Mawar Kusuma, Jakarta – The People’s Representative Assembly (DPR) is to continue urging the US government to lift the arms embargo on Indonesia. This was revealed by the chairperson of the DPR’s defense commission, Theo Sambuaga, to Tempo when contacted by telephone on Sunday afternoon, January 16.

Sambuaga revealed that the parliament strongly supports the government’s efforts to have the embargo lifted. According to Sambuaga, the US’s reluctance to lift the embargo is because the US Congress has an erroneous view of the Indonesian government. “They worry that the armaments purchased from America will be used for the wrong things”, he said. In fact the aim of procuring weapons is in the interest of regional security, training and defense of Indonesia’s territorial boarders.

The DPR will therefore, continue to urge and try to convince the government and the US Congress that this is an erroneous view. “At every opportunity we have lobbied and [tried to] convince the American government [of this]”, said Sambuaga. But so far these efforts are yet to bear fruit.

According to Sambuaga, to date the majority of Indonesia’s armaments have come from the US. Including F16 jets and Hercules transport planes. Because the embargo has gone on for so long, the government has already diversified its source of purchases, particularly over the last two years.

Sambuaga said that with the disaster in Aceh the US government should be able to see the deficiency of Indonesia’s weapon systems. Particularly for carrying out maritime security, on its boarders as well as its air space. Moreover transport equipment and patrol boats are severely lacking.

[Translated by James Balowski.]