The Indonesian governments attitude of according priority to national interest in this matter is justified, he maintained
"We are waiting for explanations from the TNI. The House of Representatives (DPR), through its Commission I on Defense Affairs, will ask for official explanations from the TNI regarding the suspension of cooperation with the Australian military," Zon declared here Thursday.
The Indonesian government should make an official statement and ask for explanations from the Australian government, he asserted.
The issue pertained to military training materials with negative content on the TNI that were found at an Australian military base in Perth, and an alleged insult to Indonesias state ideology of Pancasila.
"This concerns our state ideology," he added.
The Indonesian government should take steps to build mutual trust in the Indonesia-Australia cooperation relations, he said.
Good bilateral relations are based not only on mutual benefits but also on mutual trust, he stressed.
"I hope the military cooperation between Indonesia and Australia is healthy again," he stated.
The relations between the two countries are strategic and must be stable because of their geographical proximity, he revealed.
Both countries thus share security challenges which need strong cooperation to fight terrorism, human trafficking, ensure maritime security and other regional threats, Zon, who is a politician of the Gerindra (Great Indonesia Movement) Party, explained.
Australia had expressed regret and had promised a thorough investigation into the "insulting" teaching material found at its military base that led to Indonesia suspending its defense ties with the Asia-Pacific neighbor, Reuters reported Thursday.
Indonesia confirmed Wednesday it had suspended military cooperation with Australia in December, a decision that was initially said to have been taken independently by the military.
However, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said Thursday he had given his permission for the suspension of ties, and that his defense minister and military chief had been asked to investigate the matter.
Military ties between the two countries cover a range of activities from counterterrorism cooperation to border protection.
Jakarta and Canberra have had a rocky military relationship in recent years, and Australia stopped joint training exercises with Indonesias Kopassus special forces after accusations of abuses by the unit in East Timor in 1999, as the territory prepared for independence.
Ties were resumed when cooperation on counterterrorism became imperative after the 2002 bombing of two nightclubs on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.
An investigation into the offensive materials that were found at Campbell Barracks in Perth would be concluded "imminently," Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne announced Thursday.
"We have indicated our regret that this occurred and that offense was taken. I think thats appropriate when a significant counterpart raises their concerns with you," Payne told reporters in Sydney.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
