Offensive training materials behind Indonesia’s decision to suspend military co-operation with Australia

A WIKIPEDIA article about a former Indonesian president’s father-in-law is believed to have helped spark a suspension in military ties with Australia.

IIndonesia has suspended its military co-operation over offensive training materials at an Australian special forces base. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro

A WIKIPEDIA article about former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s father-in-law and his controversial military service in West Papua is believed to have helped spark a suspension in military ties with Australia.

It was revealed this week the Indonesian military suspended defence co-operation with Australia last month without President Joko Widodo or his defence minister’s involvement.

AAP understands the material concerns information taken from the online encyclopedia website Wikipedia about the late General Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, who is considered a national hero in Indonesia.

Wibowo was involved in leading the purge of communists in Indonesia in 1965. Before West Papua became Indonesian territory, Wibowo oversaw the 1969 referendum dubbed the “An Act of Free Choice” which has since been widely condemned as a sham when only 1025 people were selected to vote. The Indonesian trainer was also offended by a poster that ridiculed Indonesia’s founding ideology, Pancasila.

Defence Minister Marise Payne said the Australian military must ensure it produces “culturally appropriate” training material in the wake of the Indonesian debacle.

Ms Payne today refused to confirm or reject reports relating to the specific offending material at the centre of Indonesia’s shock suspension of military co-operation. The fiasco stems from training material that upset an Indonesian officer training at a Perth facility.

Asked whether Australia had apologised to Indonesia over the incident, which is currently being investigated, Ms Payne said: “Certainly, we have indicated our regret that this occurred and that offence was taken. I think that’s appropriate when a significant counterpart raises their concerns with you.”

Former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Picture: Supplied

The Defence Minister said the material in question had been removed and that she expected it to be “replaced with appropriate material in due course”.

“We should endeavour to make sure that the material we use is culturally appropriate, is to the point, not gratuitous and I’m sure that those are matters which will be taken into account in the preparation of training material into the future,” she said.

“And in fact I will ensure that that is the case.”

However she refused to comment specifically on reports that the material contained references to West Papua that Indonesian military figures deemed offensive, nor would she address reports that the word “Pancasila” had been changed to “Pancagila”.

Pancasila is a set of principles that guide Indonesian society. “Gila”, meanwhile, reportedly translates to an approximation of “crazy”.

Ms Payne said it would “not be appropriate for me to canvass those before the conclusion of the inquiry and I don’t intend to do that.

“We, of course, in accord with the Lombok treaty, which is the treaty between Australia and Indonesia, recognise Indonesia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and that is our firm and stated position.”

Indonesian President Joko Widodo inspecting elite military units of the Indonesian armed forces in Cilangkap, on the outskirts of Jakarta. Picture: AFP

Asked why the inquiry regarding the November incident,was yet to be finalised, she said information needed to be collected from both sides and pointed to the Christmas and New Year break.

Ms Payne said Australia wanted to deal with the issue in a “constructive and mature way”.

She also addressed reports that Indonesia was concerned that Australia would try and turn its troops into spies.

“I’ve heard that has been reported and that is clearly not the case and not a matter which merits significant canvassing,” she said.

Asked whether the Indonesian military had overreacted, she said: “Well, it is a matter clearly of significant concern.” She added that she took the matter seriously.

‘MASSIVE OVERREACTION’

Indonesia’s military chief General Gatot Nurmantyo stopped the training program because he was concerned the country’s best soldiers were being ‘recruited’ by Australia, the ABC reported.

He said he would travel to Australia at the end of the month to smooth things over. He said he had planned to go to Australia this week but had postponed because the Defence minister here was in hospital.

“Every time there is a training program — like recently — the best five or 10 students would be sent to Australia. That happened before I was chief so I let that happen,” the General said in a speech in late November.

In the speech the General reportedly resorted to Cold War rhetoric and spoke about the soldiers being groomed as sources or agents of influence.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, in full military uniform, stands with Army Chief General Gatot Nurmantyo and Armed Forces Chief General Moeldoko. Picture: AFP

The most high-profile spat between the two nations since the Bali Nine execution, phone-tapping scandal and live exports disaster, was labelled a “massive over-reaction” by one expert.

