Legislators criticize Juwono over Ambalat disclosure

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Several legislators criticized Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono for publicly announcing the results of what were meant to be confidential talks on financial preparations for possible military operations in an ongoing border dispute with Malaysia.

Members of House of Representatives Commission I for defense and foreign affairs said on Tuesday the minister's actions could jeopardize negotiations between the two countries.

"War is the very last option. The discussions were supposed to be a confidential because they could damage the peaceful diplomatic talks we are currently involved in," legislator Happy Bone Zulkarnaen said.

Juwono told journalists last week that the government and the House were preparing Rp 5.4 trillion (US$580.64 million) to finance military operations to defend the Ambalat offshore oil block in the Sulawesi Sea, which is claimed by both Indonesia and Malaysia.

Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur recently concluded a first round of talks to resolve the dispute over the oil block, with further talks scheduled for May.

Happy said that the figure mentioned by Juwono was not the one proposed to the House, but that it was still wrong of the minister to disclose confidential information, even if it was incorrect.

The lawmaker then announced that the budget proposed to the House for possible military operations was Rp 23 trillion for a six-month-long war.

The legislators also regretted the government's failure to report to or consult with the House before its earlier deployment of soldiers and military equipment to Ambalat.

"Although such deployments are the right of the President, it is stipulated in Law No. 34/2004 on the Indonesian Military that any deployments should be reported to the House within 48 hours," legislator Effendi Choirie said.

The government has deployed more than 8,800 soldiers, military vehicles and other equipment to the area around Ambalat.

"We have met with the House speaker (Agung Laksono) to discuss this, and we have scheduled a consultative meeting with the government for some time this week," Effendi said.