[ETAN-key] Rights Group Calls on Congress to Restrict Military Assistance to Indonesia to Promote Reform and Accountability

[John M Miller]

[use this version]

Rights Group Calls for Restrictions on Military Assistance to 
Indonesia to Promote Reform and Accountability

House Committee Would Turn a Blind Eye to Rights Violations, Impunity

For Immediate Release

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

May 25, 2006 - The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) 
today urged Congress to restore restrictions on military assistance 
for Indonesia in the FY 2007 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. 
Over the objection of the Foreign Operations Appropriations 
Subcommittee Ranking Member, Nita Lowey (D-NY), Chairperson Jim Kolbe 
(R-AZ) insisted on funding weapons sales and military training for Indonesia.

"The committee's failure under Mr. Kolbe's leadership to impose any 
conditions on assistance to the Indonesian military will only setback 
reform and accountability. The committee has turned a blind eye to 
the ongoing violations, impunity, and horrific record of the 
Indonesian military (TNI), a record acknowledged in report language 
accompanying the bill," said Karen Orenstein, National Coordinator for ETAN.

"The TNI pays attention to Congress's action, not its rhetoric," 
added Orenstein.

"In the past, Congress has consistently imposed limits on assistance 
to Indonesia to promote human rights and reform," said Orenstein. "We 
urge Congress to continue in that tradition, by restoring 
restrictions without a waiver before passing the bill."

Highlights of the Bill

The committee recommended $4,500,000 foreign military financing (FMF) 
program for Indonesia, $3,510,000 more than this year, but $2 million 
less than the administration's request. The committee expressed 
"continuing concern about the professionalism of the Indonesian 
military" and stated that providing additional assistance in "no way 
signals decreased concern about the poor human rights record of the 
Indonesian military forces."

The TNI's record in Timor-Leste (also known as East Timor) was most 
recently documented in the report of its Commission for Reception, 
Truth and Reconciliation. The committee welcomed this report and 
urged "the Governments of Indonesia, East Timor, and other interested 
nations to examine, consider and respond to recommendations made in 
the report." It also urged "the Government of Indonesia to work to 
implement" the recommendations of the UN Secretary General's 
Commission of Experts, which last year evaluated accountability for 
serious crimes committed in East Timor in 1999.

The committee further directed the Department of State "to report on 
the current climate for human rights defenders in Indonesia." The 
committee highlighted the September 2004 poisoning death of human 
rights lawyer Munir Said Thalib, noting that Indonesia's president 
had yet to release the report of the his own fact-finding team's 
investigation into the assassination and emphasized "the need to 
fully investigate any past or present senior government or military 
officials implicated by that report."

Background

Last November, Congress agreed to continue restrictions on Foreign 
Military Financing (FMF) and export of "lethal" military equipment to 
Indonesia until human rights and other conditions were met. Two days 
after the bill became law, the Department of State issued a waiver 
removing these restrictions. Congress had imposed various 
restrictions on military assistance for Indonesia since 1992.

When issuing the waiver, the State Department pledged to "carefully 
calibrate" any assistance to the TNI. Instead, the administration's 
actions have demonstrated a policy of unrestrained engagement with the TNI.

Last week, 15 human rights, religious and other organizations urged 
the House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee to reinstate 
restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Indonesia as the best way 
"to influence positive change in Indonesia and to encourage justice 
for the people of Timor-Leste." They called legislated restrictions 
on FMF and lethal defense exports, without a national security 
waiver, "the most important leverage the U.S. Congress can exercise."

Earlier in May, the administration announced it would provide up to 
$19 million for the Indonesian military through a new Pentagon 
program "to build foreign military force capacity." The groups in 
their letter wrote, "This amount dwarfs recent assistance levels," 
and that "this appropriation further invalidates any justification to 
provide FMF for Indonesia for FY07...."

In addition to assistance through the new Pentagon program, recent 
administration moves have included the participation of the commander 
of Kopassus, the Indonesian military's notorious special forces unit, 
in the Pentagon's annual Pacific Area Special Operation Conference 
(PASOC) in April. This month, the Indonesian military for the first 
time is participating in the Cobra Gold regional military exercise 
with the United States and other countries.

In its final report, Timor-Leste's Commission for Reception, Truth 
and Reconciliation called on countries to make military assistance to 
Indonesia "totally conditional on progress towards full 
democratisation, the subordination of the military to the rule of law 
and civilian government, and strict adherence with international 
human rights..."

In March, the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command stated in 
testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee that he endorsed 
"a rapid, concerted infusion of assistance" for the TNI.

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 <http://www.etan.org>www.etan.org.


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John M. Miller         Internet: fbp at igc.org

National Coordinator
East Timor & Indonesia Action Network:

48 Duffield St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA
Phone: (718)596-7668      Fax: (718)222-4097
Mobile phone: (917)690-4391
Web site: http://www.etan.org

Send a blank e-mail message to info at etan.org to find out
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