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Members of Congress Urge President Bush Not to Normalize Military Ties with IndonesiaRewarding “Half-Steps” to Reform UndeservedFor Immediate Release Contact: John M. Miller (718) 596-7668 August 18, 2005 - Members of the U.S. House of Representatives
recently called on President Bush “to reconsider strengthening ties
with the Indonesian military (TNI).” “The success so far of the recent Aceh peace agreement requires that Indonesia’s security forces respect the Acehnese’s political and human rights, a formidable test. The terms of the agreement must be first be implemented and given time to work before the Indonesian military is allowed any additional assistance,” said John M. Miller, spokesperson for ETAN. "A recent GAO report revealed the overwhelming failure of human
rights vetting by the State Department in Indonesia. Past assurances
that U.S. security assistance will not in the end strengthen the
hand of human rights violators are hollow. Further, the larger issue
remains that the still-brutal, unreformed Indonesian military will
see any U.S. assistance as an endorsement of business-as-usual,"
Miller added. In May, 53 U.S.
organizations urged President Bush not to offer military
assistance to Indonesia. East Timorese and Indonesian NGOs have
repeatedly called for maintaining restrictions on U.S. military
assistance. Victims and survivors of the West Papua killings have
called for IMET restriction to continue until their case is fully
resolved. Dear Mr. President: We are writing to express our concerns about the trend toward full normalization of military ties between the United States and Indonesia. Specifically, we are troubled that you are seeking such normalization despite the persistence of obvious human rights, accountability, and security force reform problems in Indonesia. We urge you to reconsider strengthening ties with the Indonesian military (TNI) until considerably more progress is made in these areas. The Indonesian people have made substantial strides toward democracy recently; last year’s first direct presidential election was a highlight. While Indonesia’s defense minister has begun taking some welcome steps to rein in the TNI’s many illicit business ventures, the military under President Yudhoyono’s administration is retreating on other promises of reform. Plans to significantly increase the number of Army territorial commands and the TNI’s granting of permission for active duty officers to run in upcoming regional elections represent a disquieting increase in security force involvement in civilian political affairs. Further, despite repeated expressions of concern by the Administration and Congress, Indonesia continues to resist accountability for crimes against humanity and other serious violations committed by its security forces in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Indonesia’s failure to issue visas in a timely fashion to the U.N. Secretary General’s Commission of Experts stands out as a testament to a lack of progress toward ending impunity. Areas of conflict remain heavily militarized under President Yudhoyono’s administration, with West Papua experiencing a marked escalation of militarization and military operations continuing in Aceh despite the lifting of the state of civil emergency. In addition, the TNI’s documented support for terror groups very seriously compromises its compatibility with U.S. anti-terrorism goals. A March 2002 study for the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School noted that the Indonesian army had become “a major facilitator of terrorism” due to “radical Muslim militias they had organized, trained, and financed.” Finally, the shocking assassination of Munir, Indonesia’s foremost human rights defender, last September, dealt a tremendous blow to human rights work in Indonesia. We are extremely concerned with the lack of progress and apparent political interference in this most important investigation. We regard prosecution of all perpetrators of this heinous crime, consistent with international standards, as a litmus test of the Indonesian government’s and security forces’ commitment to the rule of law. Successful resolution of Munir’s murder should be a determining factor in the U.S.-Indonesia security relationship. While we have great hopes for further change under President Yudhoyono’s administration, we believe strongly that the normalization of relations at this time would be a premature reward for the half-steps that have been taken. Full normalization would merely undermine the excellent advocacy the U.S. has traditionally undertaken on behalf of genuine progress on human rights, military reform, and accountability. Thank you very much for considering our views; we look forward to your response. Sincerely,
Nita Lowey (NY) Martin
Sabo (MN) Steven
Rothman (NJ) Dennis Cardoza
(CA) Albert
Wynn (MD)
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