U.S.-RI military ties should focus on management: Juwono<\/p>\n
Muhammad Nafik
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Training programs for Indonesian soldiers in the United States
\nshould focus on financial management, says a former defense
\nminister.<\/p>\n
Juwono Sudarsono said on Thursday the Indonesian Military
\n(TNI) should handle combat skill training for its troops and ask
\nthe U.S. to provide them with skills in financial management of
\nmilitary affairs.<\/p>\n
\"What the U.S. have to do is to train TNI troops on how to
\ndraw up and manage the military budget. So that its financial
\nmanagement will be made accountable, professional and accurate,\"
\nhe told journalists on the sidelines of a seminar titled
\n\"Indonesia Next\" organized by Van Zorge, Heffernan & Associates
\nin Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"For combat training, just leave it to Indonesia,\" Juwono
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Talks have intensified between senior U.S. and Indonesian
\nsecurity officials to reopen full military cooperation which was
\nrestricted in protest over the pro-Jakarta militia rampage in
\nEast Timor after the independence vote in 1999.<\/p>\n
Juwono hopes the U.S. will soon resume its military ties with
\nIndonesia to help Jakarta overcome sectarian conflicts and other
\nforms of violence across the country.<\/p>\n
Juwono also said that the training should not only involve
\nhigh-ranking officers of TNI, but also low- and middle-ranking
\nsoldiers.<\/p>\n
Under its International Military Education and Training (IMET)
\nprogram, the U.S. used to provide TNI officers with special
\ntraining in a range of areas, including counter-terrorism
\ntactics, infantry, artillery, cavalry and construction.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil said on
\nWednesday that Britain had offered its help to convince the U.S.
\nto restore military relations with Indonesia. He did not
\nelaborate.<\/p>\n
Matori made the statement after meeting British Defense
\nSecretary Geoff Hoon during the minister's recent 12-day foreign
\ntrip that included visits to Britain and the U.S.<\/p>\n
The trip was aimed at seeking to restore military ties.<\/p>\n
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said after meeting
\nMatori that the U.S. Congress should ease the military
\nrestrictions, saying that Indonesia was dealing with past human
\nrights violations \"in an orderly, democratic way\".<\/p>\n
But some officials, including those at the State Department,
\nhave been more cautious on the issue, fearing that Indonesia has
\nnot yet done enough to purge the armed forces of those guilty of
\nhuman rights abuses.<\/p>\n
Among the IMET program alumni are Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical and Security Affairs Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono, deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly
\nLt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie
\nSjamsoeddin and former Army Strategic Reserves Command chief the
\nlate Lt. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-ri-military-ties-should-focus-on-management-juwono-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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