[Kabar-Irian] Irian News - 11/22/04 (Part 1 of 2)

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- Kopassus blamed for Papua murders 
- Army accused of Papua killings
- Motion by the Australian Labor Party (A.L.P) re WP
- AWPA Newsletter - No. 58 
- Destabilization in West Papua to affect leadership of Indonesia
- Jakarta to hunt rebel in mine killing 
- U.S., RI military ties remain in the balance 
- Strengthening Indonesia-U.S. ties 
- U.S. Congress Maintains Restrictions on Military and IMET Assistance for 
Indonesia
- Unrest in West Papua - A Warning for Australia
*****************************

The Jakarta Post.com
National news
November 22, 2004
Kopassus blamed for Papua murders 
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

Local nongovernmental organizations, churches and student organizations urged 
the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to set up a fact-finding 
team to investigate the recent series of shootings in the province.

Eight people, including a church minister and a police officer, were killed in 
a series of attacks by unidentified gunmen between Aug. 17 and Nov. 12, 2004 in 
Puncak Jaya regency. Some 15 others, mostly children, died when more than 5,000 
residents of 27 villages in the regency had to flee and take refuge in remote 
areas after they felt their lives were in danger due to the continued presence 
of the gunmen. 

The police and military are blaming the Free Papua Movement (OPM) separatist 
rebels for the incidents, while tribal leaders, religious leaders and human 
rights activists in the province are alleging that the Indonesian Military 
(TNI) is behind the shootings. 

A joint press release issued by ELSHAM Papua, the Indonesian Legal Aid 
Association in Papua, Kontras Papua, the Papuan Presidium Council and Students 
Organizations in Jayapura, said that the rights body should investigate the 
incidents as they believed there were strong indications that security 
personnel from the local TNI unit were involved in the series of shootings. 

"The national Commission on Human Rights should immediately send an independent 
team to investigate the shootings because neither the police nor the local 
military have sent their own teams to probe the bloody incidents," said the 
press release. 

The press release explained that since Aug. 17, 2004, five deadly killings had 
occurred in the regency, with the death toll currently at seven, including 
Pastor Elita Tabuni. The six others were minivan drivers in the regency capital 
of Mulia. 

The latest killing occurred on Oct. 14, when Yance Frans Kirioma, a police 
officer based at the Mulia police station, was tortured and beaten to death 
when he and his 11-member team were deployed to monitor the condition of 
villagers taking refuge in remote areas of the regency. 

Reliable sources in the province told The Jakarta Post by telephone here that 
the local unit of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) was involved in the 
incidents. 

"We have received information from many groups in the regency, who all say that 
Kopassus has been involved in the series of shootings, either directly or 
indirectly," said the sources who have called on the Indonesian Military (TNI) 
leadership to pull out all Kopassus personnel from the province. 

A number of Kopassus personnel were redeployed to the province as the TNI brass 
believed there had been an increase in separatist activities after the Army 
disbanded a Kopassus unit in Jayapura in 2003 following the involvement of 
Kopassus personnel in the killing of Papua Presidium Council Chairman 
Dortheys "Theys" Hiyo Eluay in 2002. 

Puncak Jaya regent Eliezer Renmaur said that his administration would fully 
support the rights body if it chose to investigate the killing spree. He also 
said they wanted to help ensure the safety of the civilians, who had just 
returned home after taking refuge for months. 

"We will allow the rights body to freely investigate the incidents if it wants 
to do so and we will help it carry out the investigation thoroughly," he said. 

Albert Yogy, chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle faction at 
the Papua provincial legislative council, said the legislature had urged the 
police to investigate the crime wave and penalize the perpetrators to the full 
extent of the law. 

"If security personnel, either from the military or the police, are found to be 
involved in the incidents they must be punished with the harshest of 
sentences," he said. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Age (Melbourne)
Army accused of Papua killings
By Matthew Moore, Jakarta
November 23, 2004

Human rights advocates in Australia and Indonesia fear a new military campaign 
in Papua province is behind the deaths of eight people and has caused up to 
5000 people to flee their villages.

Several groups have blamed the military for a series of incidents in Puncak 
Jaya in the highlands and warned that the military was likely to step up 
operations.

A statement released and signed by several human rights groups, including 
Kontras and the Legal Aid Foundation, details a series of killings and attacks 
that began on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day.

According to the statement, an army helicopter dropped "bombs" and shot at 
villagers in undisclosed locations on October 17.

On October 12, six drivers in Mulia in Puncak Jaya were shot dead and a priest 
was killed on September 14.

