Juwono leaves for U.S to seek resumption of military ties

Juwono leaves for U.S to seek resumption of military ties

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono and his delegation left
Jakarta for the United States on Friday to persuade the U.S.
government to resume full military relations with Indonesia.

Earlier on Thursday, Juwono said that he would convince the
U.S. government and Congress that the Indonesian Military (TNI)
had been professional and had upheld democracy and thus deserved
support.

In the one week visit, Juwono and delegation is scheduled to
meet U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Minister of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld, several members of U.S. Congress and Senate as
well as the media and general public.

"I will explain the development of democracy in Indonesia,
civilian supremacy and the Indonesian Military's position in
Indonesian politics," said Juwono.

The minister said that he would also explain to the general
public in the United States the achievements gained in military
reform in the country in recent years. Military reform has
resulted in the withdrawal of military representatives in the
House of Representatives and there has been a growing respect for
human rights within the TNI.

The U.S. visit was held about a month after the U.S.
Department of State announced that it had lifted restrictions on
Indonesia's participation in a U.S. military training program.

The announcement was seen as a sign that the U.S. government
would move forward to resume full military ties with Indonesia,
which means that Indonesia would gain access to military training
and the purchase of weapons from the U.S.

If this materializes, it would end over a 13-year embargo on
the sale of U.S. weaponry to Indonesia.

The United States cut military links with Indonesia in 1992
following the massacre of civilian protesters in East Timor, a
tiny province, which later separated from Indonesia in 1999.

Attempts to restore military links did not succeed, especially
after the killing of two American teachers in Papua in 2002.

International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the
international community asserted that Indonesian soldiers were
behind the killing of the teachers, making hopes for the
resumption of military ties fade.

But the war against terrorism waged fiercely by President
George W. Bush's hawkish administration in recent years has
provided the opening for resumption of military ties. Bush needed
to join forces with Indonesia, which is seen as a key ally in
Southeast Asia, in his war against terrorism and resuming
military ties would be one of the means to win Indonesia's favor.

The resumption of military ties was further given a boost
after the Indonesian and U.S. military worked hand in hand in
helping tsunami victims in Aceh. The close cooperation led to the
lifting of the restriction on Indonesian Military officers'
participation in International Military Education and Training
(IMET), which was seen as a precursor to the resumption of full
military ties.