Indonesia sends protest note on US plan to build military surveillance base near territory
JAKARTA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- An Indonesian minister said on Thursday that government has sent a protest note against the plan of U.S. military to build a military base in Australia's Cocos island located 3,000 kilometers south of its territory, saying that it would disrupt the country's sovereignty.
"Our protest was based on the data we already gathered regarding the issue. The data were gathered through monitoring using planes and radar. We had conveyed the protest note," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security affairs Djoko Suyanto told a press conference here.
He said that the protest note had been conveyed to Australia and U.S. governments. According to the minister, there had been interactive communication between related institutions in Australia and U.S. regarding the protest. "Each country had the rights to protect their sovereignty," the minister said.
Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith said in earlier reports that the United States intended to use Cocos island as the base for its surveillance planes. But the plan, he said, would not be implemented in the near future.
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Since when does the US military need another military base anyway?
Shouldn't it be realized by now that military expansionism will only result in more unnecessary antagonism abroad?
= new reply since forum marked as read
Check out the Turtle at 1:53 