The statement also said a police officer was killed on November 12 while 
driving and two local government officials were badly wounded while delivering 
food and medicine.

A spokesman for the military in Papua, Major Ganda Situmorang, denied that the 
military was killing innocent people but he declined to discuss the 
allegations. He said some media reports about the incidents had been "twisted".

In a separate statement from Sydney University's Centre for Peace and Conflict 
Studies and the Uniting Church of Australia and leading Papuan human rights 
group Elsham, John Rumbiak accused the military of using local people to 
engineer conflicts for their own ends.

"It is likely that Papuans have been used to carry out this attack (November 
12) by the army special forces, Kopassus, who have been using local groups in 
Papua in the same way they manipulated East Timorese to fight their own 
people," said Mr Rumbiak, the international advocacy co-ordinator for 
Elsham. "This is a precursor to civil war."

The groups called on Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to order 
troops out of Puncak Jaya immediately.

The resource-rich province of Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, has been the scene of 
a low-level separatist war since Indonesia took control in the mid-1960s. The 
Government has banned foreign journalists from entering the province.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: "joe collins" seosamh20@

Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2004 10:17 PM
Subject: [wp] Motion by the Australian Labor Party (A.L.P) re WP

Motion by the Australian Labor Party (A.L.P) Victorian Branch that passed 
unanimously in their Victoria State conference on Saturday, 20th Nov

URGENCY MOTION - WEST PAPUA

1) There is increasing evidence of a worsening human rights situation in 
Papua / Irian Jaya, the easternmost province of Indonesia.

2) Indonesia’s government has recently launched a military operation in the 
central highlands region that left six people dead and forced 5000 villagers to 
flee their homes. The government has announced that foreign journalists will 
not be granted visas to enter the province at this time.

3) An extra 25,000 troops have been poured into the mineral and timber-rich 
province since 2000.

4) Papua is home to the world's largest gold and copper mine at Freeport, while 
British energy giant BP plans to start the construction of the Tangguh 
liquefied natural gas (LNG) next year, and BHP Billiton is hoping to go ahead 
with an open cut nickel mine.

5) Local community leaders have been losing patience with the Indonesian 
government after moderate independence leader Theys Eluay was assassinated in 
November 2001, and efforts to establish a "zone of peace" throughout the 
province by humans rights workers had failed.

6) John Rumbiak, international advocacy co-ordinator for the Jayapura-based 
human rights group Elsham, says that increasing militarisation, coupled with 
human rights abuses and unmet demands for independence, has turned Papua into 
a "time bomb waiting to go off".

7) More than a million migrants had moved into the province from elsewhere in 
Indonesia, rapidly closing the gap on the 1.5 million native Papuans, he said.

8) There is a danger that because the indigenous Papuans can't fight against 
the military, they may turn their anger on the migrants.

9) Islamist militia groups have added to the explosive mix, experiencing a 
recruitment surge December 2003 during a visit by Eurico Guterres, the 
notorious leader whose own militia wreaked havoc in East Timorin 1999

10) Australia and neighbouring countries will be affected if further wide-scale 
violence breaks out and refugees once more begin fleeing over the border to 
Papua New Guinea.

11) Indonesia's new President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed a 
willingness to resolve the conflict in Papua.

Therefore this conference of the Victorian branch of the A.L.P

a) Calls on the Australian government to call for peaceful dialogue between the 
Indonesian government and relevant government and civil society representatives 
in Jayapura

b) Calls on the Australian government to "support and encourage" Indonesian 
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to establish the "necessary pre-conditions" 
for peaceful dialogue, including a withdrawal of TNI troops from Papua, the 
dismantling of militias and revoking decrees that seek to divide Papua into 
separate provinces.

c) Calls on the Australian government to work in co-operation with New Zealand 
and Pacific Island governments, to implement Pacific Island Forum policy on 
peaceful dialogue and monitoring human rights abuses in Papua.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AWPA Newsletter - No. 58 
November 2004

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088

AWPA welcomes articles for the newsletter on any issue in relation to West 
Papua. The reports in the newsletter are from the various email conferences on 
West Papua.  AWPA appreciates any donations of support to help in its campaign 
work. Past newsletters can be found at www.zulenet.com/awpa/

