Indonesia suspends all military cooperation with Australia, reportedly over 'insulting' training material

Indonesia has suspended all military cooperation with Australia, allegedly over insulting training material on display at an Australian Special Forces base.

PHOTO: The ABC understands Indonesia's Kopassus special forces train in Perth. (Reuters: Edgar Su)

An Indonesian military spokesman told the ABC cooperation between Indonesia and the Australian Defence Force had been suspended effective immediately.

The ABC understands the Indonesian Special Forces group Kopassus trains with the Special Air Service at the unit's base in Perth.

Major General Wuryanto would not confirm the reason for the suspension, saying it was for technical matters, and that there were "ups and downs in every cooperation between two national forces".

But an Indonesian newspaper, Kompas, reported that a Kopassus instructor felt insulted by material on display at the training facility.

The "laminated material" was demeaning to Indonesia's founding principles of Pancasila, according to Kompas.

Kompas reported that it followed another earlier incident, when a Kopassus member discovered lessons being taught at the Special Forces base were demeaning to the Indonesian military.

It is unclear how long the suspension is for or whether the suspension will affect future joint training exercises between Indonesia and Australia.

Future of Navy exercises unclear

The Indonesian and Australian navies are due to participate in multinational training exercises in February.

A spokesman for the Indonesian Navy said he had just found out about the military chief's "statement about the suspension of cooperation with Australia".

"Whether or not we will continue with the joint exercise, I will have to get back to you on that," First Admiral Jonias Mozes Sipasulta said.

"I need to build more details first. Usually we don't suspend cooperation on education and training but now I heard we've suspended all cooperation."

Until this incident the military relationship between the two nations had been improving.

Military cooperation between the two nations was last suspended in 2013 over a phone-tapping scandal.

Documents obtained by the ABC and Guardian Australia revealed that in 2009, Australian intelligence attempted to tap the mobile phone of then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.