U.S. 'may revive military ties with RI'

U.S. 'may revive military ties with RI'

Ivy Susanti and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Adm. William J. Fallon, the newly-appointed commander of the U.S.
Pacific Command, said on Friday he was upbeat that his country
would soon resume full military ties with Indonesia, which were
downgraded 13 years ago.

"I'm very optimistic that we're going to be on a move
forward," he said after separate talks with President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and other top officials in Jakarta.

Fallon said he believes the resumption was going to be "much
sooner than later", citing Indonesia's progress in upholding
human rights.

Fallon said his meetings with Susilo, Coordinating Minister
for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adisucipto, and
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto during
his two-day visit gave him the impression that Indonesia was
determined to boost its human rights record.

"From my last couple of days' meetings with your leadership, I
come away with a very strong impression that the leadership is
determined to put this business behind and to move forward in a
very straight forward and aggressive manner, to not have this
kind of activity and to have put in place the system of checks
and balances that will really move us forward.

"I think the solid support that I have witnessed and I have
heard, would be a good foundation that would enable me to convey
back to Washington that there's real progress being made and that
the leadership is certainly determined to move forward," Fallon
told a news conference at the U.S. Embassy here.

He promised to "to do whatever I can to accelerate this
process and to put us on a firm footing for the future".

"We both know there's a legacy from the past of issues that
were causing friction and were obstacles to progress. I believe
we're on the road to fixing many of these things."

Fallon said Susilo would further discuss the likely resumption
of full military ties with U.S. President George W. Bush during
his visit to Washington later this month.

Dino Patti Djalal, a spokesman for Susilo, confirmed the
President will discuss the issue with Bush during the planned
three-day visit. Susilo is scheduled to arrive in the United
States on May 24.

"It will be discussed because it is an important aspect. Our
position is clear that the military ties will be normalized if
both sides are ready. It's just a matter of time that Indonesia
and the United States will resume military relations," said Dino
who accompanied Susilo in Friday's talks with Fallon.

Washington froze its International Military Education and
Training (IMET) program for Indonesia in 1992 amid concerns over
Jakarta's human rights record. The superpower state stepped up
sanctions in 1999 after TNI-backed pro-Indonesia militias were
believed to be responsible for the deaths of some 1,500 people
when East Timor voted for independence.

The ties soured further in 2002 when the Indonesian Army was
accused of blocking a U.S. investigation into the murder of two
U.S. school teachers near PT Freeport Indonesia's copper mine in
Papua province.

However, the United States decided to resume a training
program for TNI officers after the horrific earthquake and
tsunami devastated Aceh province and parts of neighboring North
Sumatra.

Washington also eased the embargo on the supply of U.S.
military hardware to support relief operations in Aceh. It sent
the USS Abraham Lincoln to the tsunami-ravaged province for a
humanitarian mission in response to a request from TNI chief Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto.

Fallon said the U.S. military's involvement in Aceh's
humanitarian mission had provided another impetus for restoring
military ties.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had signaled last
February that she was in the "final stages" of consultations with
the U.S. Congress on certifying Indonesia as eligible to benefit
from the IMET program. Her proposal, as part of the 2006 budget,
is awaiting congressional approval.