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Jakarta severs security ties with Canberra

Source
The Australian - September 17, 1999

Don Greenlees and Robert Garran – Australia's battered relations with Indonesia suffered a new blow yesterday when Jakarta terminated the bilateral security treaty.

Prime Minister John Howard played down the move, which he said was expected. "We never saw it as being the solution to all the problems in the relationship, as the former government did, so I don't pay too much regard and I'm not particularly surprised or concerned about this decision," Mr Howard said.

But former prime minister Paul Keating, who secretly negotiated the pact for 18 months until it was revealed in December 1995, said Jakarta's action was a symbol of the "all-time low" in relations between the two countries.

The cancellation of the agreement came as the UN announced Thailand would appoint the deputy commander for Interfet, which is to be led by Australian Major-General Peter Cosgrove.

In Jakarta, Political and Security Affairs Minister Feisal Tanjung cited Australia's decision to review or cancel a number of bilateral military activities as among reasons for Indonesia deciding to "abrogate" the agreement. He said the attitude and actions of Australia were "no longer consistent with the spirit and letter of the agreement".

Senior Indonesian military sources said there was widespread resentment in the armed forces at what was seen as Australia's aggressive support for the August 30 ballot in East Timor and its leading role in forming a peace force to the territory. They predicted the peace-enforcers would run into opposition from pro-Indonesia forces in East Timor.

It is understood the decision to scrap the 1995 agreement was left largely to armed forces commander General Wiranto and other senior officers, but endorsed by President B.J. Habibie.

Defence Minister John Moore said the treaty decision suggested the TNI "will probably not be very co-operative" in East Timor, although this did not mean they would be aggressive.

Meanwhile, the latest intelligence reports showed the TNI were leaving eastern parts of East Timor, sources said. But there are fears elements of the military in the western parts of the territory intend to try to partition East Timor, raising the prospect of confrontations with the Interfet force.

Eurico Guterres, deputy commander of East Timor's pro-Indonesia militia, yesterday warned his forces would put eight of the territory's 13 districts off limits to multinational troops, the Antara news agency said.

Meanwhile in Darwin, RAAF plans to airdrop food to refugees in East Timor late yesterday were frustrated when detailed talks with Indonesia about the locations and other technical details failed to conclude in time for the operation. It is expected more efforts will be made to airdrop today.

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