Contents 

Editorial
1) AWPA letter to Minister for Foreign Affairs

Editorial
The 1st of December is West Papuan National day, sometimes called independence 
day or national flag day.  Forty three years ago on the 1st of December 1961, 
the Morning Star flag was flown for the first time officially beside the Dutch 
Tricolor.  At that ceremony as the Morning Star flag was raised, Dutch and 
Papuan military and police saluted and accompanied by a marine band playing the 
national anthem, “My Land Papua”. The Dutch were finally about to give the West 
Papuan people their freedom. However it is one of the great tragedies that at 
their moment of freedom it was cruelly crushed and West Papua was basically 
handed over to Indonesia in 1963. After 6 years administration of the province, 
Indonesia held a sham referendum called the “Act of Free Choice” under UN 
supervision.  Only 1025 handpicked voters, one representative for every 800 
West Papuans were allowed vote, and under coercion, voted to "remain with 
Indonesia. The Papuans call this the act of no free choice.

As to Australia’s involvement, we originally supported the Dutch government’s 
attempts to hold onto West New Guinea, as we preferred another colonial power 
to act as a buffer zone between Australia and any potential invader from the 
north. However, once the US decided to back Indonesia, Australia quickly fell 
into line.  In fact, Australia acted against the wishes of the West Papuan 
people, who always wanted independence.  One example is when two West Papuan 
leaders, Clemens Runawery and Willem Zonggonao were removed by Australian 
officials from a plane in Papua New Guinea just weeks before the UN supervised 
vote. This was at the request of the Indonesian foreign minister. The men were 
on their way to the UN in New York, carrying testimonies from many West Papuan 
leaders calling for independence. One could say Australia was involved in the 
betrayal of a people.

And today we continue to ignore the plight of the West Papuan People. As a 
military operation is being undertaken in the vicinity of Mulia, in the Puncak 
Jaya district in West Papua's central highlands, our government talks about 
improving relations with Indonesia and the possibility of a new defence treaty.

>From an article in the Weekend Australian 20 Nov. ‘’Overtures to Bambang”Downer 
has firm ideas about the treaty he wants. The first aim is to bury the East 
Timor legacy and reassure Indonesia. The document would uphold the territorial 
integrity of both nations - a significant statement of Australia's support for 
Jakarta and its rejection of secessionist movements in several provinces, 
notable Aceh and West Papua. An Australian official says: "People might think 
this was actually our rejection of any Papuan independence, and they would be 
dead right."

There is nothing surprising in this but it is hoped that our West Papuan 
friends can distinguish between our governments policy towards West Papua and 
the Australian Peoples attitude. The letters and press releases below from a 
number of organizations indicate that West Papua is not without support in 
Australia,

AWPA believes that this military operation proves that it is premature for the 
Australian Government to renew ties with the Indonesian military as any aid or 
training will only be used to oppress the peoples of West Papua and Aceh. We 
encourage individuals and organizations to write to Alexander Downer along the 
lines below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOINT PRESS STATEMENT for Immediate Release

Sydney, 18 November 2004. Embargo until 12.00 noon (New South Wales time)

Contact:
Prof. Stewart Rees, Director of  Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Sydney 
University: Phn. +61-2-93517686; Rev. Dr. John Barr, Chairman for International 
Relations of the Uniting Church, Australia: Phn. +61-(0)408826742; John 
Rumbiak, Coordinator of International Advocacy of ELSHAM in Sydney: Phn. +61-(0)
424572475

Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Sydney University 
Uniting Church of Australia
West Papua Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy

Destabilization in West Papua to affect leadership of Indonesia's President 
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

"The international community should press military and hardliners in Indonesia 
to resolve the West Papuan issue peacefully"

A joint statement by the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, (Sydney 
University), the Uniting Church of Australia and the West Papuan Institute for 
Human Rights Study and Advocacy (Elsham) has said that evidence points to 
Indonesian Army involvement in an incident last Friday that caused one 
policeman killed and two government officials badly wounded has the potential 
to precipitate widespread bloodshed in Indonesia's contentious Melanesian 
province.

The incident arose from the latest in a series of attacks in West Papua's 
remote Puncak Jaya regency which have resulted in the deaths of eight people, 
including a prominent Papuan pastor.

The military operation in the Mulia area, purportedly against OPM (Free West 
Papua) guerrillas has already resulted in up to 5000 highlanders being forced 
from their villages and the destruction of homes, food gardens and livestock. 
Reports have filtered out of at least fifteen deaths from hunger, thirteen of 
which were children, with people eating grass to survive. The area has been 
closed by the military.

