Bandarlampung
Antara News
10 Jul 07
http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/7/9/singapore-should-observe-article-six-over-dca/
Singapore should closely observe article 6 of the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) which enables both countries to revise its implementing arrangement (IA), the Defence Ministry Spokesman Brig. Gen Edy Butar-Butar told ANTARA through the phone in Jakarta on Monday.
“Singapore should observe closely article six of the agreement which allows the two countries to formulate its implementing arrangement that benefits them both,” he said.
He said that article six of the agreement could serve as a basis for the revision of the implementing arrangement of the agreement.
Previously, Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo reportedly said that there was no new demand from Singapore after Indonesia and Singapore signed the DCA in Bali on April 2007.
The Singapore foreign minister was quoted by Channelnews Asia as saying that Singapore would not deviate from what had been agreed upon by the governments of the two countries.
He said that it was Indonesia which refused the formulation of the implementing arrangement, which should have been signed on May 2007.
Indonesia, he said, also demanded a change in the substance of the agreement which for Singapore was something which could not be changed.
Singapore demanded a 15-day military exercise be conducted on the zone of Bravo, south China Sea, each month, and the matter could not be accepted by Indonesia.
The zone of Bravo, one of the three areas to be used for military exercises in the Indonesian territories, is the core of debates as the agreement was entering the phase of its implementation.
The Defence Cooperation Agreement is in one package with the two countries’ extradition treaty.
Indonesia will only allow the exercises be held four to six times a year so that they would not disturb the environment, fishermen and general security in the zone of Bravo.
Indonesia, Singapore agree to resume talks on defense agreement
Antara News
10 Jul 07
http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/7/9/ri-singapore-agree-to-resume-talks-on-defense-agreement/
The Indonesian and Singapore governments have agreed to resume talks on their Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) to overcome differences of view on its implementing arrangements (IAs), Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said here on Monday.
“The heads of government have agreed to resume the negotiations but it will be done after the diplomatic atmosphere between the two countries has cleared up. The new talks will be led by the two foreign ministers,” Juwono said at his office.
The defense minister said the two sides were waiting for each other to return to the negotiating table to discuss the DCA which they signed on April 27, 2007.
Juwono said the two sides had been exchanging letters to formulate the the DCA’s implementing arrangements, particularly on the use of a piece of Indonesian territory called Bravo for military exercises.
Indonesia had asked that the implementing arrangements on military exercises in Bravo be formulated by the two sides together – just as they did on maneuvers in two other pieces of Indonesian territory dubbed Alpha I and Alpha II in accordance with an article in their DCA.
But Singapore rejected the proposal on the ground that it would change the substance of the DCA. On May 6,2007, Singapore in turn proposed a Standard Operating Procedure which it had formulated without involving the Indonesian Defense Ministry and military.
Previously, Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo reportedly said that there was no new demand from Singapore after the DCA was signed.
The Singapore foreign minister was quoted by Channel News Asia as saying that Singapore would not deviate from what had been agreed upon by the governments.
Indonesia, he said, demanded a change in the substance of the agreement while it was Singapore’s view that the agreement was something which could not be changed.
Singapore demanded the possibility of holding military exercises on 15 days per month in the Bravo zone which ls located in the South China Sea. But Indonesia could not agree to Singapore’s request.
Indonesia could only allow exercises to be held four to six times a year so that they would not disturb the local environment, fishermen’s livelihood and public security