[Kabar-indonesia] Sec'y of Defense Must Not Undermine Reform, Rights on Visit to Jakarta

[John M Miller]

Secretary of Defense Must Not Undermine Reform, Rights on Visit to Jakarta

For Immediate Release

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

June 6 - The East Timor and Indonesia Action 
Network (ETAN) today urged Secretary of Defense 
Donald Rumsfeld to promote justice and reform, 
not the Indonesian military, when he visits Jakarta Tuesday.

"Further normalizing the military relationship 
with Indonesia will only undermine its democratic 
reform and efforts to achieve accountability for 
past human rights violations in East Timor, West 
Papua and elsewhere," said John M. Miller, National Coordinator of ETAN.



“Recent statements by Secretary Rumsfeld imply 
that he does not believe that human rights – like 
the right to life – are universal. We challenge 
him to justify his comments to the Indonesian and 
East Timorese who suffered murder, torture, rape, 
and other crimes against humanity at the hands of 
the Indonesian military,” said Karen Orenstein, ETAN National Coordinator.

The South China Morning Post wrote Monday, “When 
asked about human rights reforms within 
Indonesia's internally feared military, Mr. 
Rumsfeld said he did not believe the ban [on U.S. 
military assistance] should have ever been 
imposed. ‘I am not one of those people who 
believe that every country should be like the United States,’ he said.”





"The failure to pursue justice for past crimes 
has no doubt led some in East Timor to believe 
that their own use of violence would be met with 
similar impunity, contributing to the crisis 
there," Miller said. "This failure also 
undermines justice and reform in Indonesia."

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 that the Bush administration would 
"carefully calibrate" any assistance to the 
Indonesian military (TNI). Instead, the 
administration's actions have demonstrated a 
policy of unrestrained engagement with the TNI.

In late May, the House of Representatives 
Appropriations Committee refused to restore 
restrictions on military assistance for Indonesia.

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." In a letter urging restriction of 
military assistance, human rights groups 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. In May, the Indonesian military for the 
first time participated in the Cobra Gold 
regional military exercise with the United States and other countries.

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.

In its final report, East Timor'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..."

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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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:

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
how to learn more about East Timor on the Internet

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