Jakarta, Aug. 10 -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stressed that building a strong military and defense posture is essential for safeguarding a nation's independence and sovereignty from both internal and external threats.

"It should be noted that our nation needs a strong military because no nation can remain independent without a powerful defense force. I repeat once again, no nation is independent without a strong military," he remarked in West Bandung, West Java, on Sunday.

The president made the statement while serving as inspector at a grand ceremony marking the structural expansion of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) at the Center for Education and Training of the Special Forces Command (Kopassus) of the Indonesi...