NAMING OF INDONESIAN NAVAL SHIP CAUSES POLEMIC AS SINGAPORE PROTESTS by Fardah

     Jakarta, Feb 12, 2014 (Antara) - The naming of a Naval ship after Usman Haji Mohamed Ali and Harun Said, two Indonesian marines executed in Singapore during the "confrontation" era, by Indonesian Defense Forces, has prompted strong protests from Singapore.

         Usman Haji Mohamed Ali and Harun Said had bombed the city state's main shopping district that left three people dead. The attack was part of an effort by the then Indonesian President Sukarno to stage an armed confrontation against the newly formed federation of Malaysia, which included Singapore.

         The two men were charged in Singapore, which gained independence in August 1965, and hanged for the bombing in 1968. In Indonesia, however, they received the status of national heroes with a ceremonial funeral.

         That incident intensified the tension between the two neighboring countries for several years. The bilateral relations recovered when, in May 1973, the then-PM Lee Kuan Yew visited and scattered flowers on the graves of the two marines in Jakarta.

         However, Singapore has now revisited the old wound following Indonesia's announcement to name the new warship after Usman and Harun.

         Singapore's foreign ministry made a statement issued on February 5, 2014, that Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam spoke to his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa about the issue.

         It is believed that Shanmugam reiterated "Singapore's concerns over the naming of the navy ship and the impact this would have on the feelings of Singaporeans, especially amongst the families of the victims" of the bomb attack for which the two Indonesian marines were executed.

         "The two Indonesian marines were found guilty of the bombing, which killed three people and injured 33 others," the statement emphasized.

         The Indonesian government, however, defended the christening of its new warship after its two marines.
    Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa informed the press that the Indonesian government had no intention of offending Singapore by naming the new naval ship after its marines.

         "We have stated that there is no intention of being hostile, not at all," Marty Natalegawa reiterated on Feb. 11.

         The government is currently communicating with Singapore to ease the tension, he explained.  "We are dealing with the problem right now. Communication with Singapore has been carried out," Natalegawa assured.

         Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs Security and Law Djoko Suyanto earlier stated that the choice of name for the warship KRI Usman Harun was in line with the Indonesian procedure and evaluation.

         "The Indonesian government follows certain order, regulation, procedure and criteria to evaluate the decision of one deserving an honor as a hero. And in determining that, there must not be intervention from any other country," the minister emphasized.

         He added that the two soldiers, because of their sacrifice and dedication to the nation, deserved the honor.

         "As for the difference in perception of the government policy from the other country, that must not push us to back off from our decision or hesitate in carrying out our policy," he reiterated.

         He pointed out that Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had placed flowers on the graves of Usman and Harun in the Kalibata heroes' cemetery in 1973. "Therefore, there should be no problem over the issue," he clarified.

         He clarified that he had also explained Indonesia's position and argument about that issue to Deputy Prime Minister Theo Chee Hean.

         Several Indonesian legislators also defended the naming of naval ship after Usman and Harun.

         Vice Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly Hajriyanto Y Tohari stated that Indonesia does not have to acknowledge Singapore's protest.

         "Singapore is indeed outrageous as it does not know that Usman and Harun are Indonesian national heroes," Tohari noted.

         He considered Singapore to have been excessive and callous about the two marines who were executed in 1968.

         Another Indonesian legislator, Tantowi Yahya, a member of the House of Representatives' (DPR's) Commission I, also considered Singapore's objections to be an exaggeration.

         The naming of the naval ship is the prerogative of the Indonesian government, and no other countries should interfere, he stated.

         The House's Commission I regretted the fact that Singapore had revoked its invitation to Indonesia to participate in the Singapore Air Show.

         "Such a stance is an exaggerated response and is not conducive [to good relations], particularly when the two countries are fellow ASEAN member nations who are embracing the ASEAN Economic Community 2015," he emphasized.

         He was of the view that Singapore and Australia are creating tense situations with Indonesia in a bid to garner domestic support, according to an Indonesian legislator.

         "I have noticed that the events creating tension between Indonesia and its neighbors, such as Singapore and Australia, occurred at a time when these countries' prime ministers were facing a crisis of a lack of domestic support," he asserted.

