Tampaksiring Palace, Bali, 27-4-2007

Join Press Briefing Between President of The Republic of Indonesia and Prime Minister Singapore

 

TRANSKRIPKSI
KETERANGAN PERS BERSAMA
PRESIDEN REPUBLIK INDONESIA DENGAN
PERDANA MENTERI SINGAPURA
ISTANA TAMPAKSIRING-BALI,
27 APRIL 2007



<b>Presiden Republik Indonesia</b>
Yang mulia Bapak Perdana Menteri, Hadirin, para Wartawan yang saya cintai,
Hari ini kita menerima kunjungan Perdana Menteri Singapura yang dilanjutkan dengan pertemuan bilateral dan dilanjutkan dengan penandatanganan Extradition Treaty dan Defense Cooperation Agreement.

<i>Excellency Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentleman, Dear Journalists,
Today we honored to meet to visit the visit of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore where we had good bilateral visit and the signing of the Extradition Treaty, the Defense Cooperation Agreement and the Implementation Agreement.</i>

Pertemuan bilateral antara Bapak Perdana Menteri dengan delegasi dan saya dengan delegasi Indonesia ini adalah pertemuan yang ke-9 dalam waktu kurang lebih 2,5 tahun. Dan dalam pertemuan bilateral hari ini, kami membahas 2 agenda utama. Pertama adalah tentang Extradition Treaty dan Defense Cooperation Agreement ini sendiri, termasuk Implementing Arrangement. Dan yang kedua adalah langkah-langkah bersama untuk menyukseskan kerjasama kita di <i>Special Economic Zone</i>, di Pulau Batam, Pulau Bintan, dan Pulau Karimun.

<i>This our ninth meeting in 2,5 years. And in today’s bilateral meeting, we discussed 2 things. First, we discussed matters making Extradition Treaty and Defense Cooperation Agreement. And secondly, we discussed the progress of the Special Economic Zone in</i> Batam, Bintan, <i>and</i> Karimun.

Saudara-saudara,
Saya kira rakyat Indonesia mengikuti, bahwa cukup panjang upaya yang ditempuh oleh Singapura dan Indonesia untuk melahirkan Perjanjian Ekstradisi, 30 tahun lebih dengan pasang surut dan dinamikanya sendiri. Alhamdulillah, setelah pada Februari tahun 2005 yang lalu, kita bertekad untuk merampungkan negosiasi ini dengan intensitas yang lebih tinggi, maka dapat kita rampungkan dan hari ini dapat kami tanda tangani.

<i>The people in Indonesia have been following our common efforts to finalize the negotiating treaty, that it has taken about 30 years and it has taken a lot ups and downs and great deal of dynamics in the process. And Alhamdulillah on February 2005, we decided to start with the negotiation and today we are able to see the fix that negotiation and the agreement that we are signed today. </i>

Tentu saja Extradition Treaty ini bukan satu-satunya pilar kerjasama Indonesia dengan Singapura dan juga bukan satu-satunya pilar di dalam Indonesia menegakkan hukum dalam kerjasamanya dengan negara-negara lain. Tetapi kita mengembangkan setiap bentuk kerjasama, Mutual Legal Assistance, Extradition Treaty, kerjasama untuk mengimplementasikan UN Convention Against Corruption dan lain-lain.

<i>This is not the Extradition Treaty, is not the only pillar of cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore and also is not the only pillar in Indonesia’s law enforcement cooperation with other countries. We also have a mutual legal assistance process. We have the Extradition Treaty and we have also the UN Convention on Corruption.</i>

Setelah Indonesia memiliki Perjanjian Ekstradisi dengan negara-negara lain, misalnya Filipina, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia dalam waktu dekat ini, kita ingin meningkatkan negosiasi dengan Republik Rakyat Tiongkok dan Kanada untuk tujuan yang sama dapat melahirkan sebuah Extradition Treaty dengan negara-negara tersebut.

