T

he Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) is seeking closer cooperation with the Indonesian Military (TNI), particularly in the fields of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, a seminar heard Thursday.

Jun Honna, a professor of international relations from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, told the seminar that disaster relief "is the key to JSDF-TNI cooperation".

"JSDF personnel were dispatched to Aceh for about two months after the tsunami in 2004, and to Yogyakarta in 2006 for about 15 days after the earthquake in 2006," he said.

He was speaking at a seminar held at Nikko Hotel titled "TNI and JSDF cooperation under the new strategic partnership", held to commemorate the establishment of the JSDF on July 1, 1954.

The Japanese Embassy's deputy chief of mission, Takio Yamada, said the JSDF had sent its largest fleet ever for such a disaster relief mission to aid the post-tsunami relief efforts.

Honna added both forces could use their combined experiences in disaster relief as the basis of their leadership in consolidating the ASEAN Security Community (ASC).

"Indonesia is expected to take a leadership role in ASC," he said.

"Defense cooperation is the key for the ASC."

Honna also said there were opportunities to develop further cooperation in education and training.

He said that in addition to disaster relief cooperation, Japan was also very active in the security sector with other forms of cooperation, such as promoting community policing in Bekasi, West Java, and cooperation between the Japanese Coast Guard and the Indonesian Maritime Security Coordinating Board (Bakorkamla).

The seminar also heard from Brig. Gen. Syaiful Anwar, director of international cooperation at the Indonesian Defense Ministry.

Both Syaiful and Honna said the two countries shared interests and values underlining their strategic partnership.

Syaiful said Indonesia was also expecting Japanese assistance beyond disaster relief, peacekeeping and the education and training sectors.

"We also expect capacity building in maritime and air patrol capability, as well as maritime surveillance systems," Syaiful said.

"We hope Japan can contribute to the newly established Indonesian Defense University *IDU*, as well as in education and training in general."

Honna, however, told The Jakarta Post that Japan was limited by Article 9 of its constitution in terms of military training.

"We can't have any military exercise or other operational training for military members," he said after the seminar.

"But we can provide training at the strategic level, such as for civilian officials at the Indonesian Defense Ministry."

He noted the ministry was still dominated by the military, while there should be more civilians at top positions to give it balance.

Syaiful said bilateral relations between both countries were the implementation of their constitutions and laws.

"The Indonesian constitution, for instance, calls for the country's participation in maintaining peace and order in the global forum," he said.

"That's why we send many peacekeeping contingents under the UN."