[ETAN-key] Reminder - sign on letter on U.S. Indonesia military assistance

[ETAN]

The new Congress offers increased opportunities to place restrictions 
and conditions on U.S. military assistance to Indonesia. The 
following letter will be sent to the entire Congress to urge it to 
use its power to promote genuine democracy and justice for Indonesia 
and East Timor. The themes of the letter are similar to one many of 
you signed last November to President Bush prior to his trip to 
Indonesia. We hope that your organization will sign this letter. The 
deadline is TUESDAY, March 20.

Thank you if you have already signed.

We look forward to hearing from you. Please contact me if you have questions.

John M. Miller
National Coordinator, ETAN
john at etan.org; 718-596-7668



PO BOX 21873
BROOKLYN, NY 11202-1873

March XX, 2007

Dear Member of Congress:

As organizations concerned with human rights and justice in Indonesia 
and East Timor, we respectfully urge Congress to reinstate 
restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Indonesia's armed forces. 
Restrictions on U.S. assistance to the Indonesian military have been 
crucial in Indonesia's transition to democracy and in East Timor's 
achieving its independence. For 15 years, Congress played a leading 
role in shaping and imposing those restrictions. It should do so 
again in order to promote progress in military reform, 
accountability, and respect for human rights in Indonesia and East 
Timor. Re-engagement with the Indonesian military has failed.

We remain deeply troubled by the Indonesia's security forces 
widespread impunity for crimes against humanity and other serious 
violations committed against the peoples of East Timor and Indonesia; 
its continued resistance to civilian control and oversight; its lack 
of budget transparency; and its persistent emphasis on internal 
security. In Papua, where outside access is restricted, human rights 
violations include the targeting of civilians during military 
operations and peaceful activists are imprisonment for their political views.
Due in large part to the Indonesian military's resistance to its 
dismantling, the "territorial command" system remains intact. This 
system allows the military to operate a shadow government -- exerting 
influence over civil administration and politics, commerce, and 
justice -- right down to the village level. Moreover, the Indonesian 
military at best tolerates and, more ominously, has a long history of 
backing militias, whose principle role is to intimidate civilians, 
particularly ethnic and religious minorities. The State Department's 
own human rights reports have highlighted the military's ongoing 
rights violations, illegal business dealings, and impunity.

The prominent Indonesian human rights group Kontras has said, "The 
business practices of military enterprises have helped sustain the 
reputation of the Indonesian military as abusive, corrupt and largely 
above the law." Until the Indonesian military is barred from pursuing 
its own business interests, civilian control over its activities will 
be limited and human rights will suffer. Indonesian and international 
media have exposed military involvement in a range of unlawful 
activities, including gun running, illegal logging, and human trafficking.

Restricting military assistance to Indonesia is fundamental to ending 
the cycle of impunity and bringing justice to the peoples of East 
Timor and Indonesia, No senior officials have been convicted for the 
widespread crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in East 
Timor from 1975-1999. The bilateral Commission on Truth and 
Friendship (CTF) would enshrine impunity for human rights violations 
rather than encourage justice and has been widely criticized in both 
countries.
In its final report, East Timor's official Commission for Reception, 
Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR), an independent body created and 
operated with the support of the United Nations, called on 
governments to make military assistance to Indonesia "totally 
conditional on progress towards full democratization, the 
subordination of the military to the rule of law and civilian 
government, and strict adherence with international human rights." 
East Timorese and Indonesian NGOs have repeatedly urged maintaining 
restrictions on military engagement.

Finally, we urge Congress to continue its pressure to ensure that 
investigation leads to credible criminal proceedings against the 
masterminds and perpetrators of the assassination of Munir, 
Indonesia's foremost human rights defender, in September 2004. 
Evidence implicates members of Indonesia's intelligence agency (BIN), 
which is largely staffed by retired military. President Yudhoyono 
called resolving this crime a "test case for whether Indonesia has 
changed." After October's reversal of the only murder conviction to 
date, no one has been held accountable for this crime.

Fifteen months ago, when the administration waived remaining 
congressional restrictions on military assistance, it pledged to 
remain "committed to pressing for accountability for past human 
rights violations, and [that] U.S. assistance will continue to be 
guided by Indonesia's progress on democratic reform and 
accountability." This pledge has remained unfulfilled. As a result, 
military reform has stalled and accountability for the severest of 
human rights crimes remains elusive. Congress must once again place 
democracy and human rights at the center of the U.S. relationship 
with Indonesia. As it has done so often in the past, Congress should 
seize this opportunity and exercise the best leverage the U.S. has by 
conditioning and restricting military assistance, including foreign 
military financing and training.

We thank you for your serious consideration.

Sincerely,


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ETAN welcomes your financial support. For more info: 
http://etan.org/etan/donate.htm

John M. Miller         Internet: fbp at igc.org
National Coordinator
East Timor & Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)
PO Box 21873, Brooklyn, NY 11202-1873 USA
Phone: (718)596-7668      Fax: (718)222-4097
Mobile phone: (917)690-4391  Skype: john.m.miller
Web site: http://www.etan.org

Send a blank e-mail message to info at etan.org to find out
how to learn more about East Timor on the Internet

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