Gus Dur gives fiery speech at Air Force anniversary
Gus Dur gives fiery speech at Air Force anniversary
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid said on Monday that
the Indonesian Military (TNI) must remain vigilant and refuse to
succumb to the tribulations faced as a result of the embargoes it
is facing.
"We should not be conquered by such intimidation. Neither
should we become dependent on other countries," Abdurrahman said
at the commemoration of the Air Force's 55th anniversary
celebrations at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in East Jakarta.
"We are a big country with the fourth biggest population in
the world. We manifest greatness when we uphold our
independence," Abdurrahman said in a fiery speech.
Present at the ceremony were, among others, First Lady Shinta
Nuriyah Wahid, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputeri, former Air
Force chief Omar Dhani, the TNI chief Adm. Widodo AS, Army Chief
Gen. Endriartono Soetarto and Navy Chief Adm. Indroko
Sastrowiryono.
Abdurrahman further praised the Air Force after it
successfully performed an aerobatics show with eight jet fighters
comprising of three different types of aircraft -- two F-16
Fighting Falcons, five Hawk MK-53s and a Hawk-100.
Even the force "must engage in cannibalism of the jet's spare
parts," the President remarked.
Indonesia faced an arms embargo following the violence which
swept East Timor in 1999. While sanctions have slowly eased,
there are still major restrictions on various spare parts of
combat aircraft and other military hardware.
Abdurrahman also said that the government plans to develop an
air force base in Biak, Irian Jaya to guard the country's western
wing.
"We currently only have Iswahjudi Airbase (in Madiun, East
Java) as our major air base to guard the country's integrity. The
air base, however, can only oversee the western part of
Indonesia," the President remarked.
Air Force chief Marshall Hanafie Asnan said there was already
an airbase Manahua in Biak.
However, it severely lacks personnel and key weaponry, such as
radars and jet fighters.
"The eastern side of Indonesia are strategic areas with rich
natural resources. We must guard it," Hanafie said. (02)