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Military exercises called off

Source
Sydney Morning Herald - September 11, 1999

Peter Cole-Adams and Mark Metherell – The Federal Government yesterday cancelled three joint Australia-Indonesia training exercises and announced a review of all aspects of the defence relationship.

Only hours before the announcement, the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, had dismissed the defence links between the two countries, on which Australia had planned to spend nearly $8 million this year, as "neither here nor there".

Mr Howard, the Defence Minister, Mr Moore, and the Chief of the Defence Force, Admiral Barrie, all rejected calls for a complete break in defence ties. They said it was critically important to retain the links that had made it possible for Australia to evacuate United Nations staff from Dili and support those still in the UN compound.

Mr Howard also announced an initial $3 million in humanitarian aid through UN agencies for East Timorese victims of the killing and violence of recent days. It would be used to buy, stockpile and transport blankets, plastic sheeting, health and kitchen kits and other emergency supplies.

He said Australia was ready to provide more aid as soon as the security position improved and there was a clearer picture of what was needed.

But Mr Howard described calls to withdraw Australian recognition of Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor as "empty" and "futile".

"It's a bit late for that," he said, because, according to the May 5 agreement signed by Indonesia, East Timor would soon be independent. On economic ties, Mr Howard said these were "on the table", but ruled out a trade boycott. The Treasurer, Mr Costello, when asked if the $1 billion Australia had pledged to Indonesia would be withheld, said: "Well I can't see that we will be [doing that] in the current situation. No."

Labor's spokesmen on foreign affairs and defence, Mr Brereton and Mr Martin, said the part-cancellation of defence exercises and the review of other aspects of the defence relationship fell hopelessly short of what was needed to send an unambiguous message to Jakarta. They demanded full suspension of bilateral defence ties.

Mr Brereton said continued recognition of Indonesian sovereignty was unsustainable and warned the assumption that Indonesia would honour its undertaking to let Timor become independent showed "tragic naivety".

Admiral Barrie listed three joint training programs to be cancelled: a paratroop exercise planned for Brisbane in November, an instructor-training mission to Indonesia by junior officers this month, and a planned capability development seminar. But this was not the full list, he said. A "fair slice" of the $7.8 million defence co-operation program would now be under review.

A leading defence analyst, Dr Des Ball, said the events in East Timor had shown Australia's defence strategy with Indonesia to have been "a massive policy failure" in its bid to influence the Jakarta military chiefs.

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