Friday's attack now threatens an escalation of military repression across the 
highlands. It has been revealed that one wounded official, a local finance 
administrator, has recently reported extortion by the military of the regency 
government of Puncak Jaya. The money extorted, round $250,000 earmarked for 
development, was used to fund the military operations. A church leader exposed 
the extortion earlier this month.

"It is likely that Papuans have been used to carry out this attack by the army 
special forces, Kopassus, who have been using local groups in Papua in the same 
way they manipulated East Timorese to fight their own people", said John 
Rumbiak, International Advocacy Coordinator for Elsham. He warns, "This is a 
precursor to civil war."

"The military threatens the administration of President Yudhoyono with a 
situation where he must give them the green light for a new military operation. 
They have already begun to engineer incidents which will destabilize his 
presidency."

Journalists (domestic and international) have been barred from entering West 
Papua since shortly after the election of the new President Yudhoyono. The 
banning of journalists was a measure taken before the start of the military 
offensive in Aceh last year.

Reverend John Barr of the Uniting Church in Australia has called for an urgent 
humanitarian assistance mission to be allowed into the Puncak Jaya area and a 
halt to the military assault: "Papuan leaders, from civil society and the 
churches, are united in their opposition to the use of military force, which is 
having such disastrous consequences for the local communities," he said.

Tom Beanal, a senior member of the Papua Presidium Council, has called for 
immediate dialogue and a demilitarization of the Papuan highlands: "The people 
must not be provoked into reaction ...there will be an explosion in Papua if 
Jakarta does not stop military operations," he said.

Targeted assassinations
A week after the inauguration of President Yudhoyono, sixteen key West Papuan 
leaders, mostly Papua Presidium Council members, were targeted for 
assassination. A source close to the President has confirmed that the killings 
were to be conducted by members of BIN (Indonesian intelligence) and a "Black 
Operations" group. ("Black Operations" consists of hundreds of ex-Suharto 
loyalists, military men who, following the fall of Suharto, left office in 
possession of automatic weapons). They have been professional and well-funded 
instigators of ethnic, political and religious conflicts throughout Indonesia.

The group is displeased with the election of Yudhoyono as president and his 
commitment to resolve the West Papuan issue peacefully.

Dr. Ikrar Nusa Bakti, a well respected Indonesian academic of the Indonesian 
Institute of Sciences, has pointed out that ongoing attempts to divide Papua 
into three provinces have received strong backing from the TNI and National 
Police because of their political interest in weakening "separatist" sentiment. 
With the split, which would also entail establishing more military and police 
bases in the new provinces and regencies, "separatist rebels" could be more 
easily controlled, he argued.

The decision made last week by the Indonesian Constitutional Court to declare 
the new province of West Irian Jaya legally invalid is only an apparent setback 
for the hardline groups because the court failed to order the dissolution of 
the new province. Their goal remains to create tension and conflict in Papua 
and elsewhere.

President Yudhoyono has advocated dialogue with West Papuans. In his firstweeks 
in office he held meetings with key Papuan leaders and parliamentarians seeking 
peaceful solutions to the four-decade long struggle in Papua. The strategy 
favored by the new president includes the early implementation of Special 
Autonomy, promised by the Megawati administration but never implemented.

Yudhoyono indicated the position he takes on the military's role when, 
referring last week to the operations in the highlands, he called for care to 
be taken to minimize civilian casualties in Papua. "Don't let the people suffer 
from excesses during the operation, " the President warned.

Nevertheless, following a troop build-up in Papua over the past two years there 
are now more than 25,000 soldiers stationed in the province and they are a 
ticking time bomb for the future of the Papuans and the whole Pacific region as 
well.

Professor Stuart Rees of Sydney University's Centre for Peace and Conflict 
Studies has called on the TNI to refrain from action  that will only cause 
further alienation and upheaval for the Papuans. "These people have suffered 
enough. It's time there was a negotiated and internationally supported 
solution ... here is an enormous opportunity for the new Indonesian 
administration to promote peace with justice." (END)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jakarta to hunt rebel in mine killing 
Jakarta, November 22, 2004 (AFP)

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has promised US President George 
Bush the government will continue to hunt for a rebel wanted for killing two 
Americans in Papua province, a report said Sunday.
The promise was made during a meeting of the two leaders on the sidelines of 
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit in Santiago, the 
state Antara news agency quoted a presidential spokesman as saying.

"Indonesia will continue to hunt down Antonius Wamang, who is strongly 
suspected of the killing of two American teachers in Papua," the spokesman 
quoted Yudhoyono as saying.