         Provoking and attacking Indonesia are low-cost and low-risk maneuvers for the two neighboring countries, he stated.

         The two nations are making use of the current momentum because they are aware that Indonesia is currently facing a "leadership vacuum," he added.

         "They are aware that leaders in Indonesia are now concentrating on competing in general elections, while the parliament is in a state of 'vacuum.' There is room to maneuver against Indonesia at this time," he explained.

         Hikmahanto Juwana, international law professor of the University of Indonesia, found it strange that Singapore should raise such issue.

         "It is not proper for Singapore to meddle with internal affairs of Indonesia," Hikmahanto stated recently.

         Singapore had violated the principle of non-interference written in the U.N. charter and ASEAN charter, he pointed out.

         The expression of concern by Singapore even has potential to cause a rift in the good relations between the two neighboring countries, he explained.

         He appreciated the statements by Djoko and the navy spokesman defending the Indonesian policy.

         All nations in a war with another country such as the confrontation between Indonesia and Malaysia, would honor their fallen soldiers as heroes, he clarified.

         The soldiers when carrying out their mission did not act of their own accord but for their country, he pointed out.

         He pointed to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe being criticized by China and South Korea for visiting Yasukuni Shrine to pay homage to Japanese military leaders killed in the World War II.

         China and South Korea labeled the military leaders as war criminals, but for Prime Minister Abe, they were indeed heroes, he explained.

         Meanwhile, Guspiabri Sumowigeno, Director of Center for Indonesian National Policy Studies (Cinaps), suspected that Singapore chalked out a three-point agenda with regard to its protest against the warship naming.

         He explained that the first point in the agenda was that Singapore, as a US ally, was keen to garner attention from the superpower with regard to getting more military support by sending a message that it is threatened by the Indonesian military's revival.

         Singapore, according to him, has been diligently looking for a loophole to increase its military capacity and capability by supporting the US global policy. It has also offered itself as a buffer country for safeguarding the US interests in the region.

         He warned that the recent tensions between the two countries can be manipulated by Singapore to get additional military support from the US, by giving the impression that Singapore is threatened by two big countries in the region, namely Indonesia and China.

         "This is clearly hurting the spirit of cooperation that has been built over the past 40 years," he added.     
    Guspi explained that Singapore's second point of the agenda was its intentions to foster nationalism and improve its national identity.

         He reported that Singapore has faced difficulties in nurturing nationalism among its citizens as they remain sharply divided on ethnic terms. There is also a common impression harbored by several people that Singapore is a mere gift from the colonial powers.

         "This is what has robbed Singapore of its heroic and historic moments, and so, the history of confrontation with Indonesia has been considered its valuable asset in order to build Singapore's nationalism," he claimed.

         Singapore's third point of the agenda is that the current regime in that country has been in power since the establishment of that country. Recently, voices have been raised regarding the authenticity of democracy in that country, Guspi stated.

         The regime is fragile because the democratic process has so far been engineered to preserve its power, he claimed.

         To prevent its popularity from declining and increasing demand for political reforms, it is now using its friction with other countries as one of its defense mechanisms, he added.

         "The presence of a common enemy can distract people from social tensions, so that the political crisis, which has started to overshadow the nation, can be dwindled," he noted.

         Hayono Isman, a member of the House's Commission I, however, urged Indonesia and Singapore to stop the polemic on the warship naming.

         "This polemic should stop because it would only be a disadvantage to both nations (Indonesia and Singapura)," Hayono Isman stated in Surabaya, East Java, on Feb. 12.

         Indonesia and Singapore, among co-founders of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Nations), have so far established strong bilateral relations, in the economic sector in particular.

         The strong economic ties have helped strengthened ASEAN, the legislator who is concurrently a member of the Democratic Party's Advisory Board, stated.

         Singapore is Indonesia's second largest source of investment after Japan, with the realization of the investment of USD 4.67 billion in 2013.

         Minister Marty M. Natalegawa and his Singaporean counterpart, K. Shanmugam, in a meeting held in Bandung, West Java, on February 4,   agreed to increase bilateral cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, transport, tourism and other fields.

         The bilateral meeting was also part of the preparations for the upcoming Leaders' Retreat between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong scheduled to be held in Indonesia this year. ***1***