The Indonesian and Australian militaries yesterday began joint combat drills off Indonesia’s main island of Java with about 2,000 troops training in air, maritime, amphibious and land operations.
They are participating in a live-fire exercise near Banongan beach of East Java’s Situbondo district with tanks, artillery, infantry and attack helicopters, a joint landing operation and a non-combat evacuation used for a disaster.
The four-day Keris Woomera 2024 (KW24) exercise highlighted the cooperation between the countries strengthened by the signing of the Australia-Indonesia Defense Cooperation Agreement in August.
Photo: AFP
Although Indonesia is often presented as one of Australia’s most important neighbors and strategic allies, the relationship has fluctuated.
Recent disagreements include allegations that Australia had wiretapped private phone calls of a past Indonesian president, Indonesia’s use of capital punishment on Australian drug smugglers and the smuggling of migrants.
“This joint exercise aimed to strengthening the partnership between Indonesia and Australia as we are building trust and to increase capabilities and interoperability,” said Indonesian Lieutenant Colonel Empri Airudin, who leads the Indonesian delegation.
“It can also be regarded as a way of maintaining security and stability in the region,” Airudin said.
The exercise is also part of Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2024, Australia’s largest international engagement activity in the region, taking place in Australia and Indonesia, Australian Amphibious Task Force Commander Captain Chris Doherty told reporters.
“This bilateral exercise will test all facets of the Australian Amphibious Task Force, and allow all its components to work effectively together as a cohesive team with our Indonesian partners,” he said, adding that the KW24 could provide the troops of the two nations with the ability to rapidly deploy forces in response to a range of missions.
Analysts consider Indonesia’s defense a priority of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. He wants to expand his military by buying submarines, frigates and fighter jets, and wants to initiate more defense cooperation with various countries.
Indonesia has held military exercises with other countries, including the Russian navy on Monday last week in Indonesia’s East Java seas.
Last month, Indonesia said its patrol ships drove away a Chinese coast guard ship that disrupted a survey being undertaken by a state-owned energy company in a part of the South China Sea disputed by both countries.
China has rapidly expanded its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety. The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines and Vietnam, though the longtime territorial disputes also involve Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
However, during Subianto’s first overseas visit as Indonesia’s new leader to Beijing during weekend, he called for collaboration rather than confrontation with China after the signing of US$10 billion in new deals at a business forum before departing to the US on Sunday.
He and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) agreed to hold a first-ever joint meeting of their foreign and defense ministers next year.
Decked out with fake crystal chandeliers and velvet sofas, cosmetic surgery clinics in Afghanistan’s capital are a world away from the austerity of Taliban rule, where Botox, lip filler and hair transplants reign. Despite the Taliban authorities’ strict theocratic rule, and prevailing conservatism and poverty in Afghanistan, the 20 or so clinics in Kabul have flourished since the end of decades of war in the country. Foreign doctors, especially from Turkey, travel to Kabul to train Afghans, who equally undertake internships in Istanbul, while equipment is imported from Asia or Europe. In the waiting rooms, the clientele is often well-off and includes men
BEIJING FORUM: ‘So-called freedom of navigation advocated by certain countries outside the region challenges the norms of international relations,’ the minister said Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun (董軍) yesterday denounced “hegemonic logic and acts of bullying” during remarks at a Beijing forum that were full of thinly veiled references to the US. Organizers said that about 1,800 representatives from 100 countries, including political, military and academic leaders, were in Beijing for the Xiangshan Forum. The three-day event comes as China presents itself as a mediator of fraught global issues including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Addressing attendees at the opening ceremony, Dong warned of “new threats and challenges” now facing world peace. “While the themes of the times — peace and development —
COMFORT WOMEN CLASH: Japan has strongly rejected South Korean court rulings ordering the government to provide reparations to Korean victims of sexual slavery The Japanese government yesterday defended its stance on wartime sexual slavery and described South Korean court rulings ordering Japanese compensation as violations of international law, after UN investigators criticized Tokyo for failing to ensure truth-finding and reparations for the victims. In its own response to UN human rights rapporteurs, South Korea called on Japan to “squarely face up to our painful history” and cited how Tokyo’s refusal to comply with court orders have denied the victims payment. The statements underscored how the two Asian US allies still hold key differences on the issue, even as they pause their on-and-off disputes over historical
BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS: A prosecutor said they considered the risk of Hak-ja Han tampering with evidence to be very high, which led them to seek the warrant South Korean prosecutors yesterday requested an arrest warrant for the leader of the Unification Church, Hak-ja Han, on allegations of bribery linked to the country’s former first lady and incitement to destroy evidence. The move came a day after the 82-year-old was questioned over her alleged role in bribing former first lady Kim Keon-hee and a lawmaker. Founded in 1954 by her late husband, Sun Myung Moon, the Unification Church has long been the subject of controversy and criticism, with its teachings centered on Moon’s role as the “second coming” and its mass weddings. Followers are derisively referred to as “Moonies.” However, the church’s
RSS