[Kabar-indonesia] Indo News - 11/28/05

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The Jakarta Post.com
Headline News
November 26, 2005
Jones shown the door ... again!
Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The immigration office has denied American terrorism expert Sidney Jones
entry to the country without explanation despite the fact that she is in
possession of a temporary stay permit and work visa.

Jones, who heads the Jakarta office of the International Crisis Group
(ICG), was forced to board another flight out of Indonesia as soon as she
arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport after a brief trip to Taiwan on
Thursday.

"I don't understand. If there was a problem you would have thought they
would have called me in or raised the question while I was in Jakarta,
giving me some chance to respond," Jones told Agence France-Presse news
agency on Friday.

Immigration office spokesman Supriatna Anwar refused to explain why Jones
had been refused entry.

"According to the law, there are immigration considerations that can be
used to deny a foreign national entry, such as whether his or her entry
benefits the country or not, or whether he or she could damage the
interests of the state," Supriatna said.

He refused to reveal which institution had requested that Jones be denied
entry.

The immigration office issued the ban on Wednesday, and it is effective
for one year.

Supriatna said he was unaware that Jones had secured a stay permit and
work visa in July, soon after her one-year ban expired.

The government of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri refused to
extend Jones' stay permit and work visa in May last year at the request of
the intelligence authorities following her revealing reports on
Indonesia's poor human rights record and communal conflicts around the
country.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yuri Thamrin confirmed on Friday that a ban
had been imposed on Jones.

"I've received information from our clearing house that the restriction is
being applied to Ibu Jones. However, there is a possibility that it will
be reviewed in due course," Yuri said.

The clearing house is a special government committee consisting of
officials from the foreign ministry, intelligence agency, Indonesian
military, the police and the immigration office that has the final say on
whether to allow foreign researchers and journalists to visit Indonesia or
conflict-prone areas across the country.

Yuri said the government did not necessarily have to disclose the reasons
for the ban as the decision was in line with international law.

Meanwhile, Jones' lawyer, Todung Mulya Lubis, condemned the entry ban,
saying it was a set-back for Indonesian democracy.

"I've called (justice) Minister Hamid Awaluddin, but he said he was not
aware of it. So, who did this? This will be a real set-back for our
democracy if we ban people simply because they are critical.

"If the government feels she is too critical, why don't they respond to
her criticisms?" he told The Jakarta Post.

Funded by foreign governments and private foundations, the Brussels-based
ICG provides reports on conflict areas, such as Aceh, Papua and Ambon, but
Jones is mostly known for her in-depth reports on Jamaah Islamiyah, the
al-Qaeda-linked terror network now blamed for major attacks in the country
since 2002.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TimeAsia Magazine
Heroes Need Not Apply
-- Why was a prominent NGO representative denied re-entry to Indonesia?
By Simon Elegant
Sunday, Nov. 27, 2005

In June 2004 Indonesian authorities expelled Sidney Jones, the
Jakarta-based Southeast Asia director of the International Crisis Group,
from the country. While the government gave no official reason, it was no
secret that Jones, an American, had riled Indonesia's armed forces with
her reports on the military's actions in the provinces of Aceh and Papua.
The ban was lifted after Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, running on a reform
platform, was elected President in September of that year. Says Jones:
"When we came back, we were told that everything was all right and that
all problems had been resolved."

But last Thursday, when Jones, 53, was returning to Jakarta from Taipei
after accepting a TIME "Asia's Heroes" award on Crisis Group's behalf, she
was barred from entry and had to fly to Singapore instead. Immigration
officials would only tell Jones that her residency visa had been revoked.
"I am at a total loss as to why this decision has been made," she says.
The expulsion letter "was dated Oct. 7 and there's absolutely nothing I
can think of that we did before then that could have precipitated this."

