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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: US-INDONESIA DEFENSE DIPLOMACY - Gunawan
HEADLINE: US strengthens military ties with Southeast Asian countries
TEASER:
PUBLISHED:
BYLINE: Virginia Gunawan
CONTRIBUTOR: Ahadian Utama, Hafizh Sahadeva
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: Ahadian Utama, Hafizh Sahadeva
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: KEnochs; Aru Pande
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, Zoom
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO _x_
TRT: 2:49p
VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen
TYPE:
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO))
[[The United States has deepened its cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific region in recent years, including Japan and South Korea. But it has also reached out to non-allies, including non-aligned countries of Southeast Asia like Indonesia. VOA's Virginia Gunawan reports.]]
((NARRATOR))
(UPSOUND)
(VIDEO: US and Indonesian troops toss football)
American troops in the Indonesian province of East Java are teaching Indonesian troops about American football.
(VIDEO: Volleyball between US and Indonesian troops)
And a more familiar friendly game of volleyball.
It’s a welcome bit of downtime for the 2,500 US troops, participating in joint military exercises in Indonesia.
(UPSOUND)
(VIDEO: Free clinic for residents)
The Super Garuda Shield military exercises arep art of a larger effort to deepen ties in the region. There are also pop-up medical clinics held for residents of the Sidoarjo Regency, near where the exercise is taking place.
Kelly Grieco is a U.S. defense and military analyst at the Washington-based Stimson Center.
((Kelly Grieco, Stimson Center))
(Mandatory courtesy: Zoom)
3:40
"These exercises are primarily a form of defense diplomacy; and they are meant to send political signals that are often more important about the kind of strategic signals they send than actually the military value of them per se."
((NARRATOR))
(VIDEO: Various of joint exercises)
The exercises themselves involve some 5,500 troops from over a dozen countries, spanning two weeks from the end of August to early September.
Among the participants are troops from Canada, France, and Britain as well as other countries in the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, India, Japan, and Singapore.
One major country in the region not participating is China, which has vast territorial claims over the South China Sea. Indonesian military officials reject any notion that the military exercise shows Indonesia is taking sides between Beijing and Washington.
((RADIO CUE: Vice Admiral Maman Firmansyah is the Indonesian Commander for Military Training and Exercises, who says Indonesia is not a US ally, and only takes what is the best practice that the country can adopts.
((Vice Admiral Maman Firmansyah, Indonesiam Military Commander)) (male, in Indonesian)
2:00
(Mandatory courtesy: Zoom)
"We are not (US) allies. We only see what are the best practices and what we can adopt for ourselves."
((NARRATOR))
(VIDEO: Various of amphibious assault exercises)
Part of these best practices are in joint command and control, shown in amphibious landing exercises, involving troops from participating countries.
Rahman Yacoob is a Southeast Asian defense expert at the Sydney-based Lowy institute.
((Rahman Yacoob, Lowy Institute))
11:41
"The Indonesian navy warship is able to communicate directly with the American warships, the kind of exercise is sophisticated, high-end, but wth the Chinese, it's a bit different. (With China-Indonesia exercise) It's basically basic, simple passing exercises, signaling exercises with each other. There is one Southeast Asian naval official that shared with me the exercises (Indonesia holds) with the Chinese are so basic that they can be done with a fishing vessel."
((NARRATOR))
(VIDEO: Various of exercise)
The Lowy Institute says the U.S. has conducted 525 joint exercises with Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia from 2021 to 2023, making it by far the largest defense training partner with the region, compared to other countries like Australia and China.
((Virginia Gunawan, VOA News, Washington))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateSeptember 17, 2024 08:13 EDT
BylineVirginia Gunawan
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
