Military legislator hails agreement with Australia
Military legislator hails agreement with Australia
JAKARTA (JP): A leading military legislator said yesterday that the new security agreement between Indonesia and Australia, to be signed in Jakarta on Monday, will improve the image of the Armed Forces (ABRI) among the Australian public.
Aminullah Ibrahim, the chairman of the ABRI faction in the House of Representatives, told The Jakarta Post that the armed forces of the two countries have managed to forge cordial relations, although ABRI has often come under criticism from the Australian public.
Differences occurred chiefly between the government and the public, including non-governmental organizations, rather than their military, Aminullah said.
He noted that some members of the Australian public still have not accepted East Timor's integration with Indonesia.
Australia's criticism of Indonesia's policy on East Timor are often targeted at ABRI because of the strong presence of troops in the former Portuguese territory. The Australian government, while accepting Indonesia's rule in East Timor, has also criticized the strong military presence.
ABRI has significantly scaled down the number of troops in East Timor, keeping just enough to oversee military and to help with civic works in the underdeveloped province.
Aminullah said the Agreement on Maintaining Security, as the document is to be called, will create greater understanding between the two countries, and not restricted only to their armed forces.
The agreement, the result of 18 months of negotiations, will be signed on Monday by the foreign ministers of the two countries in the presence of President Soeharto and Prime Minister Paul Keating. The agreement commits the two countries to holding regular mutual consultations on security issues, particularly when one of the two countries face a threat from a third party.
Meanwhile, Aisyah Amini, a legislator specializing in foreign relations, hailed the agreement as a measure further enhancing stability in the region.
"With the mutual responsibility of watching over one another, the treaty will bolster stability," Aisyah told The Post.
"Stability has always been an important factor here to enable development," said the legislator who is also on the central executive board of the United Development Party.
The treaty would bring greater mutual trust within the region, she said.
"A lack of sense of security requires a country to devote much energy and resources in beefing up its defense." she said, adding that the two governments could instead concentrate on improving the welfare of their peoples.
Aisyah also underlined that the agreement need not lead to a military or defense pact, she said.
The agreement could also add to a greater sense of community- spirit for Australia as it is integrating more and more with Asia. (01/anr)