With Yudhoyono overseas, no official in Jakarta seemed willing to say much
about the expulsion of Jones, widely regarded as the world's leading
expert on Jemaah Islamiah, the regional network of Islamic militants
blamed for a string of bombings that have left hundreds dead. "We're
looking into it, but at the moment all I can say is that I don't know,"
Information Minister Sofyan Djalil told TIME. A Foreign Affairs Department
spokesman said that the decision "might be reviewed," but an official at
the Immigration Office asserted that the ban would last one year.

Whatever happens, the episode will inevitably embarrass Yudhoyono, who has
repeatedly spoken of his desire to ensure freedom of speech and who
describes Jones as a friend. For her part, Jones was stoic—and
good-humored—about the whole thing. "My dentist is in Singapore," she
said, "and I needed to see him."
-- With reporting by Jason Tedjasukmana
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Editorial
November 28, 2005
Ostriches at the border

The state has the responsibility to regulate consular and immigration
issues. This country does not want to be a refuge for wanted criminals or
people who incite hatred and violence.

The government should do its utmost to ensure that people who propagate
illegal activities or unrest are barred entry.

We do not want Osama bin Laden or cohorts of Noordin M. Top, for example,
being allowed freedom of entry into this country.

Similarly, it is the onus of the immigration authorities and police to
prevent those indicted for criminal offenses from having the opportunity
to run away abroad.

On both these points the authorities have a rather miserable track record.

It is evident that terrorist agents have infiltrated our borders, while
several corruption and criminal suspects indicted by the Attorney
General's Office have easily walked out of this country to evade arrest.

Instead of improving its synergy or facilitating access to people who have
legitimate interests in Indonesia, the authorities are going back to their
old ways of marking people as either subversive or friendlies.

Apparently old habits do die hard. Entry bans and censorship were common
practices during the authoritarian era of the New Order. The authorities
at the time would summarily bar entry (or exit for Indonesian citizens)
simply because their personal views did not conform to the status quo.

The latest incident involving noted American researcher Sidney Jones is
evidence that, despite the rhetoric of democratization, the mind-set of
government decision-makers remains trapped in narrow despotic parameters.

Jones, the southeast Asia director of the International Crisis Group
(ICG), has been an avid Indonesia-watcher for three decades. Her name
began gaining attention as she ruffled the dispositions of authorities
here with her work for Amnesty International and later the Asia division
of Human Rights Watch.

Three years ago, Jones joined the prominent Brussels-based ICG and began
producing a series of strong reports on the suspected terrorist network in
the country.

Her work led to her expulsion -- along with fellow ICG member Francesca
Lawe-Davies -- in June 2004 after then State Intelligence Agency (BIN)
chief A.M. Hendropriyono charged that her reports tarnished the country's
image.

The ban was quietly lifted again in mid-2005, thus allowing her to return
to the country she considers her second home.

Jones is well known among academic and intellectual circles in Indonesia.
Though not everyone agrees with her findings, few would say that she
represents a national security threat, as alleged by Minister of Justice
Hamid Awaluddin.

Jones is neither a terrorist, nor a preacher of hate. As far as can be
recalled, nothing she has said has been geared toward inciting violence or
mutiny against the government.

The fact that she has become so influential in shaping public opinion is a
matter of common sense as, though sometimes painful to hear, her
statements ring a degree of truth.

We have found no grounds for the government preventing her entry into this
country.

Our aversion is not simply a crusade on behalf of Jones, but to the manner
and oppressive mind-set of the decision-makers. At least two other foreign
researchers were also separately deported or barred entry to Indonesia for
dubious reasons.

Quietly, the government seems to be withdrawing to ways and means that we
believed were beyond a democratic state.

If there are legitimate reasons for barring or expelling these people, the
government should provide a thorough explanation, instead of a terse one
or two sentences on "national security".

Censorship, travel bans and social engineering are all hallmarks of an
authoritarian regime. It is the easy way out: Instead of responding to
criticism or problems arising in our society, we censure those who would
speak about it.

