Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo on 3 December 2008. It is “currently in the process of carrying out socialization and dissemination about the Convention to the relevant stakeholders such as the Department of Defense, Indonesian Armed Forces, the parliament and defense industry. We believe that the comprehensive understanding of the [convention] is pertinent to expedite the ratification process right after the [convention] has entered into force.”^[1]

Indonesia is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW).^[2]

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Indonesia was supportive of a ban on cluster munitions from the beginning of the Oslo Process. It participated in all four of the Oslo Process international conferences in Oslo, Lima, Vienna, and Wellington, the Dublin negotiations in May 2008, and the regional conference in Lao PDR in October 2008.

Throughout the process Indonesia was one of the strongest supporters of a comprehensive treaty free of exceptions or loopholes. It stressed the importance of banning rather than just regulating cluster munitions. It wanted the broadest possible definition of cluster munitions, with no exceptions for certain types, and the shortest possible deadline for stockpile destruction. It opposed any transition period before obligations took effect, and expressed concern about the provision on “interoperability” (joint military operations with states not party). With respect to the exclusion for certain weapons with submunitions, Indonesia said the burden of proof must be on those who possess the weapons to demonstrate that they do not have the harmful humanitarian effects of cluster munitions.^[3]

Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono signed the convention on behalf of Indonesia. He called the convention “a watershed in the history of the global movement for disarmament” and a “shining example of a successful partnership among states, civil society, UN Agencies and other international organizations in carrying out disarmament as humanitarian action.” He concluded by saying, “We can succeed in stigmatizing any future use of cluster munitions. And all of mankind will recognize cluster munitions for what they are: cruel, inhumane, and ultimately ineffective.”^[4]

Use, Production, Stockpiling, and Transfer

At the Lima conference in May 2007, Indonesia stated that it had never used, produced or transferred cluster munitions.^[5]

The size and precise content of Indonesia’s stockpile of cluster munitions is not known. Jane’s Information Group lists it as possessing Rockeye cluster bombs.^[6] According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, “Indonesia will provide its transparency report which contains the detail of its cluster munitions stockpile after the [convention] has entered into force and Indonesia becomes a party to it.”^[7]