Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Lawmakers from Indonesia's largest political parties said Thursday they feared a defense treaty with Singapore could undermine the country's sovereignty.
"We can ratify the extradition treaty but we will not ratify the defense treaty if it undermines our sovereignty. We need the government to give us details on every article of the treaty, and explain why they agreed to such terms," Marzuki Darusman of the Golkar Party, the country's largest political party, told The Jakarta Post.
Both Indonesia and Singapore have reiterated that the defense and extradition treaties come as one package, and should be ratified together.
Marzuki, a member of the House of Representatives' Commission I on security and international affairs, said the commission would meet Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda in two weeks to discuss the matter.
Permadi, a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Indonesia's second largest party, also questioned the defense treaty.
"There's no way that PDI-P and myself will agree to ratify the defense treaty, as I know that the government gives Singapore freedom to enter our territory. It really undermines our sovereignty," Permadi told the Post, adding that most of his colleagues on the commission opposed the treaty.
Earlier, another commission member, Djoko Susilo of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said if the government did not renegotiate the treaty his party would reject it.
A military and international relations expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Kusnanto Anggoro, said the lawmakers had every reason to reject the defense treaty because its ambiguous language stood to benefit Singapore. He said the treaty, for instance, did not specify what military equipment Singapore could bring into Indonesia.
"Singapore will expect that its submarines can be used in training in Indonesian waters, while it can also launch and get rid of its expired missiles in Indonesian territory. We would like to know also if Singapore would have to notify Indonesia before bringing in third parties for training," Kusnanto said after speaking at the United Nations Information Center in Jakarta on Thursday.
Kusnanto urged lawmakers to demand the government provide more information so the public will know what Singapore can actually do in Indonesia's territory under the treaty.
Indonesian chief negotiator on the defense agreement, Dadi Susanto, said the government has anticipated all of these concerns, and planned to provide explanations to the House of Representatives and the public.