<i>Our next step, after we have completed Extradition Treaty is to, now that we also have Extradition Treaties with Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and other countries, and Hong Kong. We will also have what pursue Extradition Treaty with China, Canada and other countries.</i>

Dengan Perjanjian Ekstradisi ini, tentu kita berharap Indonesia dan saya yakin juga Singapura akan bisa menegakkan hukum dengan lebih baik lagi, terutama yang berkaitan dengan kerjasama bilateral Indonesia dan Singapura.

<i>With this Extradition Treaty, I hope that Indonesia and Singapore will work together that I’ll hope the law specially those relating to cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore.</i>

Menyangkut Defense Cooperation Agreement, sesungguhnya kerjasama di bidang pertahanan sudah lama kita lakukan di antara Singapura dan Indonesia. Pilarnya pun kokoh, kemudian <i>benefit</i> dari kerjasama ini juga kita rasakan, sebagaimana kemarin, ketika Indonesia mengalami musibah tsunami. Karena kerjasama yang baik sebelumnya, maka kehadiran dari Tentara Singapura menjadi bagian dalam kegiatan tanggap darurat yang ada di wilayah Aceh.

<i>On Defense Cooperation Agreement, it must be said that we had a long cooperation on defense with Singapore. The pillar is very solid and the benefit is very clear. And this can be seen clearly during the tsunami tragedy where the role anticipation of SAF was very critical to the success of the emergency relief efforts.</i>

DCA yang ditandatangani oleh kedua Menteri Pertahanan dan juga Implementing Arrangement yang ditandatangani oleh kedua pemimpin militer di kedua negara, sesungguhnya adalah perpanjangan atau kelanjutan dari <i>agreement</i> yang kita miliki sebelumnya, yaitu <i>agreement</i> tahun 1995 sampai 2003. Dan bahkan itu pun kelanjutan dari perjanjian dan kerjasama yang sudah ada negeri kita.

DCA yang baru ini lebih pasti, kemudian scope-nya lebih luas dan tepat, <i>benefit</i> yang didapatkan kedua belah pihak juga lebih nyata. Dan dengan demikian, kita berharap dengan DCA ini kedua belah pihak dapat mendapatkan keuntungan untuk memelihara profesionalitas, untuk kerjasamanya di kawasan ini, termasuk nantinya kerjasama pengamanan Selat Malaka, kerjasama dalam ASEAN Security Community yang menjadi tugas kita untuk kita kembangkan secara terus-menerus.

<i>The DCA that we signed today is an extension and expansion of the agreement that we had before with Singapore particularly, between 1995 and 2003. This DCA is more clear, its scope is wider and its benefit is more clearer to us. And we hope that there is a great process will be able to drive more benefits from our cooperation in the DCA including our cooperation in the Malacca Strait and in giving substance to the ASEAN Security Community.</i>

Dan agenda terakhir adalah keinginan antara Singapura dan Indonesia untuk meningkatkan kerjasama di Special Economic Zone yang ada di Kepulauan Riau. Kita me-<i>review progress</i> dari kerjasama kita itu dan kita sepakat untuk meningkatkan mekanisme, prosedur dan langkah-langkah yang konkret. Dengan demikian, kita betul-betul memiliki kemajuan yang sama-sama kita harapkan, karena kerjasama di Kepulauan Riau ini juga mendatangkan keuntungan bagi kedua belah pihak. Dan bagi Indonesia sangat nyata, investasi, tenaga kerja, pajak dan lain-lain yang tentunya harus kita jadikan satu peluang kerjasama yang baik.

