Security treaty eliminates mutual suspicions

Security treaty eliminates mutual suspicions

JAKARTA (JP): International relations experts welcomed
yesterday the announcement of a new security agreement between
Indonesia and Australia, saying that the treaty should eliminate
any remaining mutual suspicions between the two neighbors.

Dewi Fortuna Anwar of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
(LIPI) said that many past conflicts between the two countries
originated from mutual feelings of suspicion, such as the
Australian fear of Indonesia's "expansion" into the south.

Any suspicion will now be limited to certain members of the
public, but not the governments or their military, Dewi said. "If
these suspicions are also harbored by the governments or the
militaries, they could spell danger ... suspicion could lead to
action."

But if they have good relations, then the two countries can
reduce their defense spending and their defense policies will
also become more transparent to one another, said Dewi of LIPI's
Center for Political and Regional Studies.

The security agreement, which Australian Prime Minister Paul
Keating yesterday described as having a "treaty status" will be
signed in Jakarta by the foreign ministers of the two countries
in the presence of Keating and President Soeharto.

Juwono Sudarsono of the National Resilience Institute said the
agreement is one of the results of the "confidence building
measures" developed between the two countries in recent years.

"It is not a pact. It is formalizing existing cooperation
programs (between the two countries) for the maintenance of
security," Juwono said.

"This agreement underlines mutual consultation, not joint
action against common threats facing the two countries," he
added.

The two governments have worked hard in the last six years to
build and expand their relations, which were turbulent for most
of the 1980s. More recently, the two governments expanded their
cooperation into the defense area, conducting joint military
exercises and sending their officers to participate in exchange
programs. Indonesia has also begun sending its officers to
Australia for training and education.

The agreement comes just a few months after Indonesia, for the
first time, publicly issued its defense white paper, making its
defense doctrine and concepts public.

Dewi said that if Indonesia and Australia could not have
"affectionate" relations because of their cultural differences,
they could at least have solid military ties to prevent an open
conflict.

"With this agreement, Australia will know that Indonesia is
not a threat," she said.

Their respective intelligence agencies will be less likely to
make miscalculations, she added.

Like Juwono, Dewi pointed out that the agreement is not a
military pact, which would go against Indonesian principles.

A defense pact requires all signatories to come to the defense
of any member that comes under attack.

Jusuf Wanandi of the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies, meanwhile said the agreement reflected a more balanced
military relationship between the two countries.

Jusuf, who was speaking in Bangkok where he is attending the
ASEAN summit, said the agreement institutionalizes the good
relations between the armed forces and no longer solely dependent
on cordial ties between the heads of government.

He said the security agreement will neutralize Indonesia's
aversion to the Five-Power Defense Arrangement formed in 1971 by
by Australia, Britain, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand to
counter the perceived Indonesian threat.

Indonesia's distaste for the FPDA has now been nullified since
it will also have a strategic agreement with Australia. (anr/mds/rid)