RI lawmakers lobby U.S. on arms

Ivy Susanti, The Jakarta Post, Washington, DC

Indonesian House of Representatives lawmakers held talks with U.S. senators here on Wednesday to seek support for a full resumption of military ties between the two countries when their delegates meet in a joint committee scheduled for next month.

Andri Hadi, the Indonesian Embassy's deputy chief of mission to the U.S., told reporters here on Tuesday that legislators Theo Sambuaga, E.E. Mangindaan and Wahidin Ismail would ask the U.S. Senate to unconditionally remove restrictions on the export of lethal military equipment.

The Senate agreed in July to retain the embargo of U.S. military assistance to Indonesia for the 2006 fiscal year despite the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill (HR 3057) a month earlier, supporting removal of restrictions for "lethal" and military equipment.

"We are trying very hard to convince the Senate that it is unfair to continue the military embargo. It is also important for them to realize that we are not going to use the `lethal' weapons to fight our own people, but to safeguard our territory," Andri told visiting Indonesian journalists.

He cited Indonesia's squadron of F-16 jet fighters bought from the U.S., which now cannot fly due to the spare parts embargo.

The Indonesian lawmakers hope to meet Senator Christopher Bond (R-Missouri) and House members Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Washington), Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Florida), Rep. Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa), Rep. Jim Leach R-Iowa), Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Florida) and Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-Pennsylvania).

Wexler visited Indonesia last month, where he also met with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The U.S. Congress has to pass the appropriations legislation to finance government every fiscal year by October. A joint committee consisting of members of both Houses have narrow jurisdiction over matter of joint interests.

Also during Wednesday's meeting, Andri said the Indonesian legislators would voice their objections to the House's recent request to U.S. state secretary and UN secretary-general to commence further research on Papua, specifically the referendum in 1969 when it officially became part of Indonesia.

U.S. House of Representatives passed the HR 2601 State Department Authorization Bill regarding Papua in July. The move sparked uproar in Indonesia.

The Indonesian lawmakers are part of President Susilo's entourage to the U.S. Susilo is in New York to attend the UN Summit at the UN headquarters.