Matori vows to continue military reform
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Ministry of Defense issued a statement on Wednesday that it would continue to pursue military reform and democratization in the country regardless of the country's failure to secure foreign aid for its armed forces.
At a hearing with House of Representatives' Commission I for foreign and security affairs, Defense Minister Matori Abdul Djalil said that Indonesia would not solely depend on financial aid from the United States before pushing forward with reform.
"We should not worry about the small portion (of financial aid from the U.S.). It's our commitment to keep our dignity."
"It does not matter if we get aid, because our dignity has much more value," Matori said.
Washington has repeatedly said that internal reform in the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the outcome of the trial of its officers accused of crimes against humanity in East Timor would determine the restoration of full military ties between the two countries.
Some analysts remain doubtful of TNI's commitment to reform, mainly due to its reluctance to phase out its territorial command structures, to abandon politics and to fully comply with the civilian government.
The hearing with Matori centered on his trip to Washington last month.
Some of the House members questioned the benefit of the overseas visit, while some others alleged that Matori came under U.S. pressure to make the trip.
Matori dismissed the skepticism and accusations, saying he led a government mission to seek support from both the U.S. government and the Congress. He also said Indonesia needed to encourage democratization, internal military reform, anti- terrorism campaign and resolution to threats of disintegration.
It was reported that the U.S. Congress had approved US$400,000 this year to educate Indonesian civilians on defense matters.
The Congress has also approved another $8 million in extra money for Indonesian police.
Commenting on alleged pressures from the U.S. government, Matori said that Washington had shown a strong will to resume military ties with Jakarta.
The Pentagon has had no military training or foreign military sales programs with Indonesia since 1999 when Congress passed an amendment barring funding for those activities until Indonesia accounted for the military's role in the East Timor killings.
Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and others at the Pentagon have lamented the absence of military ties with the world's most populous Muslim nation.
Compared to cash-strapped Indonesia, Southeast Asian neighbor the Philippines received $270 million in military assistance from the U.S.
The military embargo has prompted Jakarta to find relations with other countries and to rely on domestic products from the Army's own arms manufacturer, Pindad, state aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia and state ship company PT PAL.
Regarding the annual budget allocated for defense affairs, Matori revealed that his ministry and the TNI had secured Rp 12.75 trillion to finance both routine and development expenditures.
He added that in the first three months of 2002, the ministry received Rp 196 billion in state funds to improve security restoration operations in conflict-prone areas of Aceh, Maluku, Papua and Kalimantan.
Summarizing the hearing, Commission I chairman Ibrahim Ambong said that both the House and the government agreed to reject any foreign intervention in Indonesia's domestic affairs.
Both institutions also recommended that the ministry redefine its defense policy for the sake of national security and integrity.