The Indonesian military has accepted an apology from Australia’s army chief over a purported insult to Indonesia’s state ideology that caused a spat between the two countries.
An Indonesian military statement released late on Wednesday after Australian Army Chief of Army Lieutenant General Angus Campbell met with Indonesian National Armed Forces Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo said the Australian Defence Force would sanction personnel involved in the incident.
It quoted Campbell as saying that the sanctions would affect the careers of those penalized.
Indonesia’s military partially suspended cooperation with its Australian counterparts early last month. The rift developed after an Indonesian military officer raised concerns in November last year about teaching materials for army language training at a special forces facility in western Australia.
Indonesian media reported that Pancasila, the state ideology based on five principles including a unitary state and belief in one God, was renamed “Pancagila,” which means crazy in Indonesian, in laminated training materials.
Nurmantyo said in the statement that Indonesians have died to defend Pancasila.
“Especially for the soldiers, it is very sensitive and it hurts us,” he said.
The neighboring nations, although close partners in areas such as trade and counterterrorism, have long had a turbulent relationship.
Tensions have repeatedly flared over Australia’s policy of turning back boats to Indonesia that are carrying asylum seekers from other countries.
Indonesia’s use of the death penalty, which Australia opposes, has also strained ties, particularly in 2015 when Indonesia executed two Australians for drug-related crimes.
In 1999, the relationship suffered one of its most serious blows after Australia led a UN military force into the former Indonesian province of East Timor following a bloody independence ballot.
The results of Australia’s investigation into the incident would be discussed with the defense and foreign ministers and then reported to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Nurmantyo said.
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