<i>And the last agenda that we discussed its strength to the Special Economic Zone in the Riau Province, we reviewed that its progress. We reviewed how to improve the procedures, the mechanisms and the concrete steps and we are committed to continue this cooperation for the benefits of our country. For the Indonesia, this is very important because this is more investment, more taxation, more labor, more employment and so for.</i>

Itulah Saudara-saudara yang menjadi agenda dalam pertemuan bilateral pada sore hari ini. Dan yang tadi Saudara saksikan dilanjutkan penandatanganan kedua <i>treaty</i>. Saya persilakan Yang Mulia Perdana Menteri Lee Hsien Loong untuk menyampaikan penjelasannya kepada para wartawan.

<i>That was the essence of our discussion today and also the essence of the bilateral treaties. And now I’ll give floor to His Excellency Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. </i>

<b>Prime Minister of Singapore</b>
<i>Thank you Bapak Presiden. I Speak in English. You’re understanding this.
I am happy to be here today for the signing of two agreements, the DCA and the ET. Both of these are very important agreements, in the case of the ET it’s a matter that has been outstanding for very long time and which is of considerable importance particularly to Indonesia also to Singapore. It’s a matter which Bapak President raised with me when first he visited Singapore after he became President in February 2005. And I responded that we agreed, we work negotiate and we’re trying complete an ET as quickly as we could.

It was not straight forward but there is something which we understood that was important to Indonesia and to Bapak President because of his emphasis on anti-corruption and setting up the clean government. And we would negotiate and cooperate and that is what we have tried to do.

The DCA is also important to both countries because it under things a very important relationship between the Singapore Armed Forces and the TNI. And this is the relationship which causes that the long way and reaches an important component of our bilateral relationship between the two countries, Because of that, importance of the TNI in Indonesia and the SAF’s role in Singapore, so working together, we are able to establish mutual understanding level and an ability to work together whether is a natural disaster, whether is an accident or some others contingencies which can take place in South East Asia.

And the DCA provides the foundation for us to broaden, deepen, and strengthen this relationship. So I am very delighted that we have in able to complete and sign these two agreements. This is not just a matter of technical negotiation but also of political decision on both sides that we would like to focus on these two key issues despite what other matters may come up from time to time and bring them to a successful conclusion and sign them.

So I am very glad that we have signed the ET, the DCA today, the Implementing Agreement for the military training areas signed by the two defense chiefs. And there will be three implementing agreements for the army, the navy, and the air forces. And I understand that it will be signed on 7th of May in Batam after golf game which is the right mood and spirit in which to conduct this business. So that’s the first important area which we’ve discussed today between the President and me.

But we also talked about our other areas of cooperation because having clear these two items which has been outstanding we are now in the bases, on the bases to take our relationship another step forward in to a new phase. The SEZ cooperation is part of this and we are happy that has been progress on this over the last one year that Indonesia has passed the investment law and that in the province, the provincial government has also been trying its best and has for example accommodated a very reasonable and moderate adjustment to the minimum weight in cavity last this year so that the business cause of invest this in the industrial part in the SEZ would be kept under control.

I think this is a project where both sides have a stage where is necessary for the leaders to pay attention to it personally to make that it goes in the right direction and to put emphasis on it. So that we would be able to make progress in the next two, three years whether is this when do of the opportunity when companies are looking for places to invest in Asia, China plus one and we should make Batam, Bintan, Karimun and Indonesia. One of the important plus one which starts companies has to consider when they are looking investment in South East Asia.

So that one important area of cooperation, we have also other areas of cooperation we are working together on bird flue, we are working together on haze we have an project in Jambi with the provincial government to explore more effected methods of preventing forest fast. And we are also working together in ASEAN, formulating on ASEAN Charter and in East Asian Summit where we share important strategic and trust that we are working and together to strength, to form, and to shape the architecture of ASEAN cooperation in Asia. So we have a full agenda and we look forward to we had as a President has nine meetings in the last 2,5 years. I hope in the next of 2,5 years, we have as many meetings and ever greater results.
Thank you.</i>

<b>Presiden Republik Indonesia</b>
Terima kasih. Saya persilakan satu, dua <i>members of the press</i> kalau ingin menyampaikan pertanyaan, baik kepada Bapak Perdana Menteri maupun kepada saya.

