Infantry Battalion 511 deployed to secure Indonesia-PNG borders
Rabu, 22 Oktober 2014 16:38 WIB | 795 Views
Photo document of border area of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. (ANTARA/Dian Kandipi)
Surabaya (ANTARA News) - Several soldiers from the Dibyantara Yudha Infantry Battalion 511 in East Java have been deployed to safeguard the Republic of Indonesia (RI)-Papua New Guinea (PNG) borders.
Chief of the Brawijaya Regional Military Command V Maj. Gen. Eko Wiratmoko bid farewell to the soldiers on Monday (October 20), Col. Totok Sugiharto, the chief of the commands information service, stated here on Wednesday.
The Indonesian nation and state have entrusted the soldiers of the infantry battalion to safeguard the sovereignty of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia, particularly its borders with PNG, Maj. Gen. Eko noted while seeing off the soldiers.
"The chief of the regional military command also reminded the soldiers of the infantry battalion that they needed to have a persuasive approach and build togetherness with all the elements of the community in the area where they were deployed," Col. Totok said, quoting the regional military command chief.
Your success in drawing sympathy and support from the community is the key to thwarting the separatist movement in the border area, he stated.
"Stay alert in every step you take, and use your time to carry out positive activities, including empowering the local people to explore their potentials and nurturing military units in the operation area," Maj. Gen. Eko remarked.
On the occasion, Maj. Gen. Eko also conveyed a seven-point message to the soldiers, which included maintaining solidarity, creating a harmonious atmosphere through social communication or approaches to customary, religious, and public figures, shunning all words and acts that offend the local people, and refraining from acts that have the potential to violate the laws and human rights.
(Reported by Edy M Yakub/Uu.INE/S012/KR-BSR/F001)
Infantry Battalion 511 deployed to secure Indonesia-PNG borders - ANTARA News
UN praises Indonesia for its contributions to peacekeeping operations
Sabtu, 25 Oktober 2014 04:26 WIB | 762 Views
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The United Nations has praised Indonesia for contributing to the world body's activities and programs.
During a UN Day commemoration event at Budi Luhur University here on Friday, UN Resident Coordinator for Indonesia Douglas Broderick highlighted Indonesia's role in international forums while encouraging the nation to continue supporting the principles and norms of the UN.
Broderick also awarded International Peacekeeping medal Dag Hammarskjold to Dr Mario A Agustin of Haiti who died while participating in the UN Integrated Mission in Timor Leste (UNMIT) in 2012. The medal was conferred on his wife Maretta Suderia of Indonesia.
Former Indonesian ambassador to the UN Hasan Kleib pointed out that as a peace-loving nation, Indonesia will continue its contributions to international peacekeeping operations.
Director of the UN Information Center for Jakarta Michele Zaccheo observed that the commemoration of UN Day reflected the important roles played by the government, academic institutions, and military personnel in celebrating the values of the world body.
UN Day, which falls on October 24, marks the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945.
The commemoration of UN Day at Budi Luhur University saw several programs, including a panel discussion on Indonesia's role in UN peacekeeping operations.
The discussion featured Captain Sandra Michiko Moninkey, Indonesian Air Force's officer woman, who was part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon in 2009, and chief of the Foreign Ministry's development research and development for international organization Fikri Cassidy.
UN praises Indonesia for its contributions to peacekeeping operations - ANTARA News
The Misunderstood Legacy of ‘Zero Enemies, Thousands of Friends’
By
Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono on 12:35 am Oct 20, 2014
Category
Commentary,
Featured,
Opinion
Tags:
diplomacy,
foreign affairs,
Joko Widodo Jokowi,
jokowi inauguration,
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono SBY
(JG Graphics)
Whatever the pros and cons of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s domestic policies, it’s clearly hard to argue against Indonesia’s foreign policy achievements — earning international recognition over the last decade.
After a dark experience of colonization by a foreign power for hundreds of years, Indonesia has realized its founders’ vision that the nation would someday hold a significant position in regional dynamics and global politics — for its own sake.
Indonesia’s initiatives have helped forge international consensus on numerous occasions. Among them: issues of climate change at 2007’s United Nations FCCC in Bali; preservation of the Code of Conduct in South China Sea disputes; and serving as a vanguard for developing countries’ preservation of rights and bargaining position in the global economy through Indonesia’s participation the G-20.
The nation can count among its success stories Indonesian peace-keeping forces’ participation in UN missions, resulting in international recognition of Indonesia’s capability and commitment to global peace, as mandated by the Constitution.
These constitutional diplomatic quests were motivated by the “Zero Enemies, Thousands of Friends” doctrine that defined the president’s first term.
