TNI unfazed by Western moves to cut military ties

TNI unfazed by Western moves to cut military ties

JAKARTA (JP): Officials and observers here shrugged off the
decision by several Western nations to suspend or review their
military ties with Jakarta over the East Timor issue.

Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Sudradjat played
down the suspension of military ties, saying they would be
resumed once the situation allowed.

"It's their internal policy so we can only respect their
stance. Do you think there is anything we can do about it," he
said.

Military observer Hasnan Habib told The Jakarta Post that
Washington's decision to cut military ties over the East Timor
issue was the culmination of years of reports linking the
Indonesian Military to human rights violations.

He said the United States Congress had wanted to suspend
military ties since the 1991 Santa Cruz incident, in which the
military shot and killed hundreds of protesters in Dili.

The U.S. suspended the International Military Education
Training program for Indonesia in 1992, and the U.S. Congress
foiled Indonesia's plans to purchase U.S.-made F-5 fighters from
Jordan.

Indonesia lashed back by canceling the purchase of U.S.-made
F-16 fighters due to perceived U.S. meddling in its internal
affairs.

"However, this will have little impact on the overall
relationship between Jakarta and Washington," Hasnan said.

Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom also said on
Friday they were reviewing their military ties with Indonesia.

"Australia has emotional and historical ties with the East
Timorese, particularly from the period of the Japanese
occupation. 50,000 East Timorese were killed defending Australian
troops," Hasnan said.

Observers noted that Australia, which had long been a haven
for proindependence East Timorese, was facing an election year.

It would be in the interest of the incumbent administration to
focus on the East Timor issue and send a strong public relations
message to the Australian electorate that Canberra was doing its
utmost to help the East Timorese. This message could include, if
necessary, jeopardizing ties with Jakarta, which is already seen
in an unfavorable light by the Australian public, they said.

In recent years, military ties between the two countries have
been at a high following the signing of a 1995 agreement on
maintaining security.

Hypocrites

Syamsuddin Haris of the Indonesian National Institute of
Sciences accused Washington of being hypocrites.

"It is the United States who should take responsibility for
East Timor for approving the Indonesian military presence in East
Timor," Syamsuddin said.

He said that in the Cold War climate of the mid-1970s, the
United States feared the birth of an Asian Cuba in Australia's
backyard.

Indonesia's entry into East Timor had the blessing of the
United States, particularly in light of the fact that the
communist-based Revolutionary Front for East Timor Independence
had earlier declared East Timor independent.

Syamsuddin said the economic impact of the latest developments
could be profound, keeping in mind that the U.S. government could
persuade the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cancel its
financial aid to Indonesia.

"The U.S. decision could lead to a change in IMF policy ... we
have to admit that Washington dominates the IMF," Syamsuddin
said.

Political scientist Kusnanto Anggoro of the Center for
Strategic and International Studies said on Thursday that
Washington's decision to suspend all military ties with Indonesia
was "the most serious pressure" that the international community
had put on Jakarta.

"I believe that more pressure will be put on the government
and it is not unlikely that the U.S State Department will also
persuade the World Bank to freeze its loan to Indonesia,"
Kusnanto told The Jakarta Post. (05/byg/emf)