The dynamic of the US–Indonesia defence relations: the ‘IMET ban’ period

ABSTRACT

The International Military Education and Training (IMET), has given Indonesian military personnel access to U.S. doctrine and tactics. However, due to the dynamics and changes in priorities of interest between the U.S. and Indonesia, the IMET program has experienced a critical period, when for over a decade, from 1992 to 2005, the U.S. Congress imposed a ban on the program for the Indonesian military. The country also adopted an embargo towards Indonesia in responding to the ‘Santa Cruz’ incident in East Timor in 1991. Not only had the embargo limited defence cooperation with the United States, but also with its alliance countries. During the ‘IMET Ban’ period, access to U.S. professional military education was significantly reduced. The ban fully restricted Indonesian military’s development since the country relied on the American military’s doctrines and tactics. The ban further disrupted the U.S.–Indonesia defence relations. Therefore, through desk research, this article uses process tracing approach to qualitatively examine the dynamic of the US–Indonesia defence relations during the ‘IMET Ban’ period. The lessons learned during this period in the article are important to help the current Trump and Widodo administrations navigate their bilateral defence relations.

KEYWORDS:

• Defence
• military
• Indonesia
• United States
• IMET

Acknowledgment

The author wishes to acknowledge support from the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP), Indonesia and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), United Kingdom which has allowed to contribute this article. This article has been adapted from a chapter of a thesis submitted to fulfil the requirement of the Master of Military Arts and Science.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Frega Ferdinand Wenas Inkiriwang has worked as a lecturer at the Indonesian Defence University (IDU) since 2013. As a graduate of the Indonesian Military Academy, he spent most of his careers serving with the Indonesian Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad). He also commanded the 330th Para Raider Battalion where he wrote a military history book on the unit. Frega has achieved numerous scholarships. He earned the Australian Defence Scholarship to finish his master’s degree in international relations at Macquarie University. He also received the IMET scholarship to accomplish his Command and General Staff College along with his second master’s, Master of Military Arts and Science specialising in Strategic Studies. Additionally, Frega has attended various seminars and international conferences, including the Jakarta International Defence Dialogue and the 2013 APEC CEO Summit representing selected top notch officers. Frega has written numerous articles in a myriad of media outlets, like newspapers, magazines and journals. He has also contributed in book chapters published by the Royal Canadian Defence Academy Press. Currently, Frega is a PhD candidate at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) under the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) scholarship.

Notes

1 The article uses the term of the ‘IMET Ban’ Period or the ‘lost decade’ to represent the period where the Indonesian Military suffered during the imposed US embargo towards the country, from 1992 to 2005, following the Santa Cruz incident in East Timor in 1991.