Key Senators Criticize Waiver Allowing U.S. Weapons Exports to
Indonesia
Cite Administration's Lack of Strategy to Encourage Accountability
and Reform
For Immediate Release
Contact: John M. Miller (718) 596-7668; (917) 690-4391 (cell)
May 3 - Two key U.S. Senators recently criticized the Bush
Administration's "premature" use of a waiver to allow weapons
exports to Indonesia. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Patrick
Leahy (D-VT) expressed concern "that this waiver, unattached to any
clear strategy or specific benchmarks, sends the wrong message to
the Indonesian Government and to other countries."
In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, the Senators wrote
that "The Administration needs to make clear to the Indonesian
Government that the United States will continue to insist that it
bring to justice those who have committed crimes against humanity,
and reform its military to become professional, transparent, and
grounded in the rule of law."
They urged Rice and Rumsfeld to report to Congress on Indonesia's
progress on military reform and in prosecuting those responsible for
human rights violations in East Timor and elsewhere.
The Senators requested a comprehensive strategy which links military
assistance to accountability and military reform. "This strategy
should contain clear consequences should the Indonesian Government
not make significant progress."
"The Bush Administration's imprudent rush to expand assistance to
the Indonesian military is alarming and short-sighted," said Karen
Orenstein, National Coordinator of the East Timor and Indonesia
Action Network. "We urge other members of Congress to work with
Senators Feingold and Leahy to establish a forward-looking policy
which promotes genuine accountability for human rights crimes and
real reform of Indonesia's corrupt military."
Senator Leahy, ranking member of the Foreign Operations
Appropriations Subcommittee, authored
the restrictions
on certain forms of military assistance, which the
administration
waived last November only two days after President Bush signed
them into law. Senator Feingold, a member of the Foreign Relations
and Intelligence Committees,
recently
visited Indonesia. Both Senators have been consistent voices
supporting human rights and reform in Indonesia.
A copy of the letter is below.
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
www.etan.org.
RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD
WISCONSIN
506 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20510
(202) 224-5323
(202) 224-1280 (TDD)
feingold.senate.gov
April 25, 2006
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
U.S. Department of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301
Dear Secretary Rice and Secretary Rumsfeld:
We are writing to express our disappointment and concern with
your decision to use the waiver authority contained in section
599F(b) of the fiscal year 2006 Foreign Operations, Export
Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act (P.L. 109-102).
We recognize that as the world's largest Muslim country Indonesia
is a critical partner in combating terrorism, and that it is in our
strategic interest to try to work with Indonesia on a range of
issues. However, we believe it is critical that Indonesia bring to
justice those who have committed crimes against humanity and other
violations of human rights, and make further progress in reforming
its military.
When your staff briefed our offices on your decision to exercise
the waiver, we were told that you share our goals but believe that
you can achieve them by different means. However, we are concerned
that this waiver, unattached to any clear strategy or specific
benchmarks, sends the wrong message to the Indonesian Government and
to other countries. We ask that you take specific actions to ensure
that any Foreign Military Financing (FMF) assistance or exports of
defense articles are provided to the Indonesian Government only
within a framework that states clearly what the U.S. government
expects of the Indonesians, as well as what the consequences would
be of the Indonesian Government's failure to effectively address the
issues contained in section 599F(a) of P.L. 109-102. While it is our
belief that your exercise of this waiver was premature, it is
essential that assistance be provided only under controlled and
accountable circumstances. Accordingly, we urge you to:
- Provide a report to the Congress on the status of
Indonesia's progress in the areas outlined in section 599F(a),
and the actions that the Departments of State and Defense are
taking to encourage the Indonesian Government to make such
progress.
- Develop a comprehensive strategy that includes specific
benchmarks that the United States will use to measure progress
in the three areas outlined in section 599F(a), and which
explains how military assistance is linked to accountability and
military reform. This strategy should contain clear consequences
should the Indonesian Government not make significant progress.
It should also specify how the Departments of State and Defense
will respond to future human rights violations by the Indonesian
military, and what action will be taken should no significant
progress be made on accountability and military reform.
- Provide a report describing specific actions --excluding FMF,
IMET or defense exports - that the Department of State is making
to encourage the Indonesian Government to address past crimes
against humanity and other human rights violations, and to make
further progress in reforming its military.
We commend the progress that Indonesia has made since the end of
the Suharto regime. The military's role in politics has diminished
significantly, and the peace agreement in Aceh is very encouraging.
But the country has yet to come to terms with its past and has not
yet fully adopted the principles and values that form the foundation
of legitimate democracies. The Administration needs to make clear to
the Indonesian Government that the United States will continue to
insist that it bring to justice those who have committed crimes
against humanity, and reform its military to become professional,
transparent, and grounded in the rule of law. We feel that this
message can only be delivered effectively if our government
establishes a clear strategy and specific benchmarks that are linked
to new assistance.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Russell D. Feingold
United States Senator
Patrick J. Leahy
United States Senator
CC: Admiral Fallon, Pacific Command
See also:
U.S.-Indonesia Military Assistance page
