to South Korea and some European
\ncountries for the procurement of warships and patrol boats.<\/p>\n
Ikrar Nusabakti of the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI)
\nsaid U.S. President George W. Bush should have come under
\npressure from American arms producers who lost the Indonesian
\nmarket because the embargo.<\/p>\n
\"The arms suppliers may be surprised to find we're surviving
\nwith weaponry from other sources. Of course, improving military
\nties with Indonesia is essential for the U.S. in the so-called
\nglobal war against terrorism,\" Ikrar said.<\/p>\n
He agreed that the change in the U.S. policy might decrease
\nthe number of human rights abuse cases involving the TNI, and be
\na boost for the peace deal struck with the Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM).<\/p>\n
Ikrar, however, reminded the government to make use of all
\nopportunities to procure the best and latest arms instead of
\nsecond-hand arms because the latter would cost the country a lot
\nin the long term.<\/p>\n
The House approved a Rp 21.9 trillion (US$2.4 billion) defense
\nbudget for this fiscal year, a slight increase from Rp 21.4
\ntrillion last year. But only 30 percent of the total budget has
\nbeen allocated for maintenance, while the lion's share went to
\nsoldiers' basic needs.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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