Arms build-up unlikely to spark enmity in SE Asia

Arms build-up unlikely to spark enmity in SE Asia

JAKARTA (JP): Increased arms spending in Southeast Asia does
not indicate the presence of enmity among countries in the
region, but the demand for modern military equipment, Minister of
Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said yesterday.

Alatas told a hearing with the House of Representatives'
Commission I there was evidence that cooperation among Southeast
Asian countries had been on the increase, comprising all fields
including defense.

"An arms build-up does not always mean an arms race...
suspicion or enmity among member countries of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"Several ASEAN members have been modernizing their armed
forces for technological reasons. Besides, the weapons will be
used to combat pirates and smugglers," Alatas told members of the
House Commission II for domestic and foreign political affairs.

He was commenting on an International Institute for Strategic
Studies' finding that Indonesia and Thailand were the biggest
arms buyers in Southeast Asia, amounting to US$700 million in
1996. According to the report, Saudi Arabia and East Asian
countries are the biggest importers of military equipment.

Alatas said each country had its own reasons for expanding its
military capabilities.

"Maybe it is facing conflict or threats from other countries,
or maybe it is only trying to fulfill its reasonable need for
arms," he said.

He said Indonesia had always set a small budget for arms
purchases but had bought a lot of military equipment recently.

"The increase in spending for military equipment must include
the purchase of some jet fighters," Alatas said.

Indonesia bought 12 Sukhoi jet fighters and nine M-17-IV
helicopters from Russia under a counter purchase deal worth $500
million in September.

In May, Britain delivered 24 Hawk jets to Indonesia. The sale
of Hawk trainers and ground attack fighters worth about 500
million, was approved by the British government in late 1995
after concluding that they would probably not be used against
opponents of the Indonesian government.

Minister of Defense Edi Sudrajat told another hearing with the
House last week that Indonesia had always spent an average of 1.2
percent of its gross domestic product on its military budget, far
lower than the ideal rate of 2.5 percent.

Alatas said yesterday that ASEAN countries would not procure
military equipment for offensive or defensive reasons, because
they had agreed to establish regional resilience together through
a comprehensive security approach.

He admitted that the overlapping claims of the South China Sea
carried seeds of conflict in the future, involving four ASEAN
members, China and Chinese Taipei.

"But all claimants have tried to refrain themselves and
encouraged a peaceful settlement," Alatas said.

China, the biggest claimant country, has approved a mutual
plan to carry out certain development projects in various areas
agreed by the six claimants.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. (amd)