Juwono urges youth participation in science, security
Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono has called on Indonesia’s younger generations to play a more active role in expanding the domestic science and technology industries to shore up both military and non-military national security.
Addressing a graduation ceremony at Pancasila University here Thursday, Juwono said the 2002 Law on State Defense identified human resources as being the most valuable asset for maintaining national security and key to ensuring the country’s existence.
“With the main concern having shifted from physical threats to non-military ones, such as health, intolerance and energy, it is time for the youth to defend the country in ways beyond going to the battle field,” he said.
Indonesia’s strategic location in the global trade corridor is let down by its considerably weaker economic and resource capacities when compared to its neighboring countries. The role of intellectuals, Juwono said, would therefore be essential in using science and technology to take full advantage of global competition.
“It’s a battle of science and technology out there … and we need the young and the universities to join hands with the government to produce skillful science that is applicable, including to develop the defense system,” he said, adding that the Defense Ministry was intently associating with other ministries to strengthen such non-military components of security.
Focused efforts with the industry and research and technology ministries, he said, were inevitable to discern how the military’s needs for weaponry could be fulfilled domestically by promoting growth in the national defense industry.
Juwono said his office, in coordination with the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, is watching over energy usage both at home and in exports to ensure the availability of energy in the long run.
“With China and India using up a lot of energy in the world to boost their speedy growth, we must be sure that our share is secure,” he told over 900 graduates.
Close work conducted with the Health Ministry, Juwono went on, would also contribute toward effective bio-defenses for the nation.
“We’re seeing which age groups are most vulnerable and are working on that. Those between the ages of 17 and 35 will be the determining group, as they’ll be the ones running the economy and the country,” he said.
As unlikely as it could be, Juwono admitted, working with the Culture and Tourism Ministry was also a high priority.
“It’s how to maintain values and how they come out into nothing but unity and tolerance. Tolerance is the magical power of unity (of a state),” he said.
Such non-military avenues, along with the military’s well-integrated three forces, are essential to Indonesia’s efforts to build a sufficient, budget-based defense system with an essential minimum force.
“I believe education is the answer to all these challenges in our defense building,” Juwono said.
Indonesia, which has around 220 million people, has this year earmarked a gross income of US$365 billion, with military spending at $3.3 billion.
Comparatively, Singapore, with just 4.4 million people, is looking at a $180 billion gross income and $4.4 billion in military spending. The U.S., meanwhile, is seeking $12.5 trillion and $550 billion, while Japan has set the figures at $4.5 trillion and $46 billion respectively.
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Add comment May 15th, 2007