T

he ongoing military modernization programs in many Asian countries have the potential to create mistrust, miscalculations and tensions in the region.  To avoid this, there should be strategic
transparency in the region, says a top Indonesian defense official.

'€œWe should be mindful that there are indeed inherent perceptional sensitivities in military build-ups that could create miscalculations,misjudgment and mistrust,'€ Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said at The Shangri-La Dialogue inSingapore onSaturday.

Speaking at the third plenary session along with Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith and theUnited Kingdom'€™s Secretary of State for Defense  Philip Hammond, Purnomo said that strategic  transparency could and should be performed at many levels.

'€œ First and foremost, transparency begins at home with an open and democratic system of government. A system where the defense budget is openly debated at the legislative level, where weaponry choices become public discourse and where military procurements are scrutinized by
the media,'€ Purnomo said.

Bilateral defense and security dialogue, Purnomo continued, could also serve as effective instruments to promote transparency. He commended Australia'€™s move to consult with its neighbors in formulating its defense policies and strategies.

Echoing a similar view, Smith said that Australia considered military modernization a natural part of any country'€™s economic development. But there was an urgent need to transparently disclose the
details of military modernization programs.

'€œAustralia will continue to encourage all countries to be open about their defense policies, procurement plans and military planning'€.

 Australia unveiled its 2013 Defense White Paper on May 3, 2013. Indonesia, according to Purnomo, is currently in  the process of preparing its next defense white paper. Indonesia published its last Defense White Paper in 2008.