Be Aware of US Military Base in Darwin

The news about the U.S. plan to put a military base in Darwin, Northern Australia in 2012 has been rolling around. The U.S. government plans to put 2,500 marines in an area of only 820 kilometers, or 500 miles.

The discourse increases as some problems arise in Papua, where there is a U.S. gold mining company. Thus, various parties see the military base movement as a step taken by the U.S. to advance its interests in Indonesia. Others think this has relation with U.S. interests in the Timor Sea and in natural resources in Indonesia.

A.C. Manullang, an intelligence analyst, delivered a harsh view: “The U.S. military base in Darwin will be used to liberate Papua.” According to Manullang, the existence of the military base in Darwin will make it easier for the U.S. to send its troops to Papua by hiding behind the reason of spreading peace. “Human rights violations that occurred in Papua may be a reason for the U.S. to send troops to Papua through the UN,” he said.

The Indonesian government hurriedly declared that the U.S. military base will bring no harm to Indonesia. The Indonesian Head of the State Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman, said that we do not have to worry about the presence of the U.S. military base. According to him, the Indonesian president himself has expressed the opinion that the existence of the military base in Darwin is a result of cooperation between the U.S. and Australia (one of the U.S.’s allies).

“Regarding the issue of U.S. troops in Darwin, I think Mr. President has expressed his view that we highly respect the decision of the two countries,” said Norman in the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta on Nov. 29, 2011.

Nevertheless, many parties see the presence of the U.S. military base in Darwin as a potential threat to Indonesian sovereignty. For a short period, it probably will not be a threat to Indonesia, but in the long run, we have to be wary of it. Surely, the decision to develop the military base may be a result of a geopolitical study for at least the next 20 years. Therefore, as a sovereign nation, Indonesia must anticipate this possibility by making a long-term strategy through intense international diplomacy and leadership in the development of the ASEAN region that meets national interests.

Facing China

After the Australian government approved the development of the U.S. military base, Australian newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald, delivered an analysis related to China’s domination. They mentioned that the U.S. military base will be a force to rival Chinese influence in the ASEAN region. The U.S. wants to make sure that the Chinese military does not control the ASEAN and the Pacific region.

The Chinese government has issued a statement that they are holding military exercises in Pacific Islands region. This statement came after the announcement of the U.S. plan. However, the Chinese Defense Ministry told Reuters on Nov. 24 that the exercises are not intended to deter other countries because they also respect international law.

As a quickly rising country, China has strengthened its military power. China has created new submarines and ballistic missile defense systems in the sea. In 2010, China was seen to appear in Japanese, Vietnamese and Philippine waters. This led to diplomatic tension between China and the three countries.

The relationship between the U.S. and China became strained after the U.S. expressed its plan to place troops in Australia. Barack Obama said the U.S. military will soon operate combat aircrafts and ships in Australian waters. China has objected the plan and has begun to question the purpose of placing the U.S. troops in Darwin.

The U.S. argues that the placement of troops in Darwin is a form of U.S.-Australian alliance that has existed for a long time. The troops’ placement will also assist neighbor countries in the event of a natural disaster. However, China considers the placement of 2,500 U.S. personnel in Darwin as a threat to peace in Southeast Asia, which can lead to a new tension. Some areas in the ASEAN region may potentially bring local tensions, for example the Sparty island group claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. However, the ASEAN zone tends to be a peaceful zone, not a conflicted area. Thus, the placement of U.S. marines is inappropriate.

Alert

What actually is the U.S. agenda for Indonesia, Southeast Asia and even the Pacific? Australian opposition does not believe that it will be a provocation against China. The spokesman for opposition in the immigration field, Scott Morrison, said that the expansion will only serve as a covenant relationship between Australia and the United States.

Perhaps the placement of the U.S. troops in Australia was intended for other purposes, such as to await political changes in Indonesia, especially in Papua. Geographically, Darwin lies closer than other Southeast Asian regions to Papua, which has become the movement area of China.

We realize that the local residents in Papua are resisting Freeport. The company is 97 percent owned by U.S. investors and has been in operation since the early 1970s. In recent weeks, the company was continuously rocked by anarchist activities. Some U.S. citizens have become victims. In addition to the Freeport problem, more local residents are supporting the struggle of the separatists, who want to liberate Papua.

In the U.S., there has been a lobby that supports Papua to become an independent state. However, the U.S. government has always officially declined any allegations that led to the conclusion that Washington is involved in the politics in Papua.

Earlier, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Barack Obama spoke in Bali about policy concerning the U.S. Marines in Australia. They also discussed the association of the new plan with oil reserves in the Timor Gap, and how the U.S. views Indonesia’s rich natural resources and strategic location in the Asian Pacific region that caused the U.S. to move its base from Okinawa, Japan to Darwin. The Timor Sea region has proven to have large oil reserves. The U.S. has a great interest in the oil in the Timor Sea.

In addition to maintaining political stability and security in the ASEAN region, the U.S. is concerned about the oil reserve in the Timor Sea because of the future need of the world after the U.S. failed to conquer the oil countries in the Middle East. The choice of Darwin and not Timor Leste is because of available international cooperation, especially from economic and human resources standpoints. From an economic point of view, Timor Leste has limited natural and human resources. In addition, Timor Leste is still dependent on other countries such as Portugal, and of course Indonesia.

Conclusion

If the presence of the U.S. military base in Darwin has the purpose of facing China in the Asia-Pacific region, maintaining political stability and security in the ASEAN region, getting involved directly in the activities in the Asian Pacific region due to oil reserves, and even getting involved directly in Papuan problems, then Indonesia must inevitably be aware of the presence of the U.S. base, because it becomes a potential threat to the state sovereignty. The Indonesian government should not consider the presence of the military base in Darwin a trivial issue. We must take steps for long-term anticipation.