[ETAN-key] ETAN Rejects Added Aid for Indonesian Military

[John M Miller]

Rights Group Rejects Added Aid for Indonesian Military

ETAN Responds to Bush Administration’s Waiver Justification

For Immediate Release

Contact: John M. Miller, 718-596-7668; 
917-690-4391 (cell) Karen Orenstein, 202-544-6911

February 27, 2006 - The East Timor and Indonesia 
Action Network (ETAN) today urged Congress to 
reject the Bush administration's request for 
increased Foreign Military Financing (FMF) funds 
for Indonesia. The group said Congress should 
“zero out” the greater than six-fold increase and 
re-impose conditions on military assistance to 
Indonesia. The request is part of the 
administration's proposed budget for 2007.

"Arming the military is not the way to promote 
democracy and human rights in Indonesia," said 
Karen Orenstein, National Coordinator of ETAN. 
"Congress should zero out the Bush 
administration's unwarranted gift to Indonesia's unreformed military."

"Last November, the Secretary of State recklessly 
waived restrictions on U.S. military assistance 
to Indonesia, abandoning the best U.S. leverage 
to press for genuine reform," continued 
Orenstein. "Congress should reject this loophole 
as it considers the 2007 appropriations bill."

ETAN today published a detailed analysis of the 
administration's arguments for enacting the 
waiver, as contained in a Memorandum of 
Justification produced by the State Department 
(see http://www.etan.org/news/2006/02waiver.htm).

"The State Department's memo is full of 
misleading and irrelevant arguments. It fails to 
make the case that the waiver is in the ‘national 
security interest’ of the U.S., as required by 
law," said Orenstein. "The waiver undeniably 
undermines efforts to promote justice for human 
rights crimes in East Timor and real reform in Indonesia."

The memo pledges that, “
the quality and quantity 
of our assistance will continue to be guided by 
progress on democratic reform and accountability, 
and carefully calibrated to promote these outcomes.”

However, no specific “calibrated” benchmarks 
against which such “progress” is to be measured 
are included in the memo. “State Department 
officials have indicated that no such benchmarks 
had been prepared, nor were any envisioned. The 
Congressional conditions that were waived, 
however, did provide such benchmarks,” according to ETAN’s analysis.

How does a large increase in funding for the 
Indonesian military represent a ‘carefully 
calibrated’ response to progress in reform? 
Impunity for serious human rights violations, 
including crimes against humanity, still reins 
supreme in Indonesia. The situation on the ground 
hasn’t changed since the November waiver,” said Orenstein.

Background

FMF provides grants and loans to governments to 
buy U.S. military weapons, equipment, services, and training.

In FY06, the administration plans to spend an 
estimated $990,000 in FMF funds. For FY07, the 
administration has asked for $6.5 million. 
Proposed spending on IMET, a military training 
program, would grow from nearly $800,000 to $1.285 million.

In 2005, the administration chose to restart 
multiple military programs for Indonesia. Full 
IMET for Indonesia resumed for the first time 
since 1992. Last May, the administration resumed 
non-lethal Foreign Military Sales. Extensive 
counter-terrorism programs, in place for several 
years, continued to expand. The U.S. government 
has provided tens of millions of dollars for the 
Indonesian police, and the military receives the 
greatest share of the Pentagon's Regional Defense 
Counterterrorism Fellowship Program.

On November 22, only two days after the FY 2006 
Foreign Operations Appropriations Act became law, 
the State Department waived conditions 
restricting FMF and defense exports to Indonesia. 
Military assistance to Indonesia is now available 
without Congressional restrictions for that 
country for the first time in more than a decade.

The conditions abandoned by the administration 
include prosecution of those responsible for 
human rights violations in East Timor and 
elsewhere and implementation of reforms to 
enhance civilian control of the Indonesian military.

ETAN advocates for democracy, justice and human 
rights for East Timor and Indonesia. ETAN calls 
for an international tribunal to prosecute crimes 
against humanity committed in East Timor from 
1975 to 1999 and for restrictions on U.S. 
military assistance to Indonesia until there is 
genuine reform of its security forces. For 
additional background, see www.etan.org.

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John M. Miller         Internet: fbp at igc.org
National Coordinator
East Timor & Indonesia Action Network

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