no. 53 January-
March 1998		   Abri in figures
 
Indonesia Australia Thailand
Population (million) 203 18 58
Military expenditure (US$million) 3,398 8,401 4,014
Armed forces (1000s) 280 58 288
Arms exports (US$million) 10 50 0
Arms imports/ Total imports (%) 0.4 1.5 1.6
Mil. expend./ Gross National Product (%) 1.8 2.5 2.5
Mil. expend./ Central govt. expend. (%) 8.9 8.8 15.2
Mil. expend./ population (US$) 17 465 69
Armed forces/ 1000 population 1.4 3.2 4.9
Source: US Arms Control & Disarmament Agency, 1996.

Indonesia Australia Thailand
Army main battle tanks 0 (355 light tanks) 71 253
Navy subs 2 4 0
destroyers 0 3 0
frigates 17 8 12
Air Force fighters 65 105 89
Source: Military Balance, 1997/98

The Indonesian armed forces play a prominent role in domestic politics. But in comparison with its neighbours they are by no means funded extravagantly. For example, though its population is less than a third of Indonesia's, the Thai armed forces have nearly the same number of personnel as Indonesia's, and often more and better equipment. Australia and Indonesia spend the same proportion of the government budget on the military, but the Australian economy is bigger so it actually spends more than twice as much as Indonesia. Yet Australia's population is less than one tenth that of Indonesia's.