Indonesian defence policy and the Indonesian armed force PDF
Preview Indonesian defence policy and the Indonesian armed force
CANBERRA PAPERS ON STRATEGY AND DEFENCE NO. 99 INDONESIAN DEFENCE POLICY AND THE INDONESIAN ARMED FORCES Bob Lowry Published by Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Researdr Sdrool of Pacific Studies The Australian National University Canbera, Australia 1993 hinted and hrblbhed in Atlshalia at theAushalian Nadonal University 193 @ Commonwealth of Australia, 193 Tfris book is co,pyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private shrdy, researdr, criticisnr, c review as per'mitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without rydth pemission. Inquiries strould be made to the pr.blisher. Nationd Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-hrblicadon mtry Inwry,Bn,b,1945- Indonesian defetre policy and the Indonesian arured fores. Bibliography. ISBN 0 73151534X. 1. Indonesia - Military policy. 2. lndonesia - Defmses. 3. Indonesia - Mlitary relations - Foreign countries. 4. Indonesia - Armed Fore. I. Awtralian National University. Skategic and Defence Shrdies Centre. II. Title. (Series : Canberra papers on shategy and defence; no.9). 355.(R?5596 Series Editor Helen Hookey Desiped by City Graphics Printed by Better hinting Service Published ard distributed by: Strategic and Defence Shrdies Cmtre Researdr Sch@l of PacificStudies The Awtralian National University C-anberra, ACT, 02fi) Aushalia Telephone (06) 249W0 Fax national ((b) 248616, international (516) 248$15 The cover photograph is used with the pernrission of the newspap€r Suua P cttbtun, f akarta. ABSTRACT Indonesia's strategic location astride the sea and air routes between East Asia and the Middle East and between Australia and Asia enhances its importance in international relations. Conversely, its location on the crossroads of Asia also exposes it to the influence of countries concerned to safeguard freedom of passage and resource supply and has the potential to involve lndonesia in disputes betr,veen third parties. lndonesia's miliary capability is examined in the context of its foreign and defence policy and the perceived external threat. Indonesia's curr€nt military capability against an external threat is focused against a threat from the north and its capabilities are modest. This results from rcsource constrainb and the need to give priority to internal security. Both factors will remain limitations on the development of Indonesia's conventional military capabilities, prirnarily air and maritime capabilities, for some time to come. Mr Bob Lowry retired from the Australian Army in 1993 and is now the Assistant Director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Research Schml of Pacific Studies, Australian National university. During his military cat€er he served in south vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia. He is a graduate of the Indonesian Army command and staff college Bandung, and was Assistant Defence and Army Attache in fakarta in ttre mia-r980s. He has written two articles: 'Internal Defence in Indonesia', Defence Force loutnal, No.55, 1985 and 'The Futurc of the Social Function of the Indonesian Armed Forces', Defarce Fnce lourtul, No.80, 1990. Another paper on 'Why Indonesia C6sed the Straits in 1988' will appear in Stuilia in Conflict anil Tqrorbm, No.36, 1993. He will be continuing his research on Indonesian defence issues. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the Australian Army for the opportunity to spend the last of my 30 years as a serviceman at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre ard br the opportunity to spend over six years of that career in Southeast Asia. Thanks are also due to the staff of the Strategic and Defence Studies Crntre for their support and encouragement in researching, writing and preparing this monograph for publication. Dr Harold Croudr from the Department of Social and Political Change also provided useful comrnent and encouragement. I would also like b thank my Indonesian hosts and friends from my days as a student at the Indonesian Army Command atd Staff College, from my sen'ice as a military attache in the Australian Embassy, Jakarta, and from my field t ip in luly 1992 for the insights they have provided which have enabled me to complete this work. The rnore this work progressed the more questions arose and, unfortunately, many of them have not been answercd. But I hope this work will provide a starting-point for further study of lndonesia's external defence and security problems and the policies, strategies ard nrechanisms it employs to address them. Canbera Papus on Sbategy anil Defetrce are a series of monograph publications which arise out of the work of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Research School of Pacific Studies, The Australian National University. Frcvious Canberra Papers have covered topics such as the relationship of the superpowers, arrns control at both the superpower and South-east Asian regional level, regional strategic relationships and mapr aspects of Australian defence policy. For a list of those still available refer to the last pages of this volume. Unless otherwise stated, publications of the Centre are presented without endorsement as contributions to the public record and debate. Authors are responsible for their own analysis and condusions. The views expressed in this publication are the author's and not nec€ssarily those of the Minister for Defence or Department of Defence. The Comrmnwealth of Australia will not be legally responsible in contract, tort or otherwise for any statement made in this paper.
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