May we remind Minister Hamid that he -- this nation, for that matter --
are not ostriches who bury their heads in the ground when something is not
to their liking.

Far-reaching implications could now arise from this simple act of stupidity.

Will publications now be censored from publishing works by people who are
barred from entering the country? If so, what does this say about freedom
of expression.

This is a challenge not only facing Indonesia, but many other countries in
the world.

What is clear is that, despite the greatness of America as a beacon of
democracy and global superpower, we do not want to emulate their new habit
of dissuading (and even barring) legitimate academics and researchers
whose views may not correspond with those of the administration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Latest News
11/28/2005 6:32:58 PM
Widow of Indonesian activist demands information about her husband's death
Hong Kong (AP)

The widow of an Indonesian human rights activist on Monday demanded the
public release of information she said would implicate high-ranking
Indonesian officials in her husband's poisoning death.

Suciwati Munir asked supporters in Hong Kong to sign postcards that will
be sent to the Indonesian president demanding the results of an
investigation into the 2004 death of her husband, Munir Said Thalib.

"There is no official reason why this fact-finding is not being released
by the president," said the widow, who insisted that officials were
involved in her husband's death.

The late activist, an outspoken critic of the Indonesian military, was
fatally poisoned on a flight to Amsterdam in September last year. A
massive dose of arsenic was found in his system, and a Garuda Indonesia
airline co-pilot, Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, is on trial for allegedly
ordering two flight attendants to put the arsenic into Munir's drink.

Indonesian President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono appointed a fact-finding
team to investigate the death. The results have yet to be released to the
public.

His widow on Monday also asked people to demand a performance review of
the police investigators and to create a new investigation team that
includes nongovernmental groups and Foreign Ministry officials.

Retired Gen. AM Hendropriyono, the intelligence agency's head at the time,
has denied any involvement. But he has refused to speak to the
investigators.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Headline News
November 28, 2005
>From sticks to carrots: U.S. gambles on TNI reform
Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The decision by the U.S. administration to resume arms sale and military
financing to Indonesia is a foreign policy trophy for President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono. It was even more significant since the decision was
made through a special discretionary waiver granted to the executive to
override certain restrictions of a law.

Just a week earlier the U.S. Congress had agreed to maintain the
restrictions when it passed the Foreign Operations, Export Financing and
Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2006. It reflected U.S. lawmakers'
dissatisfaction with the pace of military reform in Indonesia and its
accountability for past human rights violations.

The waiver is consistent with the Bush administration's growing empathy
for Jakarta. In February, the International Military Education and
Training (IMET) was resumed. During Susilo's visit to Washington in May,
he and President George Bush expressed their commitment to a resumption of
military relations. This opened the way for further relaxation of
restrictions for the sale of non-lethal weapons.

A week before the waiver was announced, Eric G. John, the State
Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific
Affairs, told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the U.S. must be a
"reliable friend to Indonesia".

He added that the Bush Administration sees TNI reform "as a long-term
project", adding that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had told
Susilo that while the United States had at times pulled back in its
relationship with Indonesia "this is not the way it will be in the
future".

So why is the U.S. giving away its best leverage in regard to the
unreformed TNI? There are simple, pragmatic reasons beyond the questions
of human rights and accountability.

Indonesia is an anchor of stability in the region and its waters a vital
passage of international trade. It is in no one's interest to have an
Indonesia incapable of maintaining security in its waters.

The embargo placed on Indonesia since 1991 has also meant that Indonesia
had to readjust its arms procurement. In 2003, Indonesia began purchasing
Russian-made jet fighters and assault helicopters, while the Navy has
looked to South Korea and other countries for patrol boats.

More importantly, Jakarta and Beijing are also in the initial phases of
establishing stronger military cooperation.

Geopolitics dictates that Washington would be amiss not to establish
stronger ties with a country whose waters are traversed by a third of the
world's sea-borne trade.

