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efense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said Wednesday that Indonesia'€™s defense priority should shift to protecting citizens in non-traditional threats, such as terrorism, natural disasters and disease.

As hard power through war is seen as less of an option in the changing world of politics today, Ryamizard said that attacks by other countries were unlikely to happen these days.

He said the absence of war could at least be observed among members of ASEAN, which had agreed to avoid war to address inter-state conflict in the region since the organization was created 48 years ago.

Therefore, he urged for a change in Indonesia'€™s defense paradigm from defense against any outside aggressor to executor of humanitarian assistance.

'€œThe most evident threats are terrorism, disease and natural disasters,'€ Ryamizard said on Wednesday during a media briefing at the ministry'€™s office in Central Jakarta.

'€œI want defense to be not just about protecting the nation from foreign attacks. I want our defense to be number one in humanitarian work. I want the Army to be more involved in humanitarian missions in the future,'€ he added.

The minister gave as an example the 2004 tsunami in Aceh and the role the military played in humanitarian work. He said that after the Aceh tsunami, military personnel were deployed to assist victims and to help the region recover.

'€œWe should be number one in disaster management, too,'€ he said.

He also said the ministry was currently working on ebola prevention as part of the ministry'€™s efforts to be more involved in humanitarian work.

Last month, in an effort to increase the ministry'€™s role in humanitarian work internationally, the ministry hosted the 41st World Congress on Military Medicine. The congress, which took place in Bali on May 17 to 22, was attended by hundreds of military doctors from across the world.

'€œDuring the congress, I told participants about the importance of the military in humanitarian initiatives,'€ Ryamizard said, recalling his keynote speech at the congress.

Separately, Ganewati Wuryandari, researcher of international politics at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said the ministry'€™s policy was nothing new as it had essentially been adopted worldwide.

'€œIt is an ideal one. In fact it is nothing new. As far as I know, all countries adopt that kind of defense strategy,'€ Ganewati told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, adding that the strategy was known as '€œcomprehensive defense.'€

She said that comprehensive defense covered many fields, including the economy.

'€œIn comprehensive defense, economic development is also a crucial issue. When a country'€™s economy is weak it becomes susceptible to outside influences,'€ Ganewati said.

She, however, rejected the idea that the region was free from the threat of war. She said growing tension over disputed territory in the South China Sea could have the potential to trigger war. '€œWith China becoming assertive in the South China Sea, we cannot put aside military defense,'€ Ganewati said, adding that the government'€™s focus on non-military defense should not lose sight of the military one. (saf)