In June, US Attorney General John Ashcroft charged Wamang with the August 2002 
ambush on a convoy of buses transporting students and teachers of a school at a 
gold and copper mine operated by US company Freeport McMoRan in Papua.

Two US teachers and an Indonesian were killed in the ambush in the Timika area, 
while about a dozen others, including eight US nationals, were wounded in the 
attack, in which more than 100 rounds were fired.

Washington halted most military-to-military contacts after Indonesian troops 
ran riot in East Timor in 1999. US legislators want an accounting for these and 
other abuses before ties can resume, but the Timika case was seen as the major 
immediate obstacle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
November 23, 2004
U.S., RI military ties remain in the balance 
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A United States Senate's demand for the putting on trial of the Indonesian 
Military (TNI) officers deemed to be responsible for atrocities in East Timor 
remains a thorny issue in the efforts to restore military ties between the two 
countries, a minister has said.

Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said on Monday that the U.S. Senate also 
demanded the bringing to justice of servicemen believed by some U.S. government 
offices to have been involved in the August 2002 ambush in Timika, Papua, which 
killed two American teachers, as another tough condition for the resumption of 
military cooperation. 

"I said 'no' to the conditions. I told the United States that these cases 
should be handled by the Indonesian courts and should not involve demands from 
other countries," Juwono said. 

Juwono plans to make a trip to Washington after the inauguration of President 
George W. Bush early next year to explain Jakarta's stance to the U.S. 
government, Congress and non-governmental organizations. 

"If the States' policymakers maintain their demands, well, we will have to turn 
to other countries and develop military relationships with them," he said. 

On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit 
in Santiago, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono voiced a promise to President 
Bush to continue the hunt for a rebel suspected of having killed the two 
Americans in Papua province. 

The rebel, Antonius Wamang, is strongly suspected of being behind the killing 
and has been indicted by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft with the ambush on 
a convoy of buses transporting students and teachers of a school run by U.S. 
gold and copper mining firm Freeport McMoran in Papua. 

The accusation emerged soon after the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation 
(FBI) concluded its investigation at the scene. The U.S. officials said 32-year-
old Wamang, who is still at large, was a commander of the Free Papua Movement 
(OPM). 

Another teacher, an Indonesian, was also killed in the incident, while a dozen 
other people, including eight U.S. nationals, were wounded in the attack, in 
which more than 100 rounds were fired. 

The OPM has been fighting a sporadic, low-level guerrilla war since Indonesia 
took over the huge mountainous and undeveloped territory from the Netherlands 
in 1963. 

Indonesia's legal system has come under the spotlight after the ad hoc rights 
tribunal failed to break the cycle of impunity and provide justice for the 
victims of the bloodshed in East Timor in 1999. All of the senior military and 
police officers, as well as a civilian -- former East Timor governor Abilio 
Jose Osorio Soares -- were either acquitted at first instance or on appeal. 

Washington halted most military-to-military contacts after Indonesian troops 
ran riot in East Timor. The U.S. legislators want an accounting for these and 
other abuses before ties can resume, but the Timika case is still seen as a 
major obstacle. 

"I understand the position of President Bush as his country's political system 
forces him to listen to the voices of Senators and Congressmen, but am I right 
if I ask whether that country has committed rights abuses in Iraq?" Juwono 
asked. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Opinion
November 23, 2004
Strengthening Indonesia-U.S. ties 
Ambassador Marie T. Huhtala, Washington DC

We are very interested in seeing Indonesia act as a stabilizing and responsible 
force in the region. Indeed, we have always viewed Indonesia as the cornerstone 
of regional security in Southeast Asia. In the past, Indonesia has played a 
significant leadership role in regional institutions like ASEAN and APEC. We 
look forward to seeing Jakarta reassert this prominent position in 
international fora and institutions.

Our two countries share the important strategic objective of a stable Southeast 
Asian region that is free of transnational threats, including terrorism, 
weapons of mass destruction, smuggling, and trafficking in persons. American 
interests are best served by a democratic, prosperous Indonesia that is secure 
within its borders and able to defend itself against transnational threats. For 
that reason we firmly support the territorial integrity of Indonesia. 

Indonesia needs to be strong in order to be our partner in confronting the many 
challenges of this age. I have already mentioned the challenge of terrorism, 
another urgent challenge is in the realm of maritime security. The strategic 
sea lanes that pass through and along Indonesian territory carry roughly 30 
percent of the world's sea-borne trade and are key transit routes for the U.S. 
naval fleet. 

