Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo in the US: what lies ahead for defence cooperation

The Conversation – One year after securing a new title as defence minister of Southeast Asia’s largest economy, Prabowo Subianto was finally able to visit America again in October. The trip was made possible by the US government’s decision to lift its two-decade ban on the former army general accused of masterminding various human rights abuses since the late 1970s. Activists criticised the decision as “a loss for human rights.”

During his visit, Prabowo met US Defence Secretary Mark Esper at the Pentagon. They agreed to improve military and maritime security cooperation between the countries. However, despite the controversial US diplomatic efforts to bring in Prabowo, I argue that the visit will not lead to significant defence industry cooperation between the two countries. Here’s why.

Article originally published in https://theconversation.com/indonesian-defence-minister-prabowo-in-the-us-what-lies-ahead-for-defence-cooperation-148732