Defense Minister Reminds TNI Leaders To Beware Of Foreign Intelligence In Indonesia

JAKARTA - Minister of Defense (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto reminded the leadership and commander of the TNI unit to be aware of foreign intelligence operations in Indonesia because it can affect domestic stability.

When delivering a summary of his keynote address at the Geopolitical & Geostrategic Symposium and its Influence on Indonesia Prabowo gave an example that there was a possibility that the case in Rempang also involved foreign intelligence interference.

"We have received reports from various sources that we should know that events in Rempang have begun to intervene in foreign intelligence, and we have experienced a lot in Aceh, we experienced it in Ambon, we experienced it in Timor-Timor, and we experienced it in Papua continuously how foreign interference greatly affected our condition," Prabowo said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, November 2.

In front of thousands of TNI leaders and commanders who were present at the cemetery, he leaked the results of a geostrategical study of an unnamed big country'. Prabowo called it Negara X.

"I will convey a summary study only from a geostrategical study of a large country (which) we can go through good relations. This is one of the studies from country X, maybe you can draw your own conclusions about which country it is, but I will not officially convey it," said the Minister of Defense.

However, before speaking further, Prabowo asked the journalists who covered to leave the room, because of sensitive and closed discussion material.

When asked about it, including about foreign intelligence operations that he mentioned at the event, Prabowo did not answer. After giving a brief statement about the event to reporters, Prabowo immediately walked towards his office.

Prabowo conveyed that the TNI leaders need to know and be aware of the latest geopolitical situation, especially after the war in Ukraine and Gaza.

I see this as necessary because the development of geopolitical dynamics is developing so fast and the influence in one region of the world that seems far from us in today's era has an extraordinary impact on the whole world. Examples of war in Ukraine have resulted in the world's fuel prices rising tremendously. The war in Ukraine makes fertilizers expensive and scarce, if fertilizers are expensive and scarce, it will affect food production in most parts of the world. If food production is affected, it will result in political and social destabilization," Prabowo said.

He continued that the war in Ukraine has not yet been completed, it turns out that war has also erupted in Gaza.

"The war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas will affect us directly or indirectly because almost 90 percent of our people are Muslims, and events involving the Islamic world must have an effect on the psychological condition and peace of our people," said the Minister of Defense.

Therefore, he asked the TNI leaders to anticipate the impact of the world's geopolitical, geostrategy and geoeconomic situation on defense and stability in Indonesia.

"I invite several ministers, actors who control our economic conditions to give an overview of what we face, where later the conclusion is that Indonesia is so big and so rich in controlling critical minerals for world life in the 21st century, so we can't help but be targeted for the great powers of the world, and this concerns the physical things that are in front of our eyes," said Prabowo Subianto.