<b>Sdr. Wahyudi, Bloomberg</b>
Terima kasih Pak. <i>Question for President SBY, why is the treaty retro active only for 15 years, so the old timers will not be effective? And for Prime Minister Lee, we disguise bank secrecy code. Would you or other authority in your country disclose bank account of a fugitive when you approve or when an Indonesia extradition request is approved bank secrecy code, would be bridge that code or other authorities in Singapore? Thank you.</i>

<b>Prime Minister of Singapore</b>
<i>I am not I don’t have that my bank secrecy law here with me although they are not secret. But we have rules which enable recovery of assets from people who have been convicted of criminal offenses and they have been exercised in fact that has been cases when Indonesian’s cases when the Indonesian Government has active against people who are suspected or convicted on corruption and succeeded on the Singapore court in recovering assets.

So I don’t think our bank secrecy laws are intendment in their suspects. Bank secrecy protects the secrecy of legitimate the confidentiality and privacy of legitimate deposits and crimes of the bank. We are not we are to protect the criminals.</i>

<b>Presiden Republik Indonesia</b>
Ya untuk pertanyaan mengapa 15 tahun, retro aktif yang akhirnya disetujui dalam Perjanjian Ekstradisi ini. Biasanya memang ada dua pilihan, apakah berlakunya ekstradisi itu segera setelah ditandatanganinya atau diratifikasinya perjanjian itu atau waktu tertentu yang kita sebut dengan retro aktif. Tentunya, 15 tahun bagi Indonesia memiliki keuntungan yang besar. Saudara masih ingat, bahwa ketika awal krisis terjadi di negeri ini, banyak sekali kejadian-kejadian yang kita sebut dengan kejahatan di bidang keuangan dan perbankan yang kemudian pelaku-pelakunya berada di banyak negara di dunia ini. Oleh karena itu, kalau dikaitkan dengan itu, tentu Indonesia punya peluang yang baik dalam rangka kerjasama ini untuk memproses, untuk tentu dengan prosedur, dengan mekanisme dan tatanan yang ada, untuk katakanlah menyelesaikan masalah-masalah yang tersisa itu. Jadi kita tentu mendapatkan <i>luxury</i> dari 15 tahun ini.

Di sini hadir Pimpinan DPR RI, Bapak Agung Laksono, tentu setelah perjanjian ini ada proses ratifikasi. Di situlah kita ingin benar-benar apa yang sudah lama kita dambakan, kita negosiasikan dengan niat yang baik di antara Singapura dan Indonesia ini betul-betul bisa segera kita lakukan dengan sebaik-baiknya.

<i>On regard the question why goes back 15 years? We have two choices. First, whether or not right after the signing then we will only do the crime that what happen on after the signing or we will take care, will also address crimes that happen before the signing which is retro active. 15 years timeline is a big advantage for us because as we know after the crisis 1997 and 1998, there were number of banking or financial crimes that took place in Indonesia. So we hope that with this agreement that we can address this issue between in Indonesia through mechanism there is available between Indonesia and Singapore.

We see here the President of Representative from our Parliament and this agreement will be examined it to them for ratification soon. And we hope that what we have worked so hard for so long can be ratified by the Indonesian Parliament.</i>

Satu yang belum diterjemahkan, kalau kita bicara <i>fugitive</i>, itu tidak hanya kita perlu kerjasama ekstradisi dengan Singapura, karena informasi yang kita dengar mereka juga ada di negara-negara lain. Oleh karena itulah, Perjanjian Ekstradisi ini kita kembangkan dengan negara-negara yang lain yang saya katakan tadi, dengan Republik Rakyat Tiongkok atau China, dengan Kanada dan mungkin negara-negara lain yang belum memiliki Perjanjian Ekstradisi dengan Indonesia.