Another reason is Washington's global fight against terrorism.

The effectiveness of Indonesian security officers to weed out the fanatic
cells here is a significant blow to the terrorist network seeking a
Southeast Asian foothold.

Though Indonesia does not completely ally itself with the U.S. policies,
security forces here have been increasingly cooperative with their U.S.
counterparts.

Democratization and the positive assessment of Indonesia's first-ever
democratically elected president was also an important consideration.

It is imperative for Washington to be seen supporting the third-largest
democracy, which is also home to 14 percent of the world's Muslims --
Indonesia's Muslim population is larger than the combined number of
Muslims in Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Not only can Indonesia be a poster-boy of new democracy, but one which can
show the compatibility of democracy in an Islamic dominated society.

What is most interesting is that statements over the past few months
coming out of the U.S. State Department justifying the need for resuming
full military ties persistently focus on Susilo's reformist agenda and the
growing oversight of civilian officials over the TNI.

The changes most often highlighted include the end of the military's "dual
function" in politics; efforts by Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono to
strengthen civilian control of the budgetary and procurement process; as
well as legislation to help oversee military businesses.

However, let us not forget that all these have been civilian-oriented
initiatives that have been "imposed" on the military or ones the TNI could
not afford to openly reject.

There was very little mention -- and as any political pundit here knows --
limited "eagerness" by the TNI to reform its ranks. In fact, a closer look
at Indonesian politics suggests that rather than be a compelling force for
change, the TNI is laying low and biding its time and allowing reformasi
to run its course.

Hence Washington's decision to resume arms sales to Indonesia looks very
much like a token to allow Susilo, a retired Army general, to appease his
former brothers in arms so they engage in further change: The stick is now
replaced by a carrot, which the Indonesian president is expected to dangle
in front of the TNI.

The resumption of U.S. arms sales is welcome relief for an under-equipped
military tasked with securing these strategic international passageways.
But the key question is whether this "gamble" is good for Indonesia's
democratic evolution?

With enough political shrewdness, Susilo can use it to induce change.

Unfortunately, over the past 12 months, very little has actually been
shown by Susilo to show he is still focused on his reform pledges. It is
even more glaring in how the attitude of moderation has changed within the
military and the difficulties faced by the civilian defense minister in
initiating real change.

On the other hand, providing carrots to a TNI that remains lethargic about
political reform only reinforces the belief that their quiet subversion is
paying dividends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: World Relief
Date: 23 Nov 2005
A fisherman returns to the sea: Restoring livelihoods in Indonesia

A boat-building project led by World Relief has made 35 year-old Wardi a
happy man. "I got back my living," he says as he points at his boat parked
alongside others on the sea shore. To Wardi and many other people from
Suak Ribee village, a boat is the only source of livelihood. Born in this
Indonesian fishing village, Wardi, is one of 50 fishermen who lost all
when the tsunami struck.

Working to restore and rebuild lives in this village, World Relief has
supported the reconstruction of 25 fishing boats, with 500 planned. "I
bought cooking stoves and clothes for my children. These are the first
things I have bought this year" says Wardi, who says he has been to the
sea nine times since he received his boat one and a half months ago.

Fishing and bringing his catch to market have been Wardi's life-long
business, but the tsunami put a temporary halt to his occupation -- one
that he thought would be permanent. "I used to have my own boat but it was
crushed by the tsunami. All my other property was also lost," he says. The
morning when the tsunami struck, he was at home with his family. But
having spent a life dependent on the sea, when the first waves struck the
neighborhood, he knew the gravity of the situation and got his family to
run. "I realized it was something unusual. I knew it was not a normal wave
and that something was happening" he recalls. Wardi lost everything, but
he managed to save his family.

