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| Southeast Asia | |
| Indonesia Turning to Russia for Arms | |
| 2003-04-14 | |
| The dictator has fallen, the media unshackled, democratic elections held, East Timor freed and Indonesia was quick to sign onto President Bush's global war on terror after Sept. 11, 2001. Yet, Washington maintains a 12-year ban on arms sales to the world's most populous Muslim nation to curb continuing human rights abuses, leading Jakarta's frustrated generals to look elsewhere to replace antiquated arsenals. Toward that end, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri travels to Moscow later this month to seek the Kremlin's help in modernizing her 300,000-member armed forces. Ahem, have you been watching the news? Didya catch how well the T-72 performed? She also is likely to open the way for Russian companies to vie for lucrative deals in the oil and gas sector, long dominated by American and British resource giants. Although far apart on the globe, Indonesia and Russia have basic things in common.
It isn't the lack of modern arms that makes Indonesia so easily infiltrated! Close ties between Moscow and Jakarta are not unprecedented. Indonesia relied on Soviet military assistance in the 1950s under founding President Sukarno — Megawati's father — but these were severed after the anti-communist Gen. Suharto seized power in 1965. Seems like the daughter is returning to her roots. The United States quickly became the Southeast Asian country's main weapons supplier, and annual arms sales peaked at $400 million in the 1980s. In 1991, however, the U.S. Congress banned this after Indonesian troops killed hundreds of civilians in East Timor. The destruction [of East Timor] prompted U.S. lawmakers to expand the ban to cover almost all military ties with Indonesia. Since then, some in the Bush administration - particularly Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, a former ambassador to Jakarta and an architect of the Iraq war, have pushed for the ban to be repealed. However, a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity, ``In terms of military sales, the accountability is still a problem that's out there, and it's not likely that it will be resolved soon.'' As in, into whose hands will these new weapons go? So far, U.S. lawmakers have reinstated only a limited officer training program. But that is far from enough for Indonesia's generals. Moscow has already had some success in wooing Indonesia as a customer. Jakarta recently purchased some Russian weapons, including 10,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, a squadron of naval Mil-2 helicopters and a dozen BTR-80A amphibious carriers for its marines. Currently, Indonesia uses short-range Rapier missiles purchased 30 years ago to protect its vital oil and natural gas fields in Sumatra, Borneo and Papua from Spew! They have to be kidding! Previously, Indonesian Air Force commanders preferred Western jets that were compatible with the U.S.-made F-16 fighter-bombers already in the Indonesian inventory. But neighboring Malaysia's success in integrating Russian MiG-29s and American F/A-18 Hornets persuaded them otherwise, Sudarsono said. This bears watching. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #8 Read a story that had Madame President Megwati betting with her head spook (an ex-general, to boot) over the length of the Iraq war. She bet it would be a long one. The general bet on short. Not a great brain, Megwati, no... |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-04-14 21:29:01 |
| #7 Su-27's, S-300's. This is definitely a worry to us aussies. I have friends whose job descriptions are "Boss, Tactical Fighter force" and "Boss , Strike Wing" |
| Posted by: Aussie Mike 2003-04-14 18:06:30 |
| #6 Generals love tanks. They look really cool in parades, especially lined up facing government legislators in Jakarta. |
| Posted by: john 2003-04-14 12:44:42 |
| #5 If she wants Russian tanks, I'm sure there are some lying around Iraq that we didn't blow up. Ok, they don't have that "new tank smell", but they have low miles and the warranty might still be good. ;) |
| Posted by: Baba Yaga 2003-04-14 12:43:10 |
| #4 Indonesia's got to be the worst tank country in the world. She's either a fool, or looking to supress her people. That's what Russian tanks are good for after all. |
| Posted by: Yank 2003-04-14 12:22:02 |
| #3 Yet another former European colony mess that I have a feeling we will end up having to fix, hopefully with only diplomatic and economic tools. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2003-04-14 10:14:22 |
| #2 There's been a slow, dark, unreported war going on in Borneo for the last 40 years. The local tribes hate Indonesian Muslims sent in to develop the island, frequently destroying local villages in the process. Brunei and Malaysia have quietly sided with the locals, and clandestinely supplied them with small arms and some training. Sarawak and Sabah, territories of the Republic if Malaysia, and Brunei, are former British enclaves on the northern coast of Borneo. The rest of the island has long been considered a part of Indonesia, and formerly of the Netherlands Indies, before the Dutch were expelled in 1949. Brunei's oilfields have made its sultan one of the richest men in the world, and have long been in the eyes of Indonesian leaders. There has long been animosity in the region, and I'm sure Malaysia would not be happy with significant upgrades to Indonesia's warfighting capabilities. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-04-14 09:46:08 |
| #1 Megawati is so stupid and anti American that we should call her the Patty Murray of Indonesia. |
| Posted by: mhw 2003-04-14 09:46:03 |