<i>When we are talking about fugitive, we are not talking also about between Indonesia and Singapore but we are also talking about those where in other countries. And that it is why we will attempt to conclude extradition treaty with China, and Canada and other countries as well.</i>

<b>Journalist from Singapore</b>
<i>(Pertanyaan tidak jelas)</i>

<b>Prime Minister of Singapore</b>
<i>What was President has explained and I have also explained we have now got not only a balance package but also two good agreements. So the Extradition Treaty is carefully negotiated document in which we believe will be enforceable and workable. And the Defense Cooperation Agreement, the benefit is depending and strengthening the relationship between the TNI and the Singapore Armed Forces. And I think these our two important objectives the two countries may put different way and each one but as a package, DCA and ET together. I believe that is a package which is beneficial to both countries and which is politically defensible and where which will bring in political support both in Singapore and also in Indonesia. </i>

<b>The Jakarta Post</b>
<i>Mr. President, would you like explain more details what Indonesia could obtain from real advantages or real benefits from the DCA and the Implementation of Arrangement in training areas between the two countries armed forces?
Thank you.</i>

<b>Presiden Republik Indonesia</b>
Baik. Sebagaimana saya antarkan tadi, Defense Cooperation Agreement ini membawa <i>benefit</i> yang nyata, baik bagi Singapur dan bagi Indonesia.

Saudara-saudara,
Kita memerlukan kerjasama dengan negara sahabat, sebagai contoh, bagaimana Singapura, Malaysia, Indonesia wajib untuk mengamankan Selat Malaka. Kita juga memiliki konsep masyarakat keamanan ASEAN yang perlu melakukan kerjasama untuk mengemban tugas untuk kawasan yang <i>stable and peaceful</i> di Asia Tenggara. Itu yang pertama.

<i>The DCA brings real benefits to Singapore and Indonesia. We definitely need cooperation with our neighbors, among those cooperation, we need to work together to secure the Malacca Strait and we also have take in advancing the ASEAN Security Community to provide for a stable and peaceful South East Asia. </i>

Dan <i>benefit</i> yang kedua adalah dengan kerjasama di bidang pertahanan, kerjasama di bidang pelatihan ini, kita juga bisa meningkatkan profesionalitas kita, kemampuan kita, akses pada teknologi modern, teknologi militer yang modern yang dimiliki oleh negara-negara sahabat, termasuk Singapura. Itu yang kedua.

<i>And the second benefit is that through this training and cooperation we will also enhance our professionalism particularly with regard through modern technology that there is owned by our neighbors including Singapore. </i>

Yang ketiga, kita juga bisa dengan skema kerjasama di bidang latihan untuk menggunakan fasilitas-fasilitas yang dimiliki oleh Singapura. Dengan demikian, memungkinkan untuk kita memelihara pengetahuan, pengalaman dan juga modernitas dari sistem persenjataan modern yang dimiliki oleh Singapura dan tentunya dalam hal ini, sekali lagi dalam peningkatan upaya bersama untuk keamanan di wilayah Asia Tenggara ini.

<i>And thirdly through the mechanism of cooperation, we can also get more access to facilities and training that of the Singapore Armed Forces and we will get also the know how experience that will help the cooperation between the armed forces and also in promoting security in through Asia.</i>

Dan yang keempat atau yang terakhir, Singapura juga shares di dalam infrastructure building di daerah-daerah latihan itu, tentunya ini kontribusi yang baik. Dengan demikian, daerah latihannya ada, ada kontribusi untuk pembangunan infrastructure yang bisa digunakan secara bermanfaat antara Indonesia dengan Singapura dan negara-negara sahabat tentunya pada saatnya nanti.

And fourth, Singapore also shares in infrastructure building in these training areas. So this will also be beneficial to Indonesia and also to our neighbors.

