The government has finally decided to purchase 100 refurbished main
Battle Tanks (MBT) Leopard 2A6 from Germany, ending months of
controversy around its initial plan to buy secondhand from the
Netherlands.
It remains debatable whether the US$280 million
shopping spree is really necessary to modernize Indonesia’s primary
weaponry systems and enhance the country’s defense force. Nevertheless,
it is important to note that the procurement of the combat vehicles is
as continuation of the country’s defense strategy.
The Defense
Ministry’s decision to purchase 100 Leopard tanks is both incorrect and
untimely. Assessments from the House of Representatives, military
retirees, military observers and civil society groups reveal that the
purchase is not urgent, and that the tanks are unsuitable for the
Indonesian terrain and infrastructure.
If the tanks are to be
used to secure the border in Kalimantan or Papua, then their deployment
will require road infrastructure and sea transportation, which the two
islands lack. The road along the Kalimantan border was not built for
tanks.
According to news reports these vehicles are needed to protect the Indonesian frontiers.
However,
during a hearing at the House at the end of last year, the Indonesian
Military stated that the tanks would be placed in Jakarta and Surabaya.
The contradictory statements raise questions as to whether the tanks
will be used to face demonstrators like in Egypt and Syria.
Furthermore,
it is important to underline that stationing these Leopard tanks in
Papua, will raise concerns that they will be used to suppress the Papuan
people.
While security conditions in Papua these days remain
volatile, any deployment of the tanks in the province will potentially
risk exacerbating human rights violations there.
This
procurement shows the inconsistency of the country’s defense policy.
This purchase was not included in the national defense position outlined
in 2007.
Even if there have been fundamental changes in the
security threat, the government should be able to revise the national
defense strategy.
The tank procurement plan raises real
questions about severity and nature of the threat from Malaysia along
the Kalimantan border.
These tanks are easy prey to air-to-land
assaults. If Indonesia wants to protect its frontiers, surely we need
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles — the drones we hear so much about on the news
from Pakistan and other war zones?
Amid budget constraints and
the global economic meltdown, it is important for the government to
exercise prudence in allocating the defense budget.
They must
establish gradual process in modernizing the defense equipment, with
milestones and reality checks. Purchase of war machines (and any other
use of public funds) must be based on the objective needs of national
defense.
Not political interests or the financial gain of
certain groups or elites. Transparency and accountability in the defense
sector remain opaque and unaccountable.
Empowerment of our land
defenses is necessary and urgent. Geographical constraints,
infrastructure, strategy and defense doctrine must be the primary
consideration in procurement.
Indonesia has plans to develop and
produce medium and light tanks in collaboration with other countries.
Medium and light tanks are far more effective and operable than the MBT
are also in line with our ambition to develop the national defense
industry.
Strengthening of land forces should include the
purchase of helicopters capable of combat and transport duties. For
frontier defense, Indonesia needs missiles with range up to 500
kilometers and radar system with coverage of 500km.
Deterrence
effects will come through a better naval fleet with more submarines and
warships, and by boosting the air force. In purchasing defense
equipment, it is important to stay in line with the existing defense
policy. New defense equipment does not just appear in an empty space.
Unless it is part of a strategy, it is useless.
The visit of
German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Jakarta should increase the quality
of the 60-year-old cooperation between Germany and by focusing on
modernization of Indonesia’s defense forces in a way that is compatible
with our objective needs.
Defense cooperation should mean
protection of human rights in Indonesia, which until today remains an
open sore, given the rampant practice of impunity for perpetrators of
past abuses.
We hope the honorable Chancellor will pay attention to such concerns.
Al
Araf, program director of Imparsial Human Rights Group, and Anton
Aliabbas, program director of The Ridep Institute, an NGO focused on
researching security sector reform, are members of the Civil Advocacy
for Security Sector Reform.