Working together with the village chief, known as the Pak Keucik, World
Relief conducted assessments of area families to determine what
development programs would best suit their needs. It was determined that
Wardi's family would benefit from the boat reconstruction program.
Twenty-five boats were constructed to be shared by fishermen, two men per
boat. Wardi is happy that he has been able to go back to the sea and once
again provide for his family. The co-owner of his boat is Sayed, who Wardi
says is a long-time friend and very experienced in the fishing business.
"Sayed is a good mechanic for boats and always knows where to get the
parts", he says, adding that Sayed is currently in town looking for spare
parts to service their boat's engine.

Although the money Wardi and other fishermen are currently earning is not
as much as it was before the tsunami, helping them regain their means of
survival is an important step. "I am now able to buy things for the
family" he says. Asked about his experience with the sea after the
tsunami, Wardi says the sea has changed. "The locations of fish have
changed now and there are fewer fish. Some parts are deeper now than they
used to be while others are shallow and filled with tree trunks."

In parting, Wardi says "Praise Be to God for enabling our village to get
composed again. Without him, we wouldn't have been able to get back to
this level. I am happy that World Relief is helping me and the entire
village regain our survival."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Mercy Corps
Date: 22 Nov 2005
Indonesia: How cakes and crackers saved a village

Lampisang, Aceh Besar, is a lovely village of traditional Indonesian
wooden houses built on stilts. When the Indian Ocean tsunami hit in late
December 2004, the waves reached the village with sufficient force to bear
most of the villagers' possessions away. Everyone managed to flee into the
surrounding hills before the deadly surge came, and so Lampisang was lucky
not to lose any lives.

Times have never been easy in this community of farmers, but, with many
men still out of work in the aftermath of the tsunami, it is often the
women who generate the income needed to keep their families going. They
often do so by making cakes, cassava crackers and other baked goods.

The women in Lampisang work together and help each other. Cakes and
cassava crackers are made from home, and the women get together in groups
to work.

"It is much better when we work together," said Ibu Ana, one of the
community's bakers. "We can talk, and laugh."

Ibu Ana is just one of the dedicated women taking part in Mercy Corps'
Livelihoods program in Aceh. Backing women's livelihoods is especially
important, because it bolsters family income and earnings are often used
to pay for children's education. The money the women earn also provides
them with a measure of control and independence in their lives.

Mercy Corps' support goes beyond simply providing the funds that local
women need to restart their businesses. The organization also looks at the
whole market chain the business is part of and provides assistance that
reaches from negotiating with supply vendors to supporting distribution.

Women from villages like Lampisang form a group and submit a proposal to
Mercy Corps for a grant that enables them to buy the equipment and
material they need to restart their home businesses. As part of the
Livelihoods program, all members of the group commit themselves to
investing membership fees into a revolving fund that will be used as a
savings group.. In Lampisang, 11 cake makers, 11 cassava cracker makers
and 41 members of a sewing circle form the group.

Women Bring Home the Bakin'
Wati, age 23, is another of the cake makers in the village. Together with
her mother Kartini and grandmother, she specializes in Bolu Boi cakes. The
cakes are made from a simple mixture of flour, water, sugar, eggs and
vanilla, baked in small traditional forms over a smoky coconut husk fire.
They are a favorite all over Aceh, and at weddings it is a local tradition
for the bride's family to present a Bolu Boi cake in the form of a fish to
the groom's family.

Wati's dark kitchen is a hive of activity, and her mother Kartini doesn't
even want to stand still for a family photo - the cakes might burn. On a
good day they can sell up to a 100 bags, with a bag containing 10
cookie-sized cakes for 3,500 IDR (40 cents). The peak season for cake
sales is during the month of Ramadan, when they can sell up to 500 bags
per day from the little shop in front of their house. The income made by
selling Bolu Boi cakes supports Wati, her parents, grandparents and
siblings - a family of 8 in all.

Ibu Ana makes cassava cakes by shredding raw cassava into pulp. The pulp
is then rolled out into thin circles on a sheet of plastic and boiled. The
next step in the preparation is to dry the crackers for a day or two in
the sun on traditional palm leaf mats. The sun-dried crackers are then
sold to road side cafes and on the market, and still need to be fried
before they can be eaten.