Journalist from Singapore
Prime Minister, you said just now that it was a political decision for both countries to focus on these two agreements and get them concluded? I would like to ask you and President, to comment on some of that political issue that has to be taken into account and manage?

<b>Prime Minister of Singapore</b>
<i>I think first we have to look at of all context of the relationship that it is a relationship which has been broke up over many years it goes back. In our case to so after we became independent and many areas of interaction and cooperation. These are issues which have been there for sometimes we embarked and negotiated them about 2 years ago. And as we negotiated them there have been further development in our relationship.

And you have to work out a package where both sides have a good and fair deal but my decide feels that it is imbalance. And it also has be a package which can be explained, and solved, and defended to the Parliaments and to the outage and the citizen of each of their countries. And there are sensitivities on both sides, because on the Singapore side people would ask why are we doing this? Why are we concluding an Extradition Treaty? On Indonesia side, the question will be asked has been asked today, why do we need the DCA? What is benefit to Indonesia? And it is necessary for us to explain that the ET makes sense and the DCA makes sense and together also take in the whole package, it makes sense to us and to the other side and on a sustain bases. Because we are not talking about something which is just three year or five year arrangement and this is an arrangement, it is the last a consider period of time and it has to be in accordance with that two interested of both parties for to be able to workable, to be workable and sustainable.

And that took a long time to negotiate because it is not easy for us to reach the compromises. And having reached these compromises, we will know become necessary for the treaties to be ratified and for the explanation to be made to the population, so if they understand and they will support it. And what is possible? What can be delivered? What will be achieved? What will not completely achieve? What will this to do? So these are what was now we have to start doing and I think Bapak President has started doing it already and so have we in Singapore. </i>

<b>Presiden Republik Indonesia</b>
Ya perspektif lain dari <i>political context</i> adalah marilah kita lihat dalam kerangka kerjasama yang lebih besar. <i>A political context</i> dalam arti <i>wider, meaning</i> bukan dalam <i>practical politics</i> yang tentunya menjadi <i>foundations</i>, menjadi <i>cone of stone</i> dalam kerjasama bilateral Singapura-Indonesia untuk masa depan.

<i>The other we must be able to see from wider political context. And that wider political context is the wider interest and cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore. So there is something that we need to build in for the future.</i>

Saya berpendapat, bahwa antara Bapak Perdana Menteri dan saya bukan hanya meng-<i>handle</i> isu-isu yang ada, <i>the existing issues</i> sekarang ini, meskipun harus kita kelola dengan baik untuk kepentingan kedua negara dan kedua bangsa. Tapi kita harus bisa lebih dari itu untuk bisa mendapatkan peluang-peluang kerjasama yang baru. Seperti saya katakan tadi, kerjasama di Special Economic Zone atau bentuk-bentuk kerjasama yang lain yang tentunya sangat mungkin itu akan datang apabila isu-isu yang ada itu bisa kita atasi dan bisa kita selesaikan.

<i>In my view between the Prime Minister and I, we both have the responsibility not just to handle the issues that are on the table but also to create new opportunities such as Special Economic Zone and other issues that we can address or produce once we have the ability to resolve whatever issues that are now present before us.</i>

Sehingga sebagai kesimpulannya menurut pendapat saya, Yang Mulia Bapak Perdana Menteri, bahwa <i>political context</i> yang harus kita pertimbangkan adalah seluruh kerjasama yang harus kita bangun dan kita kembangkan di waktu yang akan datang untuk kepentingan kedua bangsa dan perlunya diselesaikan isu-isu yang ada di depan kita dengan cara-cara yang baik. Inilah yang menurut saya sangat konstruktif untuk betul-betul lebih mempererat kerjasama di antara kedua negara di waktu yang akan datang.

<i>The conclusion is that the political context that we need to address is that there is a comprehensive, there is interest of both sides to work together to build new opportunities for the future but also resolve the crone issues and this is the constructive approach that we are adopting.</i>


Terima kasih.
<i>Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.</i>



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