RI prepares military protocols for disaster relief

Batam (MI) : Indonesia was preparing a standard operating procedures (SOP) draft for disaster relief activities carried out by the military that would be proposed to become the SOP for ASEAN militaries in carrying out disaster relief activities, a senior minister said on Saturday afternoon.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Minister Djoko Suyanto said the SOP draft was near completion and was being field tested at the 2014 Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) currently underway in the waters of the Anambas Islands, Batam and Natuna in Riau Islands province.

“After being evaluated, the Indonesian Navy will submit the SOP draft to the Indonesian Military [TNI] chief because it will also involve the Indonesian Army and Air Force,” Djoko said after officially opening the exercise at the Swiss Bel Harbour Bay hotel.

“The TNI chief will then submit the SOP draft to the defense minister to be discussed at the ASEAN Defense Minister Meeting [ADMM].”

He said it would be good for ASEAN to have such a protocol both internally and multinationally.

Djoko said the multilateral naval exercise gave Indonesia the opportunity to interact with various navies from around the world, with the main objective of improving humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

“Many countries are interested in taking part, including Russia and the United States. They are interested because it is not really a political or security-related event,” he said.

“All efforts are channeled through humanitarian assistance. If we keep fostering such humanitarian operations, then we can have more cooperation in the future.”

Also attending the opening ceremony were Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, National Police chief Gen. Sutarman, US Ambassador to Indonesia Robert O'Blake, Indian Ambassador Gurjit Singh, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Xuan Thuy and naval chiefs from Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia.

Indonesian Navy chief of staff Adm. Marsetio said that the exercise was a non-war exercise initiated by Indonesia for the first time.

“Participants have come not only from ASEAN member countries but other countries are here also,” he said.

Marsetio said that 40 warships will set sail to three destinations in Jemaja, Anambas and Natun, where there will be a simulation of a natural disaster and an oil spill from off-shore rigs.

Some 28 warships with almost 4,500 personnel from 17 countries will take part in the exercise.

The participants are 10 ASEAN member countries and their partners, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the US.

During the opening ceremony, navy personnel from both Russia and the US were seen mingling with those from other countries, while there were no apparent tensions related to the Crimean issue.

Exercise training director Commodore Amrullah Octavian told The Jakarta Post that while both countries did differ on the Crimean issue, the differences were set aside during the Komodo exercise.

“There is no American resistance with regard to Russia’s participation in the exercise because the exercise was planned a year-and-a-half ago while the Crimean issue emerged only last month,” he said.

The Indonesian Navy Information Office asked journalists covering the exercise not to interview participants and ask questions unrelated to the exercise. Journalists were only allowed to interview officers from the Indonesian Navy.

Separately, the United States Embassy in Jakarta expressed its concern over Russia’s participation in the exercise.

"The US congratulates Indonesia on hosting its largest-ever multinational naval exercise with 12 participating nations and 6 observers. Exercise Komodo marks an important effort to coordinate multilateral disaster response capabilities in the world's most disaster-prone region,” US Embassy press attaché Troy Pederson said Saturday in an email sent to the Post.

“The US appreciated Foreign Minister Natalegawa's public comments in support of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty and its vote in favor of the UNGA resolution condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine.

“Since the United States has suspended routine military activities with Russia, we expressed our concerns about Russia's military participation in exercise Komodo.

“Indonesia explained this is a strictly humanitarian exercise. We also note that a lower level Russian commander led Russia's participation than the three star who was expected."

Sumber : Thejakartapost