Ibu Ana makes up to 400 cassava crackers per day, which totals 40,000 IDR
or about $4. With this income she is supporting her husband - who lost his
job as a driver since his previous company hasn't reopened business yet -
and her two school-aged children. Her husband is now helping her with the
cracker business, and they use the income to pay for food and the
children's tuition fees. Ibu Ana even has managed to save a little money -
a fact that makes her very proud.

In Lampisang, cakes and crackers are making a difference in family's lives
- one that goes far beyond a tasty snack.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Date: 24 Nov 2005
New violence breaks out in eastern Indonesia, one dead

Jakarta (dpa) - A clash between rival villagers broke out in Indonesia's
troubled eastern province of Maluku, with at least one person reported
killed and 15 others wounded, local media reports and police said
Thursday.

Local government authorities said the incident erupted on Wednesday and
continued until Thursday morning between residents of two villages -
Mamala and Morela - in Leihitu sub-district of Central Maluku regency,
2,100 kilometres northeast of Jakarta

During the clash, rival residents, mostly youths, used home-made bombs and
other weapons, reported the El-shinta private radio station.

Maluku police spokesman Adjunct Commissioner Arsyanto Darmawan confirmed
the fighting left at least one person dead and 15 others wounded. At least
seven houses were set on fire, he said.

Darmawan said the situation in the area was under control by mid-day on
Thursday, adding that an investigation was underway to discover the cause
of the violence.

It was the latest in a sting of violent incidents, mainly stemming from
rivalry between Moslems and Christians.

Senior Adjunct Commissioner Leonidas Braksan, chief of the Maluku's Lease
and nearly Ambon district police, told the radio that three platoons of
police were being deployed to the area in an attempt to maintain order.

The Maluku islands, also known as the ``Spice Islands'' during Dutch
colonial rule, was ravaged by fighting between Moslems and Christians from
1999 to 2002 before rival religious leaders signed a peace accord in
February 2002 to end the conflicts that claimed more than 6,000 lives.

The fighting in 1999 was intensified with the arrival of Moslem militant
volunteers belonging to Laskar Jihad - or Holy War Troops -from
Indonesia's main island of Java.
-- dpa sh jh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crisis Centre Diocese Of Amboina
Jalan Pattimura 32 - Ambon 97124 - Indonesia
Tel 0062 (0)911 342195   Fax 0062 (0)911 355337
E-mail crisiscentre01 at hotmail.com

Ambon, November 27, 2005
The Situation In Ambon / Moluccas – Report No. 495

1. Earthquake Rocks Ceram Once Again – An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the
Richter scale rocked the large island of Ceram, North of the island of
Ambon, at 3.28 a.m. last Friday, November 25. The tremor was felt on most
of the island, but as yet there have not been any reports of casualties or
physical damage. Twelve days earlier, too, a strong tectonic quake rocked
the island. In both cases most people fled from their homes, whereas many
people in coastal areas headed for higher grounds for fear of a tsunami.

2. Strife Between Villages Claim One Dead – Dispute on ownership of land
often causes discord and even violence between villages anywhere in the
Moluccas. In the evening of November 23 and the early morning of November
24, two muslim villages on the Northern part (Leihitu subdistrict) of the
island of Ambon, Mamala and Morale, clashed on the issue of
land-ownership, resulting in one dead and fifteen injured; ten houses were
set on fire. Ali Malawat (42) from the village of Mamale was killed when a
home-made bomb exploded in his hands. The conflict came to an end thanks
to persuasive intervention by the police and Mobile Brigaders. However,
the fact that during the clash home-made bombs, rifles and other weaponry
were used, supports the assumption that in Ambon there is still a lot of
weaponry hidden among civilians. Search on weapons which was carried out
by police and military personnel in both villages the day after (November
25), reportedly resulted in confiscation of 17 home-made rifles, 3
home-made pistols, 6 home-made grenades, 71 bullets and 50 winged arrows.

