From: Pip Hinman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Dear all,
According to a report by the ABC online on August 21, Indonesia's
Kopassus chief will visit Australia next month to cement the deal
on training and military ties.
Indonesia's Army Chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu was quoted as saying
the restoration of links between the Kopassus and Australian troops was
"important". He and Kopassus chief Major-General Sriyanto will visit.
Earlier this month, Chief of Australia Defence Forces, General Peter
Cosgrove, said the resumption of ties with Kopassus was a necessary
part of the regional war against terrorism because the unit was a major
counterterrorism force in Indonesia and it could help save lives.
Never mind the number of lives it is helping to extinguish now in Aceh,
West Papua and elsewhere in Indonesia.
We are trying to find out when and where these two visitors will be -
probably Canberra at the very least.
It seems to be an appropriate time for a protest - perhaps
simultaneously in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne? Given the
anti-Indonesian racism that is being pushed now in the mainstream press,
we will make it clear that we are not anti-Indonesian, rather we are
against the Howard government interfering in the internal affairs of
Indonesia. These military ties, which help rehabilitate the TNI and
Kopassus, will set back the struggle for democracy in Indonesia.
We could also get lot of signatories onto a protest petiton - and send
it to the government.
What do you think? Ideas and suggestions welcome.
Below is an aticle from the Jakarta Post about more power going to the
TNI.
In solidarity,
Pip Hinman
--
TITLE: Government to give more power to TNI
SOURCE: Jakarta Post - August 15, 2003
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta -- In a response to the rampant
terror attacks plaguing the country in the past year, the
government has decided to give the Indonesian Military (TNI) some
of its pre-reform era powers back.
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono said on Thursday that the government would
empower the military to detect and find possible terror threats
that needed an immediate response.
"There has been a long-standing impression that the TNI should
only handle external defense while internal security is in the
hands of the police. This is not exactly consistent with the
law," Susilo said without elaborating at a press conference after
presiding over a ministerial meeting on political and security
affairs.
In the spirit of the reform movement, the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) decided in 2000 to restrict the military to a
defense-of-the-borders only role and entrusted internal security
to the police. The ensuing police law and defense law confirmed
the clear-cut division of the forces, which marked at least a
symbolic end to the military's leading role in the country's
affairs. The National Police fell under the armed forces, or
ABRI, before that.
Susilo said the government intended to provide the TNI with a
greater role in internal security due to the police's lack of
personnel, and because the military had some of its personnel
underutilized.
"The government will give a greater role, or appropriate space,
for the TNI to carry our their duties as long as it is related to
national interests, although the focal point remains the police,"
Susilo said. He did not elaborate on the extent of the military's
role in the fight against terrorism, or how terror would be
defined. The government, Susilo said, would still consult the
House of Representatives or the MPR over the issue.
It remains unclear whether the military's greater role in
security affairs will be part of the amendment to the
Antiterrorism Law No. 15/2003, which was discussed during a
meeting hosted by Susilo.
Also attending the meeting were TNI chief Gen. Endriartono
Sutarto, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, justice
minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, defense minister Matori Abdul
Djalil, Attorney General M.A. Rachman and National Intelligence
Body chief Hendropriyono.
Endriartono, Matori and Hendropriyono had thrown their weight
behind a proposal to adopt a Singapore-like internal security act
in a bid to combat terrorism. Hendropriyono is also apparently
seeking greater authority for intelligence officers to make
arrests, similar to the way they did just that during the New
Order regime of former president Soeharto.
Susilo said that the antiterrorism law needed revising. It was
passed in the wake of the Bali bombings, but, according to the
retired army officer, needed to be made "more effective" in
preventing terror attacks.
"We will do it as soon as possible. We cannot wait because
terrorism is a real threat and we should not be in a weak
position," he said, saying that the government had evaluated the
application of the law following the Bali bombings.
As many as nine articles in the law are expected to be revised in
a bid to make it stronger, Susilo said. The articles deal with
preemptive action against any form of terror and the use of
intelligence reports as evidence to charge suspects.
Susilo said they also discussed the need for a drastic
improvement of human resources, training, systems, infrastructure
and funds in the country's efforts to fight terrorism. All the
suggestions will be brought before the full Cabinet next week.
Yusril added that the revision of the law would provide more room
for the police to investigate people based on allegations,
without having to wait for a court order or a warrant.
Separately, Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafii Ma'arif said that
he agreed with the government's plan to revise the law, but he
warned against the adoption of an internal security act, as it
could infringe on human rights. Muhammadiyah is the second
largest Muslim organization, which claims 30 million followers.
Another noted Muslim figure, Ulil Abshar Abdalla, called on
people to remain vigilant about the planned revision of the law
as it was prone to human rights abuses.
The country used to have a draconian antisubversion law, which
was widely abused by the New Order administration to oppress and
imprison anyone it considered a political opponent.
--
TITLE: Downer reassures on Kopassus troops
SOURCE: Australian Associated Press - August 14, 2003
Australia would do its best to ensure Kopassus troops who trained
East Timor militias would not be involved in joint activities
when military links were re-established, Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer said.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd raised an
incident at Suai, in East Timor, on October 6, 1999, in which two
Australian soldiers in an Interfet vehicle came under fire and
were seriously wounded. Two militia members were killed.
"Can the minister assure the House that neither Gardapaksi,
described by the minister's department as closely associated with
Kopassus and used to conduct activities on its behalf, nor any
other Kopassus-trained unit, were responsible for opening fire on
Australian troops on that occasion?" Mr Rudd said.
"How will the minister ensure that in the re-establishment of
links with Kopassus, that all those Kopassus troops responsible
for the training of militia in East Timor for operations against
pro-independence elements and the Australian Defence Force, will
not form part of the Kopassus units with whom the minister now
proposes to re-establish links?
Mr Downer said it had been a longstanding policy that where the
government was aware of people involved in partner-militaries who
had breached human rights, Australia would endeavour not to be
involved with them.
"We will continue to maintain that policy," he said. "Our
view ... is that where we are aware of TNI members, be they in
Kopassus or other unit of TNI with which we may have, through
necessity, have some degree of cooperation, and those people have
involved in egregious human rights abuses of one kind or another,
then we won't be participating in activities with those people."
The Australian Defence Force revealed earlier this week it was
planning to resume links with Kopassus. "We make no apology for
the fact that we are prepared to work with those elements in
Indonesia that have the greatest capacity to help release
Australians who may be taken hostage in that country, or may be
part of some hijacking drama," Mr Downer said.
--
--
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