[Nasional-e] (no subject)

Sun Oct 13 01:36:03 2002

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Please distribute-

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Karen Orenstein, +1-202-544-6911
John M. Miller, +1-718-596-7668; mobile: +1-917-690-4391

Indonesian Rights Activists Urge U.S. Congress To Block Military =
Training

In a letter to members of the U.S. Congress, Indonesian organizations=20
expressed "great alarm" at efforts by Senators and Representatives to =
lift=20
restrictions on U.S. assistance for the Indonesian military (TNI).

The letter (see text below) urged Congress to maintain conditions on=20
restoration of military training and weapons sales, and to cancel new=20
"counter-terrorism training fellowships." Otherwise, the groups stated,=20
"the positive effect the U.S. suspension [of U.S. military assistance] =
has=20
had will most certainly be squandered."

The activists wrote that "Irreparable damage will be done to our efforts =
at=20
reform; any further attempts by the TNI to change old practices will =
almost=20
certainly end" should Congress provide military training through the=20
International Military and Education Training (IMET) program or the new=20
counter-terror program,

Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have approved the=20
restoration of IMET for Indonesia, but neither body has held a floor =
vote=20
on the bill.

"We were extremely disappointed to learn of the committees' show of =
support=20
for the TNI at a time when the military continues to defy reform and has =

significantly consolidated power under President Megawati, resisted=20
accountability for serious crimes committed in East Timor and Indonesia, =

and dramatically escalated human rights violations in Aceh and Papua," =
the=20
letter said.

The letter was distributed to all members of Congress last week by the =
East=20
Timor Action Network/U.S.

Congress first voted to restrict Indonesia from receiving IMET, which=20
brings foreign military officers to the U.S. for training, in response =
to=20
the November 12, 1991 Santa Cruz massacre of more than 270 civilians in=20
East Timor. All military ties with Indonesia were severed in September =
1999=20
as the Indonesian military and its militia proxies razed East Timor=20
following its vote for independence.

Congress first passed the "Leahy conditions," basic human rights =
benchmarks=20
which must be met before military assistance to Indonesia is resumed, in =

late 1999 and strengthened them last November. The FY00 through FY02=20
Foreign Operations Appropriations Acts required the president to certify =

that Indonesia had met these conditions before IMET and foreign military =

financed (FMF) weapons sales were restored for Indonesia. Last year,=20
Congress allowed civilians from Indonesia's defense ministry to =
participate=20
in the Expanded IMET (E-IMET) program, which involves course work in =
such=20
areas as civilian control of the military and human rights. The current=20
versions of the Senate and House foreign operations appropriations bills =

continue restrictions on FMF. The Counter-Terrorism Military Training=20
Fellowship program was created through a last-minute addition to the =
2002=20
Defense Department Appropriations Act; $4 million has been earmarked for =

this new military program.

The East Timor Action Network/U.S. supports human dignity for the people =
of=20
East Timor by advocating for democracy, sustainable development, social, =

legal and economic justice, and human rights, including women's rights. =
For=20
more information, see ETAN's web site at http://www.etan.org.

-30-

Dear Member of Congress:

We are writing to you with great alarm in response to recent steps to=20
provide training to the Indonesian military (TNI). We are particularly=20
concerned with recent Senate and House Appropriations Committee votes to =

resume International Military Education and Training (IMET) after many=20
years of appropriate restriction. As Indonesian citizens and NGO =
leaders,=20
we offer our views to help you make a better-informed decision when=20
considering the U.S. military relationship with Indonesia. We were=20
extremely disappointed to learn of the committees' show of support for =
the=20
TNI at a time when the military continues to defy reform and has=20
significantly consolidated power under President Megawati, resisted=20
accountability for serious crimes committed in East Timor and Indonesia =
and=20
dramatically escalated human rights violations in Aceh and Papua.

We urge you to renew both the IMET and the Foreign Military Financing =
(FMF)=20
restrictions legislated in the 2002 Foreign Operations Appropriations =
Act.=20
We hold out hope that those Appropriations Committee members in both=20
chambers who voted for IMET's reinstatement will reverse their position =
and=20
act to restore the restriction when the bill comes to the Floor for a =
vote.=20
If not, the positive effect the U.S. suspension has had will most =
certainly=20
be squandered.  The little tolerance shown by the military for the=20
investigation and prosecution of previous crimes in East Timor and=20
elsewhere largely stems from its desperate desire to regain the approval =
of=20
the U.S. government. The $4 million to be provided to train the TNI in=20
so-called counter-terrorism programs this year will dampen this =
tolerance.=20
Should the Congress provide even greater approval for the TNI through =
the=20
provision of IMET, irreparable damage will be done to our efforts at=20
reform; any further attempts by the TNI to change old practices will =
almost=20
certainly end.

