Military Area Command IX/udayana, Thailand Army Improve Military Relationship

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - Military Area Command IX/Udayana and Thailand army have been improving military relationship through information exchange on defense and security of national border areas, Major General Wisnu Bawa Tenaya reported here on Wednesday.

"We want to improve our military relationship. During this period, Indonesia and Thailand have been sharing information and holding discussions about the national borders," he said, after welcoming the deputy commander of First Military Region, Major General Varah Boonyasit, in Denpasar.

Maj. Gen. Boonyasit`s visit to the headquarters of Military Area Command IX/Udayana follows the recent visit of Maj. Gen. Wisnu Bawa Tenaya, commander of Military Area Command IX/Udayana, to the First Military Region.

The army`s top military commanders have discussed various issues, including security information exchange in the border areas.

He noted that the Military Area Command IX/Udayana is in charge of the national border with Timor Leste. Therefore, Indonesia can exchange experiences with the Thai military, which also shares border with several countries, such as Myanmar and Cambodia.

Earlier, the Indonesian army and the Thailand army had cooperated through an exchange program of personnel for studying the military developments of the two countries.

The Thai military also wanted information on the security strategy applied by the Indonesian army when frequent international events are held in Bali, which are safe and successful.

"Moreover, some places in Thailand and Bali are tourism attractions. We have been learning from each other about security, especially in Bali, which often hosts international events. He (Varah Boonyasit) wanted to gather intelligence on the security strategy and system applied," Maj. Gen. Wisnu pointed out.

He explained that the key success of the Indonesian military in securing every international event is the cooperation among the army, police, traditional Balinese security called Pecalang, and every community.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Varah Boonyasit said that his visit to Bali is a follow up to strengthen military ties between Indonesia and Thailand.

"It is a policy between the two armies. Besides visits, we also conduct educational cooperation to improve our relationship," he added. (WDY)