Defence Ministry Explains TNI Alert Status in North Sulawesi During ASEAN Summit

The Ministry of Defence has explained the readiness activities conducted by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in the North Sulawesi region. Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, stated that the activities serve as security support for the ASEAN Summit. The international forum, attended by President Prabowo Subianto, took place in Cebu, Philippines, on 8-9 May 2026. Rico noted that the joint TNI operation readiness in the area near the ASEAN Summit location is anticipatory in nature. “There is no specific threat against the head of state or delegates of the ASEAN Summit participants,” Rico said when contacted on Monday, 11 May 2026. According to him, the deployment of national military personnel along with main weapon system equipment is part of the standard readiness for securing high-level international agendas. The one-star general explained that the readiness of personnel and interoperability among services is the focus of the TNI readiness implementation test in North Sulawesi. “It also focuses on testing command and control systems, as well as rapid response capabilities to various possible contingency situations in the region,” Rico stated. He said that the TNI readiness implementation in supporting the smooth running of the ASEAN Summit does not violate regulations. Because, according to him, the joint TNI operation is carried out while upholding respect for the sovereignty of the Philippines as a friendly country and the spirit of ASEAN cooperation. In the TNI readiness activity in North Sulawesi, fighter aircraft, transport aircraft, and three warships were deployed. “There are five F-16 aircraft, Hercules, and A400M for this readiness operation. Three KRI are also deployed, namely Brawijaya, Siliwangi, and R.E. Martadinata,” he said in a previous statement. “TNI readiness in this context is part of Indonesia’s contribution to supporting the creation of a safe, conducive regional situation and supporting the success of ASEAN’s strategic agendas,” Rico remarked. The 2026 ASEAN Summit adopts the theme ‘Navigating Our Future Together’. The forum serves as a space for ASEAN leaders to discuss the region’s direction amid global geopolitical and economic pressures. Before the head-of-state level meeting, ASEAN foreign ministers first held several preliminary agendas on Thursday, including the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN Political-Security Community Council Meeting. During his visit to the ASEAN Summit, Prabowo spoke about the flow of competition in the region. According to him, conflicts and geopolitical rivalries will only bring negative impacts to society and hinder regional development. Therefore, said Prabowo, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must prioritise dialogue and cooperation as the main foundation of inter-state relations. “We must not allow competition. We must not let our past determine our present and future. Indonesia is determined to build good neighbourly policies,” he said in Cebu, Philippines, on Friday, 8 May 2026, quoted from the Presidential Secretariat’s statement.