News Corp understands the Australian government was yesterday surprised by both the timing and nature of Indonesia’s response, as it had been under the impression the issue was very close to being settled.

Indonesia’s Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu last night played down the incident, saying the insult to the Pancasila - the country’s national philosophy - was made by a low-ranking, unnamed Lieutenant in the ADF who had since been punished and reprimanded.

Indonesian newspaper Kompas quoted the Minister as using an Indonesian word “curut” to describe the Lieutenant meaning a shrew or mouse, a harsh term used to describe someone, a subordinate.

And Mr Ryacudu urged for a normalisation of relations, saying: “Don’t make the country relations not good because of those unclear curut, it’s not good.”

He said he was sure the Australian military and Government did not have any intention to insult or harass Indonesia.

‘SERIOUS CONCERNS’

Minister Payne said The Australian Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, wrote to General Gatot Nurmantyo, giving an undertaking that this matter would be ­addressed seriously and we would inquire into issues raised,” she said.

Minister for Defence Marise Payne confirmed the suspension but couldn’t provide more details.

“The Australian Army has looked into the serious concerns that were raised and the investigation into the incident is being finalised.”

Ms Payne said Indonesia had let its southern neighbour know co-operation would be suspended but noted that only “some interaction” had been put on hold while “co-operation in other areas is continuing”.

“Australia is committed to building a strong defence relationship with Indonesia, including through co-operation in training,” she said.

“We will work with Indonesia to restore full co-operation as soon as possible.”

According to Kompas, the issue was triggered by a Kopassus special forces trainer, who was teaching in an Australian special forces school in Perth. The newspaper did not quote anyone by name, saying the information had come from a source. It said that when teaching in Australia the Kopassus trainer found ­lessons that disrespected the Indonesian armed forces. The source claimed that when the trainer met the principal of the training academy to convey their objections, the trainer found further writings that were insulting to the Indonesian state symbol, the Pancasila. It was on laminated paper.

CDF Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin briefing on counter terrorism at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage

Indonesian Military spokesman Major General Wuryanto said the suspension had begun in mid-December.

“Based on our evaluation it needs improvement. Therefore, temporarily it (co-operation) is suspended,” he said.

“Hopefully after it has been suspended and it has improved, it will start again,”

Mr Wuryanto added that the ADF had “given an active response”, which he ­described as being “very good”.

He would not comment on the ­Indonesian newspaper reports.

Mr Wuryanto said that the suspension of co-operation related to many issues, not just one thing.

ANU Indonesia expert Dr Greg Fealy said if all military ties were cut solely on the basis of what was allegedly discovered in Perth, it would be a “massive over-reaction” by Jakarta.

Analysts have suggested the matter arose from a slur regarding Indonesia’s role in East Timor and in quelling West Papua’s calls for independence along with the behaviour of the TNI in the past.

Indonesia suspended the relationship previously over a phone-tapping scandal. Here’s Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull talking with Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Picture: Dita Alangkara/AP

Institute for Defense Security and Peace Studies director, Mufti Makarim, told News Corporation that political issues had no role in teaching forums between the militaries of Australia and Indonesia.

“For example, during the learning session the trainer gave satire about things that in my opinion are more about politics. For example about Papua, Timor Leste and about the individual behaviour of the TNI in the past. We do not say the TNI did not have a problem. But it

doesn’t mean the topic about that could be made in that forum,” Mr Makarim said.

He said such forums were not a place for sensitive themes to be discussed.

Mr Makarim said that mutual trust between the two countries now needed to be rebuilt and for the ADF to ensure the TNI can trust them again.

Both countries need each other given tensions in the South China Sea, says one expert. Picture: AFP

HISTORY OF TENSION

Yohanes Sulaiman, an Indonesian military expert, said the suspension was significant but predicted it would not last long as co-operation between the neighbours was vital on matters such as security and trade.

“Both countries need each other,” he told AFP. “They need to maintain security in the South China Sea especially now that China is becoming more dominant there.” There have been tensions between the Indonesian and Australian militaries in the past.

Australia suspended training with Kopassus over the notorious unit’s alleged role in human rights abuses in East Timor in 1999 as the then Indonesian territory geared up for independence, but it resumed several years later.