The Indonesian Military (TNI) is seeking to improve medical know-how and cooperation with the militaries of other countries in the region.
TNI is currently hosting the four-day 20th Annual Asia Pacific Military Medicine Conference, which opened on Monday. Cosponsored by the US Armed Forces, the conference is being attended by 144 representatives from 21 countries.
“We want to learn more from the militaries of other countries to improve our skills so we can respond more effectively when handling situations such as pandemics and natural disasters,” TNI Commander Gen. Djoko Santoso said in a press statement at the conference.
Given the fact that Indonesia has undergone major catastrophes, Djoko said military medical operations were already one of the TNI’s main priorities.
Indonesia saw its military medical corps work alongside with NGOs from across the globe when it handled the aftermath of the deadly tsunami in Aceh province in 2004, earthquakes in Yogyakarta in 2006 and West Sumatra last year, and when dealing with the spread of the H1N1 and bird flus.
“At the same time, we have also learned of how significant it is to be well prepared for disasters of these proportions,” he added.
Indonesian Military Law allows TNI to conduct military medicine cooperation with other countries under the classification of operations other than war.
Head of Military medicine corps Maj. Gen. Heri Dadi, who also attended the conference, said similar medical cooperation had also been developed with the Health Ministry.
“We have conducted several joint trainings and simulations with the Health Ministry on how to provide effective field assistance for victims of bird flu and H1N1 in several regions,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Stephen Jones of the U.S. Army Pacific Command said besides discussing matters related with health and rapid disaster response, the conference also aimed to boost cooperation among participants.
“Hopefully it can bring more stability to the region and increase cooperation and collaboration between participating countries,” he said.
Lawmaker Tubagus Hasanuddin supported TNI organizing such conferences in the future. “This is a good sign and shows that military leaders are starting to pay serious attention to important issues,” he said.
However he then cautioned TNI to focus more on conducting field joint trainings and simulations with the participating countries.
“We should focus on conducting more joint trainings regarding technical assistance because it is the one thing that could save more lives in times of calamity. Therefore I strongly suggest that joint trainings should be conducted after this four-day conference,” Hasanuddin, who was formerly the military secretary under president Megawati Soekarnoputri’s administration from 2001 through 2004, said.
A military expert from the University of Indonesia, Jaleswari Pramodhawardani, highlighted the need to be transparent about conducting joint operations with other countries.
“Everything should be made clear to the public right from the start because people have the right to know about the purpose of joint trainings and operations. Access to information about these kinds of activities should be granted because we need to monitor what is going on during the operations,” she said.
Jaleswari added, at present, joint operations or exercises have been conducted without the public knowing about them and they could not monitor the activities.
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