3. Terrorist Nest Uprooted – A rather spectacular anti-terrorist action
was carried out by police forces from the Ceram capital Masohi in
cooperation with Mobile Brigade police and Ambon Ressort police personnel.
On indication by local residents – thus was declared to mass media by
provincial Police Chief Commander, Brigader General Adityawarman – the
police arrived at the village of Haya (Tehoru district, South-Ceram) at
2.50 a.m. on November 25. The number of persons they managed to arrest in
their sleep was 21. Ten of them are from the island of Java and are
thought to be active in the Al-Mujahidin pesantren in the hamlet of
Sakanusa, village of Haya, led by Ustad Batar. Their  names are: Zamdani,
Amru Rosid, Musap, Rudi Hendrawan, Abu Ayas, Alan Alpasa, Indra Mulyono,
Anto, Aliansyah and Iman Sulaiman. The others are from Haya: Bahtiar
Syarif, Alimudin Pellu, Ahmad Ayun Ayuba, Muhamad Pellu, Idrus Wailissa,
Bambang Wiyono Wailissa, Benyamin Namakule, Kasman Abdullah, Rajab Mahu,
Iman Sulaiman, Syamsudin Hayoto serta Hi Mampo. Arrested was also the one
who was the main target, namely police officer Syarif Tarabubun (26), who
is suspected of participating in a number of terrorist actions, such as
the killings at Wamkana (March 5, 2004 – Report 431), Villa Karaoke
(February 15, 2005 – Report 466) and Loki (May 16, 2005 – Report 478).
Though now calling himself Lukman Mute and having put on weight and
possessing a clean skin, nevertheless he was recognized as the nefarious
policeman. All of these persons are in custody now. Additional note:
Police Chief Adityawarman said that Imam Samudera, notorious as the Bali
bomb initiator, had been at the same site near the village of Haya; his
mother-in-law is from that area. The Haya area – he said – used to be a
terrorist training camp. The police will investigate whether recently
there still have been any training activities there.

C.J. Böhm msc
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
November 28, 2005
Ex-militia members set up organization
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang

Former members of the pro-Jakarta militias that rampaged through East
Timor in 1999 are forming an organization to protect the rights and
privileges they feel the government they fought for is now denying them.

The organization will be chaired by Eurico Gueterres, a militia leader
found guilty of atrocities in East Timor, now Timor Leste, before and
after the 1999 independence referendum in the former Indonesian territory.
The group's secretary-general will be Joanico Cesario, a former militia
leader in Baucau, East Timor.

Eurico, whose appeal of a five-year jail sentence for his activities in
East Timor is waiting to be heard by the Supreme Court, said the
organization was established to assist former militia members who had been
largely abandoned by Jakarta since Timor Leste gained independence from
Indonesia in 1999.

He said many former pro-Jakarta militia members were still living in
decrepit camps along the Indonesian border with Timor Leste, forgotten by
the government they fought for.

"They fought to keep Indonesia intact, risking their lives, but the
Indonesian government has ignored their sacrifices," said Eurico.

He said the government treated former members of the separatist Free Aceh
Movement better than those who fought for Indonesia in East Timor, giving
the former rebels amnesty and money to help ease their return to society.

"It is ironic," said Eurico, the former commander of the Red White Iron
militia.

He said a formal announcement would soon be made on the establishment of
the organization, claiming that the group had already set up offices in
several regencies and cities in East Nusa Tenggara and had thousands of
members.

The pro-Jakarta militias, which the United Nations has said were recruited
and directed by the Indonesian Military, went on an arson and killing
spree before and after the East Timorese voted for independence in a
UN-sponsored ballot in August 1999.

