The Aceh Tsunami and the Australian Defence Force

The decision-making process to involve the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in the post-Aceh tsunami took place at three levels of analysis: the strategic level, operational level, and tactical and personal level. At the strategic level, the Indonesian government utilised Constitution 1945, Law 3/2002 on State Defence and Law 34/2004 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) as the foundation of national regulations to invite the Australian government to develop military-to-military cooperation with the TNI to carry out MOOTW in response to the Aceh tsunami. At the operational level, the TNI utilised its role as military in the host country to develop a rule of engagement with the ADF and foreign militaries to coordinate a MOOTW in Aceh. At the tactical and personal level, the TNI utilised its role in the management of political interests at the local level with the ADF and the multinational troops to focus on the MOOTW and decline any involvement in the separatist issue with GAM.