During Yudhoyono’s second term, a new Indonesian foreign policy doctrine was introduced: “Zero Enemies, Millions of Friends.”
This new doctrine is responsible for Indonesia’s rise in standing among the international community in recent years, not only as a friend but also as a strategic partner.
Signs of appreciation for President Yudhoyono by foreign heads of state in the form of implicit gestures or public pronouncements on a number of occasions, such as bilateral and multilateral meetings, are evidence that the president’s operant foreign policy doctrine over the last few years has enabled Indonesia to mitigate its militarization and assume a non-threatening image, while simultaneously enhancing its position and power significantly.
In terms of developing military capabilities, Indonesia’s defense budget has quadrupled since the start of the reformation era. In fact, the current Indonesian defense budget is the highest ever, compared to previous presidents.
Today’s defense spending today is higher even, ironically, than during the New Order (
Orde Baru) of Suharto, who is so commonly identified with his military regime.
Generally, defense spending has amounted to an average of 1 percent of the national budget. Previously, defense spending never exceeded 0.5 percent of the national budget. Under this president, defense spending has reached around 0.7 percent of the national budget.
This indicates an increasing concern with developing our national defense capability over the last 10 years. Concern with our defense capability is not merely about procurement and modernization of primary weapons systems. It also encompasses increasing the welfare of military personnel.
Despite significant increases in military expenditures under the minimum essential force concept, Indonesia’s active diplomacy has enabled it to not be perceived as threatening, while simultaneously enhancing deterrence.
To some extent, Indonesia’s “Zero Enemies, Thousands of Friends” foreign policy has had an impact on the behavior of our immediate neighbors.
Indonesia’s efforts to maintain its deterrence while cultivating a less aggressive posture is contagious regionally.
Under the Asean framework of regional habits and behavior for peaceful dispute settlement, Indonesia has been seen as a role model and is recognized as one of the key players.
While Indonesia itself is not yet free from potential border disputes with neighboring countries, Indonesia has demonstrated that dialogue cultivates esteem and always proves effective at easing tensions and settling disputes.
In a nationalistic manner, for the last 10 years this cultivated posture of peaceful dispute settlement has enabled Indonesia to maintain its territorial integrity, absent any deployments for military operations in war for that purpose.
Of course, deterrence is a feature of Indonesia’s diplomacy, as indicated in its defense policy.
Indonesia’s trade balance between 2009 and 2013 has shown promise. According to the Trade Ministry’s Trade Data and Information Center, by 2003 our trade balance reached an $8.5 billion surplus for non-oil and gas commodities.
Similar achievements are also evident in the total value of foreign investment, which reached Rp 100.5 trillion ($8.3 billion) in the first quarter of 2013.
Objectively, it is very hard to argue against the conclusion that the aforementioned achievements have not provided the government a conducive environment to project a non-threatening and prosperous image to the international community.
However, it is unfortunate that while President Yudhoyono has been earning international recognition and enhancing Indonesia’s bargaining position significantly, Indonesia’s foreign policy under the “Zero Enemies, Thousands of Friends” doctrine is unfairly contested.
Assessment of Indonesia’s foreign policy is often misjudged in a one-sided manner by the media.
Frankly speaking, President Yudhoyono has not been a media darling, and is often subject to media bullying based on political interest of political rivals.
Such unfortunate practices by the media not only degrade the corporate culture and quality of the media itself, but also jeopardize the role of media to educate and inform the public.
Some political competitors often mock President Yudhoyono’s doctrine, saying that “Zero Enemies, Thousands of Friends” means being friends with everyone, tragically speaking, including terrorists and villains.
The counterargument to such mocking by narrow-minded perspectives is that Indonesia’s foreign policy is guided by the nation’s Constitution and laws.
Therefore, at least implicitly, “Zero Enemies, Thousands of Friends” has certain limits and boundaries.
For the sake of balance we must consider the criticism that up until this point, President Yudhoyono’s administration has not yet put more effort into explaining and defining this doctrine for the public.
This absence of explanation has left a vacuum that can always be twisted and spun as a political commodity for opponents’ purposes of scoring points.
A decade of the Yudhoyono presidency is indeed far from being perfect.
While many achievements have been reached, many more still remain to be accomplished. It is now up to the next administration under Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla to either drop the entirety of our previous achievements, or sustain and make them more promising in the future.
It would be very unfortunate if the next administration opts for the former.
Strategically, President Yudhoyono has put effort into making it easy for Joko to establish Indonesia’s foreign policy credentials until now. Joko does not have to deal with the daunting task of building a foundation for Indonesia’s bargaining position internationally.
Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono is the younger son of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
The Misunderstood Legacy of ‘Zero Enemies, Thousands of Friends’ - The Jakarta Globe