U.S. Lawmakers Urge Obama to Show Caution in Dealing with Indonesia Special Forces

WASHINGTON, May 15 (AP) — A group of U.S. lawmakers are questioning the Obama administration's efforts to establish ties with an Indonesian commando unit accused of human rights abuses.

The 13 lawmakers sent a letter Thursday to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defence Secretary Robert Gates. They say they worry about whether Indonesia will punish senior officers for past abuse.

Among the lawmakers were the Democratic chairs of the House and Senate foreign relations committees.

The U.S. lifted an overall ban against training the Indonesian military in 2005. But it kept restrictions against the Indonesian special forces known as Kopassus.

Rights groups say Kopassus was linked to disappearances in 1997 and 1998. Indonesia says the country's military has changed. -end-

see also

• Kristin Sundell: U.S. Must Not Resume Training Indonesia’s Killers

• ETAN: U.S. Training of Kopassus: A Bad Idea Whose Time Has Not Come

• Ed McWilliams: U.S. must back human rights, not the army, in Indonesia

• U.S. Groups Oppose Training of Indonesia's Notorious Kopassus Special Forces
• Background on Kopassus and Brimob

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