They reportedly killed about 1,400 independence supporters and laid waste
to much of the infrastructure in the half-island, which was a Portuguese
colony before Indonesia annexed and invaded it in the mid-1970s.

Members of the pro-Jakarta militias were denied citizenship by the Timor
Leste government and many former militia members are now living along the
border between Timor Leste and Indonesia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
National Security Archive Update
November 28, 2005
A Quarter Century of U.S. Support for Occupation in East Timor

East Timor Truth Commission report uses declassified U.S. documents to
reveal support for Indonesian invasion and occupation of East Timor from
1975 until U.N. sponsored vote in 1999

National Security Archive provides more than 1000 documents to East Timor
Truth Commission after Bush administration refuses cooperation.

For more information contact:
Brad Simpson - 443/845-4462
http://www.nsarchive.org

"I'm assuming you're really going to keep your mouth shut on this subject?"
- National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger to his staff in October 1975
in response to reports that Indonesia had begun its attack on East Timor.

Washington D.C., November 28, 2005 - Today, East Timorese President Xanana
Gusmão transmits to Parliament the final report of East Timor's Commission
for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) on human rights violations
committed in East Timor between 1974 and 1999, and the National Security
Archive is making available to the public some of the more than 1,000
formerly classified U.S. documents that it provided to assist the work of
the CAVR.

According to the CAVR, the timing of the release to the public of either
the 2,500 page report or its executive summary will now be determined by
East Timor's Parliament. The National Security Archive's Indonesia and
East Timor Documentation Project is releasing these U.S. documents in the
hopes of encouraging the speediest possible release and widest possible
dissemination of the CAVR's findings, which are strongly critical of the
role of the international community in supporting Indonesia's invasion and
occupation of East Timor. Today is also the 30th anniversary of East
Timor's (Timor-Leste) November 28, 1975 declaration of independence.

"We expect the final report of the CAVR to demonstrate, as these documents
do, that Indonesia's invasion and occupation of East Timor and the
resulting crimes against humanity occurred in an international context in
which the support of powerful nations, especially the United States, was
indispensable," said Brad Simpson, assistant professor of history at
University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Director of the National
Security Archive's Indonesia and East Timor Documentation Project. "These
documents also point to the need for genuine international accountability
for East Timor's suffering, especially as Indonesia embarks on its own
truth commission process."

The documents included in this briefing book were declassified in response
to Freedom of Information Act requests filed by the Archive's Indonesia
and East Timor Documentation Project, after the Bush Administration
refused a CAVR request for U.S. documents. The project aims to assist
efforts to document and seek accountability for more than three decades of
human rights abuses committed during the rule of Indonesian President
Suharto (1965-1998).

Among the revelations in these formerly secret documents:

* U.S. officials adopted a "policy of silence" and sought to suppress news
and discussion of East Timor, though they knew of Indonesian plans to
invade nearly a year in advance;

* The Ford Administration knew that Indonesia had invaded East Timor
almost entirely using U.S. equipment, knew the use of this equipment was
illegal, and discussed circumventing any possible Congressional ban on
military aid to Indonesia;

* In 1977, Carter Administration officials blocked declassification of the
explosive cable transcribing President Ford and Secretary of State
Kissinger's December 6, 1975 meeting with Indonesian President Suharto in
which they explicitly approved of Indonesia's invasion of East Timor;

* Through the 1980s, U.S. officials continued to receive - and deny or
dismiss - credible reports of Indonesian massacres of Timorese civilians;

* In 1993, the U.S. Ambassador in Jakarta concluded that the Suharto
regime's effort to integrate East Timor into Indonesia had failed, and
that "the repressive and pervasive Indonesian military presence is the
main obstacle to the government's goal of integration.";

* In September 1999 the CIA reported on Indonesian military and militia
violence following East Timor's vote for independence as a form of
terrorism, reporting that "the military has supported or worked alongside
the militias."
http://www.nsarchive.org
_______
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