House urged to also press for cancelation of cooperation accord with Australia

Kupang, NU Online
A local community figure here has called on the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta to ask the government not only to cancel its Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with Singapore but also its cooperation accord wiih Australia.

"The House should not urge the government to cancel its agreement with Singapore only but also the one with Australia which only benefits Canberra," chairman of the Timor Gap Working Group Ferdi Tanoni said here on Friday.<>

Tanoni made the statement in response to calls made by members of the DPR urging the government to cancel the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) it had concluded with Singapore.

He said the cooperation agreement with Australia on the Timor Gap and Arafura Sea also needed to be questioned because it would only benefit Australia.

Tanoni said that like the DCA, the agreement with Australia was disadvantageous to Indonesia from the economic, defense and security points of view.

"We should not have the courage to defend our dignity against Singapore and Malaysia only but also against Australia which has been in control of 85 percent of the Timor Sea area since 1971," he said.

He said Australia annexed 85 percent of the Timor Sea which was stategically located and rich in oil and natural gas reserves in 1971.

Tanoni also questioned the status of the Indonesia-Australia agreement on their sea-bed boundaries and economic exclusive zones in the Timor Sea and Arafura Sea.

The agreement which was signed by then foreign affairs minister Ali Alatas and his Australian counterpart, Alexander Downer, in Perth in 1997 also included Pasir Island.

Both countries have not yet ratified the agreement.

"Looking at the two cases, I believe that the House in fighting for the interest of the people is still pursuing a selective diplomacy toward the Yudhoyono-Kalla administration," Tanoni was quoted by Antara news agency as saying. (dar)