Indonesia scraps security pact with Australia

Indonesia scraps security pact with Australia

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia canceled on Wednesday a landmark 1995
agreement with Australia on security cooperation as the row
between the two countries over East Timor reached new highs.

"We deeply regret Australia's attitude, which has undermined
bilateral relations as indicated by its decision to stop military
cooperation and assistance, and to review the security
cooperation arrangements," Coordinating Minister for Political
and Security Affairs and acting foreign minister Feisal Tanjung
said in a media briefing.

"The Republic of Indonesia has noted that the attitude and the
actions of Australia with regard to East Timor does not help keep
the bilateral relationship based on the mutual respect of
sovereignty, national integrity and the principle of not
interfering in each other's affairs," Feisal said.

Feisal said Australia's attitude was no longer consistent with
the letter and the spirit of the 1995 agreement.

The security pact stipulates that Indonesia and Australia will
consult about matters affecting their common security and develop
cooperation on security matters.

The agreement also contains provisions whereby the two
countries would consult each other in the case of adverse
challenges to either party, or to their common security
interests, and, if appropriate, consider measures which might be
taken both unilaterally or bilaterally.

The move came one day after the United Nations named Australia
to head the multinational peacekeeping force in East Timor in
spite of Indonesia's objection.

Australia, once a staunch supporter of Indonesia's rule in
East Timor, had become its harshest critic. Canberra followed
Washington last week in reviewing all military ties with Jakarta.

Nugroho Wisnumurti, Director General for Political Affairs at
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the government's decision
to suspend the security cooperation agreement was in answer to
the "Australian one-sided recent decision to freeze the technical
military cooperation with Indonesia".

He ruled out the possibility of the diplomatic row escalating.

"We don't intend to take further steps that might worsen our
relations (with Australia), but this is up to the Australian
side," Nugroho said in the media briefing held at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.

Separately, Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi
described the decision as an expression of displeasure against
the attitude of the Australian government.

"Australia is not friendly in its actions (on East Timor).
This has become a problem," Muladi said after meeting with
President B.J. Habibie at Merdeka Palace.

Habibie's adviser on foreign affairs, Dewi Fortuna Anwar,
disclosed on Thursday that the President was also personally
disappointed at Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

According to Dewi, Habibie told a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday
that he had decided not to receive telephone calls from the prime
minister because the latter often leaked their conversations to
the public for his own political interests.

"John Howard has misused our close friendship," Habibie
complained, as quoted by Dewi in a radio talk show on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Australian Defense Minister John Moore said the
decision to sever the security cooperation agreement meant some
elements of the Indonesian Military in the territory might not be
"very cooperative" with the multinational peacekeeping force
which Australia will lead.

"I see it as a sign that they will probably not be very
cooperative, the TNI, yes of course, but by 'not cooperative' I
don't mean aggressive," Moore told reporters in Canberra.
(prb/rms)