Indonesia's vast archipelago is difficult to monitor. We stand ready to assist 
Indonesia address this important challenge in ways that we will decide on 
jointly, and we encourage the growing cooperation among Indonesia and its 
neighbors in this important field. 

We also believe that as the country with the largest Muslim population in the 
world, Indonesia has a key role to play in demonstrating the virtues of 
tolerance and mutual respect in a diverse, multi-ethnic polity. The ability of 
so many Muslims to thrive economically and pursue a democratic, just society 
shows the way forward for Muslim and multi-religious societies throughout the 
world. 

We currently help support the exchange of Pesantren leaders to the United 
States in order to promote understanding between our two countries, and we will 
continue to do everything we can to promote dialogue between Indonesians and 
the fast-growing community of Muslims in America. 

As elsewhere in the world, the United States must address the range of our 
interests with Indonesia in an integrated way. Many of our national interests 
coincide with those of Indonesia, and we will work with Jakarta wherever 
possible in the spirit of the true friendship we share. 

Nevertheless, there are areas of disagreement, and we need to address those 
frankly. 

Even as we champion a strong and democratic Indonesia secure within its 
borders, we must also support negotiated settlements to the conflicts in Aceh 
and Papua. We believe that in any area suffering from communal conflict there 
needs to be free access by humanitarian groups, human rights workers, and the 
media. 

We also believe that to realize their democratic vision Indonesians will have 
to find the appropriate ways to further strengthen civilian control over the 
military and hold individuals accountable for abuses. Again, improving the 
judicial process, eliminating corruption in the judiciary, and creating 
professional standards will go a long way toward addressing these issues. 

We also seek justice for the Americans and Indonesian murdered in Timika in 
2002, an issue which continues to be viewed with urgency on our side. We 
appreciate the cooperation our FBI has received so far in its investigation, 
and we hope that the new government in Jakarta will do everything it can to 
bring those responsible for this atrocity to justice. 

These same principles hold true with regard to accountability for the crimes 
against humanity committed in East Timor in 1999. We hope the Indonesian 
Government will cooperate fully with the UN Commission of Experts, as this 
seems to be the last and best hope for resolving this difficult and long-
standing issue. 

We are hopeful that the day will come when the U.S. and Indonesia will be able 
to enjoy fully restored relations between our respective militaries. We believe 
that U.S. assistance in the form of IMET and FMF would be in the interests of 
both countries. 

Unrestricted IMET training would be especially valuable in strengthening the 
professionalism of Indonesian military officers with respect to transparency, 
human rights, and public accountability. However, before that can happen we 
will need to resolve several issues to meet important Administration and 
Congressional concerns about human rights and accountability. 

Let me conclude by emphasizing how much we all look forward to working with 
Indonesia as it enters this exciting new chapter in its history. Although many 
challenges will have to be resolved, we have a better opportunity now than at 
any time in the past to help strengthen democracy and respect for human rights, 
and contribute to the stability and prosperity of an important strategic 
partner. The United States considers Indonesia a valued friend, and we hope to 
make that friendship with this the largest democracy in East Asia even stronger 
in the years ahead. 
-- This article is an excerpt of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for 
Southeast Asian Affairs Marie T. Huhtala's remarks at a conference sponsored by 
the U.S.-Indonesia Society (USINDO) and the Center for Strategic and 
International Studies in Washington DC, on Nov. 17, 2004. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Immediate Release
U.S. Congress Maintains Restrictions on Military and IMET Assistance for 
Indonesia
Contact: John M. Miller, 718-596-7668; 917-690-4391 (cell)

November 21, 2004 - The U.S. Congress agreed yesterday to renew bans on 
International Military Education and Training (IMET) and foreign military 
financing (FMF) for Indonesia.

Congress agreed to continue to bar grants of military equipment through the FMF 
program and on licenses for export of lethal equipment until certain conditions 
are met. The legislature also extended the ban on IMET until the State 
Department determines that the Indonesian armed forces and government are 
cooperating with the FBI's investigation into the murder of U.S. citizens in 
West Papua.

"These restrictions on IMET and FMF sends an important message to Indonesia 
that Congress believes military reform and accountability are key to democratic 
progress in Indonesia," said John M. Miller, spokesperson for the East Timor 
Action Network (ETAN). "We hope Indonesia's new government listens."

ETAN urged Congress to expand the conditions on resumption of IMET and extend 
conditionality to counter-terrorism training, which is funded under different 
legislation. "Congress should apply the same conditions on IMET and other 
military training that it has imposed on FMF," Miller said.

