Matori vows to continue military reform

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.