Indonesia to help government draft defence white paper
Indonesia will work with Myanmar on overhauling the Tatmadaw as part of its support for the reform process, Indonesia’s foreign minister said last month.
Mr Marty Natalegawa said Indonesia and Myanmar had agreed to draft a white paper on Myanmar’s military needs to guide changes to the Tatmadaw, which he said were a critical component of overall reforms in Myanmar.
“[It would be] military-to-military cooperation but not in the traditional sense. [Rather] how our military can inform the Myanmar military [on] reform within the military,” he said during a meeting with journalists from Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, Vietnam and Timor-Leste at Jakarta’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all [policy for defence]. Myanmar must determine its specific needs without being driven by providers of assistance,” he said.
“Myanmar is being showered by attention from the international community. Everyone wants to be part of the reform process and to be seen helping Myanmar.”
Mr Natalegawa said Indonesia’s experience could serve as useful guidance for Myanmar as it looks to cement reforms.
“We have no monopoly on wisdom; we have our failings. But that makes [our] conversation even more relevant,” he said.
Following the resignation of President Suharto in 1998 after 30 years in power, Indonesia’s political and governmental structures underwent major reform.
One change was removing the formal military presence from Indonesia’s parliament. However, according to economist Theodore Friend, author of Indonesian Destinies, the Indonesian military’s “political influence remains extensive”.
Mr Natalegawa said Indonesia also plans to support other aspects of the reform process and will invite representatives from the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission, civil society, presidential advisory board and the Union Election Commission to visit Indonesia.
“[The visits will] provide an opportunity to learn from Indonesia’s experience of reform,” he said.