"Indonesia has yet to fulfill conditions previously placed on IMET, including 
accountability for rights violations in East Timor and Indonesia and 
transparency in the military budget. In fact, the military continues to 
systematically violate human rights, especially in Aceh and West Papua. Many of 
those indicted for crimes against humanity in East Timor continue to maintain 
powerful positions," he said.

The bill provides $6 million for the Indonesian Navy for "maritime security." 
Release of these funds is conditioned on certification that the Navy is 
not "committing gross violations of human rights" and is cooperating with 
civilian investigations and prosecution of human rights violations.

The bill now goes to the President for his signature.

Background
Congress first voted to restrict Indonesia from receiving IMET, which brings 
foreign military officers to the U.S. for training, in response to the November 
12, 1991 Santa Cruz massacre of more than 270 civilians in East Timor by 
Indonesian troops wielding U.S. supplied M-16 rifles. All military ties with 
Indonesia were severed in September 1999 as the Indonesian military (TNI) and 
its militia proxies razed East Timor.

For fiscal year 2004, Congress banned IMET after a contentious debate on a bill 
passed in January until the State Department determines that the Indonesian 
military and government are cooperating with the FBI's investigation of the 
2002 ambush.

Although one West Papuan has been indicted in the U.S. for the murders in 
Timika, a number of congressional offices have insisted that the condition on 
IMET should remain in place until the investigation is completed and those 
responsible for the attack are brought to justice. Indonesia has yet to indict 
anyone in the killings. The TNI has been implicated in the August 

2002 attack in the mining concession of Louisiana-based Freeport-McMoRan, which 
also killed an Indonesian and wounded 11 people, including a six-year-old child.

The conditions on FMF are similar to those passed by Congress last year and 
include a call for budget transparency by the TNI and presidential 
certification that the Indonesian government is prosecuting members of the 
armed forces accused of rights violations or aiding militia groups and 
punishing those guilty of such acts.

The TNI must cooperate with international efforts to bring human violators to 
justice. Three-quarters of those indicted by UN Security Council-mandated 
Serious Crimes Unit in East Timor currently reside in Indonesia. A number of 
indicted senior military and police officials and militia are active in 
military operations in Aceh and West Papua.

The Indonesian navy is often viewed as having a better human rights record than 
the army. However, navy ships were integral to the massive, well-planned 
Indonesian military operation which systematically destroyed East Timor and 
forcibly transported a third of the population out of the territory in 1999. In 
July 1998, navy personnel massacred peaceful demonstrators in Biak, West Papua, 
and then dumped their bodies at sea. This crime has never been investigated. 
Marines are active in military operations in Aceh, where numerous human rights 
violations have occurred.

Recently, an Indonesian naval vessel threatened and chased a tourist dive boat 
well within East Timor's waters. East Timor's Minister for Internal 
Administration, Rogerio Lobato, said Indonesian warships regularly violate 
Timor's waters. Last December, an Indonesian warship shelled a small disputed 
island off East Timor's enclave of Oecussi.

On November 11, 2004, 16 East Timorese groups urged the U.S. Congress to end 
all assistance to the Indonesian military and to work for justice for victims 
of past human rights crimes. The groups wrote that Congress should "provide 
leadership by ending all assistance to the military which so damaged our 
country... Restrictions on military aid are essential to efforts to end 
impunity for the horrendous crimes committed in East Timor.. The more powerful 
and unaccountable the Indonesian military remains, the slimmer the chances for 
stability and democracy in Indonesia."

The appropriations bill also renews a general restriction on training units of 
security forces where the Secretary of State "has credible evidence that such 
unit has committed gross violations of human rights."

The bill also provides $22,000,000 in economic assistance for East Timor, well 
above the administration's budget request.

ETAN advocates for democracy, justice and human rights for East Timor and 
Indonesia. ETAN calls for an international tribunal to prosecute crimes against 
humanity that took place in East Timor since 1975 and continued restrictions on 
U.S. military assistance to Indonesia until there is genuine reform of its 
security forces.
*****
Language on East Timor and Military Assistance to Indonesia in H.R. 4818 – 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY 2005

Economic Support Fund
Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less 
than $22,000,000 shall be made available for assistance for the Democratic 
Republic of Timor-Leste, of which up to $1,000,000 may be available for 
administrative expenses of the United States Agency for International 
Development.

