RI told to start developing defense industry

RI told to start developing defense industry

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite the recent lifting by the United States of its military
embargo, Indonesia should start developing its own defense
industry to reduce its dependence on foreign countries, say
military analysts.

J. Kristiadi of the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS), Yusron Ihza, director of the Institute of
International Studies (LKII) and military observer Salim Said
voiced a similar opinion on Tuesday that Indonesia would never be
independent and the defense system would remain inefficient if
the country continues to procure arms from other countries.

"While accomplishing the national agenda to reform the defense
system and the military, Indonesia should determine what kind of
arms it should develop in anticipation of possible threats it is
and will be facing," Kristiadi told a seminar organized by LKII.

He said the government and the House of Representatives should
also review the outdated defense doctrine that puts emphasis on
the development of the Army.

"We have to start giving more attention to the Navy and Air
Force because Indonesia is a maritime country and potential
threats will come in through the sea and air," he added.

The country's arms system is among the weakest in Southeast
Asia, despite a bigger part of the defense budget, the second
biggest after the education, being spent to maintain at least 147
armament systems and to pay military personnel.

"Our defense system will remain weak and inefficient if we
continue relying on the United States, Russia and other countries
unless the development of the defense industry starts," Salim
said.

He said that Indonesia's defense system became weak for the
first time since its 1945 independence after Russia stopped its
arms exports in the 1960s and, then, there was a similar
experience in 1990s for different reasons. "We will be facing a
similar fate if we turn our eyes to China."

Salim said Indonesia should learn a lesson from the 14-year
embargo of U.S. military and training aid imposed on Indonesia
following the 1991 Santa Cruz massacre in East Timor which forced
the military to ground most of its cargo and bombing aircraft and
warships.

Yusron said Indonesia could start developing its defense
industry by coordinating with relevant state agencies and
research and development centers and by allocating a sufficient
defense budget.

"Indonesia has experts at the National Nuclear Power Agency
(Batan), aircraft designers at the Bandung Institute of
Technology and state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara
Indonesia, researchers and other experts at the Indonesian
Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Agency for the Assessment
and Application of Technology (BPPT), arms designers at PT Pindad
and PT PAL," he said.

Washington lifted the military embargo after President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono held talks with his U.S. counterpart George W.
Bush on the sidelines of a recent APEC meeting in Busan, South
Korea.

Kristiadi and Salim said the lifting of the military ban was
linked to Indonesia's commitment to fulfilling the interests of
the U.S. and its allies in Asia.

"Indonesia has demonstrated that it can develop a democracy,
giving an impression that Islam, which is followed by most
Indonesian people, is compatible with democracy and it has been
able to maintain the unitary state," said Kristiadi.

Salim said the lifting of the embargo was the best alternative
for the U.S., in order to discourage Indonesia from importing
arms from China which the U.S. and its allies perceived as a
potential enemy.

"Besides, the U.S. and its allies want Indonesia to be serious
in the global war on terrorism and to enhance security along the
Malacca Strait," he said.