S’pore bans KRI Usman-Harun from its territory

JAKARTA. Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen announced that the country would forbid the Indonesian Navy corvette KRI Usman-Harun to enter its territory under any circumstances.

“It will be impossible for us to imagine that we will sail together or conduct joint military action with the vessel,” Hen said Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Hen had further expressed his disappointment, saying the controversial name would only reopen an old wound and thus jeopardize the harmonious relationship between the two countries.

“Bear in mind that our relationship has been very mutual. We help each other during misfortunes,” he said.

He then cited that the Indonesian military had assisted Singapore when a Singaporean aircraft crash landed in Palembang in 1997 and the Singaporean army was the first contingent to offer assistance during the great Tsunami in 2004 that claimed the lives of nearly 200,000 people.

Singaporean lawmaker Bishan-Toa Payoh, in similar tone, acknowledged that this has been a serious setback for the Indonesia-Singapore military relationship.

“We all are wanting to maintain and develop respectful and harmonious relationship. Now given the setback, we have no idea on how to regain the same quality in our relationship again,” he said.