Indonesia
Sec. 572. (a) Funds appropriated by this Act under the heading "Foreign 
Military Financing Program" may be made available for assistance for Indonesia, 
and licenses may be issued for the export of lethal defense articles for the 
Indonesian Armed Forces, only if the Secretary of State certifies to the 
appropriate congressional committees that

(1) the Armed Forces are taking steps to counter international terrorism, 
consistent with democratic principles and the rule of law, and in co operation 
with countries in the region;

(2) the Indonesian Government is prosecuting and punishing, in a manner 
proportional to the crime, members of the Armed Forces, of whatever rank, who 
have been credibly alleged to have committed gross violations of human rights 
or to have aided or abetted militia groups;

(3) at the direction of the President of Indonesia, the Armed Forces are 
cooperating with civilian judicial authorities and with international efforts 
to resolve cases of gross violations of human rights in East Timor and 
elsewhere; and

(4) at the direction of the President of Indonesia, the Armed Forces are 
implementing reforms to increase the transparency and accountability of their 
operations and financial management, including making publicly available audits 
of receipts and expenditures.

(b) Funds appropriated under the heading "Inter national Military Education and 
Training" may be made available for assistance for Indonesia if the Secretary 
of State determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations that the 
Indonesian Government and Armed Forces are cooperating with the Federal Bureau 
of Investigation's investigation into the August 31, 2002 murders of two 
American citizens and one Indonesian citizen in Timika, Indonesia: Provided, 
That this restriction shall not apply to expanded international military 
education and training, which may include English language training.

Security In Asia
Sec. 590. (a) Indonesia.-Funds made available for assistance for Indonesia 
under the heading "Foreign. Military Financing Program" may be made available 
for assistance for the Indonesian navy notwithstanding section 572 of this Act 
if the Secretary of State reports to the Committees on Appropriations that the 
Indonesian navy is not violating human rights and is cooperating with civilian 
judicial authorities on cases involving human rights violations: Provided, That 
such funds may only be made available for assistance for the Indonesian navy 
for the purposes of enhancing maritime security: Provided further, That such 
funds shall be made available subject to the regular notification procedures of 
the Committees on Appropriations.

Limitation on Assistance to Security Forces
Sec. 551. None of the funds made available by this Act may be provided to any 
unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has 
credible evidence that such unit has committed gross violations of human 
rights, unless the Secretary determines and reports to the Committees on 
Appropriations that the government of such country is taking effective measures 
to bring the responsible members of the security forces unit to justice: 
Provided, That nothing in this section shall be construed to withhold funds 
made available by this Act from any unit of the security forces of a foreign 
country not credibly alleged to be involved in gross violations of human 
rights: Provided further, That in the event that funds are withheld from any 
unit pursuant to this section, the Secretary of State shall promptly inform the 
foreign government of the basis for such action and shall, to the maximum 
extent practicable, assist the foreign government in taking effective measures 
to bring the responsible members of the security forces to justice.

Sec. 552. The annual foreign military training report required by section 656 
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 shall be submitted by the Secretary of 
Defense and the Secretary of State to the Committees on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate by  the date specified in that section.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Senator Natasha Stott Despoja
Democrats Senator for South Australia
Australian Democrats spokesperson for Foreign Affairs

Dated: 19 November 2004
Press Release Number: 04/1083
Unrest in West Papua - A Warning for Australia

Australian Democrats' Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Senator Natasha Stott 
Despoja has expressed her deep concern at reports of a spate of deaths and 
injuries and the displacement of up to 5000 people from their homes in the 
Indonesian province of West Papua.

"What is especially concerning is the allegation of Indonesian military 
involvement in these attacks," Senator Stott Despoja said.

"A full investigation into these allegations should commence immediately.

"Given evidence that some sections of the Indonesian military have previously 
committed gross human rights violations, the challenge is there to bring an end 
to this conduct and start rebuilding the reputation of the armed forces.

"Preventing further deaths and other human rights violations in West Papua must 
be the first priority, but it will also be vital for the Indonesian Government 
to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice."

Senator Stott Despoja said the alleged human rights violations also presented a 
warning to Australia against any hasty resumption of military ties with 
Indonesia.

"Cooperating with an organisation involved in such crimes would undermine 
rather than strengthen security in the region," Senator Stott Despoja said.

"Our friendship with Indonesia is important but we need to make it very clear 
that we do not tolerate human rights violations and we expect them to be 
addressed.

"It would be a mistake to re-establish military ties with Indonesia while these 
allegations remain unresolved and until the Indonesian military demonstrates a 
strong and unwavering commitment to upholding human rights," Senator Stott 
Despoja said.

http://www.democrats.org.au/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~