The current trials in Jakarta, far from representing progress towards=20
accountability for crimes committed in East Timor, have been a farcical=20
misrepresentation of justice and a humiliation for the Indonesian =
judicial=20
system and international law. Six Indonesian police and military =
officers=20
were acquitted in the first set of verdicts in August; the only East=20
Timorese defendant received a three-year sentence for crimes against=20
humanity.  The trials are more likely to entrench impunity than end it.  =
In=20
particular, the prosecution team under the Attorney General has shown a=20
complete lack of commitment to human rights and law enforcement. It has=20
failed to indict senior officers responsible for planning and directing =
the=20
violence and to adduce evidence of a widespread and systematic campaign=20
against civilians. It has also falsely portrayed events as part of a =
civil=20
conflict between two violent East Timor factions in which the Indonesian =

security forces were essentially bystanders and the United Nations acted =

discriminatorily against Indonesia.

We wonder if, perhaps, members of Congress are unaware that the kinds of =

violations for which the TNI was well-known in East Timor continue in=20
Indonesia. The same tactics the TNI employed in East Timor are now used =
in=20
Aceh and Papua, including the formation and sponsorship of lethal =
militia=20
and village sweeps where anyone, even children, suspected of =
independence=20
sympathies are targets of military violence. Peace and human rights=20
activists are regularly assaulted with impunity; extra-judicial =
killings,=20
torture, and rape remain all too common.

In Aceh, the Indonesian government persists in its pursuit of a military =

solution to the conflict with an excessive build up of troops, attempts =
to=20
sabotage the dialogue process facilitated by the Switzerland-based Henri =

Dunant Centre and a vow by President Megawati to "crush" the armed=20
resistance.  The result is a terrible death toll - currently running at =
the=20
rate of more than 100 a month, mostly civilians - and widespread =
suffering=20
exacerbated by a complete lack of military accountability for rights=20
violations.  In 1999, a Presidential Commission concluded that 7,000=20
violations had occurred during and after the period from 1989 to 1998 =
when=20
Aceh was a "Military Operational Area" (DOM).  It identified five=20
particularly heinous crimes for investigation and prosecution, but =
little=20
progress has been made.  Similarly, the authorities have failed to =
respond=20
in any meaningful way to the brutal killing of three humanitarian =
workers=20
employed by the organization Rehabilitation Action for Torture Victims, =
as=20
well as a fourth person in December 2000, and the massacre of 31 people =
at=20
the PT Buni Flora plantation in East Aceh in August 2001.  In both cases =

the military is suspected of involvement.  These are just a few examples =
of=20
the hundreds of cases in which the perpetrators have escaped justice.

Impunity also persists in Papua, most notably in relation to the=20
assassination last November of Theys Eluay, chairperson of the Papuan=20
Presidium Council, the non-violent formal negotiating partner =
representing=20
Papua to former Presidents Habibie and Wahid.  Many other cases remain=20
unresolved.  The Abepura case, in which a student was shot and two =
others=20
died in police custody, has been stalled by the Attorney General's =
office=20
for a year now despite a finding by Indonesia's Commission on Human =
Rights=20
that the case involved a gross violation of human rights.  The =
authorities=20
have failed to respond to demands for an investigation into rights=20
violations committed in the Wasior sub-district, when operations by the=20
police special forces, Brimob, reportedly resulted in ten summary=20
executions, numerous disappearances and the burning of many homes.

We can only speculate that Representatives and Senators are not aware of =

the fact that the Indonesian military often uses militia units to =
further=20
its political aims.  For example, the Islamic fundamentalist militia =
Laskar=20
Jihad is able to travel throughout Indonesia causing serious conflict=20
because they enjoy the backing of powerful members of the TNI and=20
police.  In Maluku, members of both the Laskar Jihad and the Christian=20
militia Laskar Kristus have provoked much of the inter-religious =
conflict=20
that has taken place there. Dozens of police and military officers have=20
publicly joined one of the two sides.  Reconciliation stands no chance=20
unless this open support by the military for extremist wings is ended. =
The=20
knowledge that the U.S. could be directly assisting the perpetrators of=20
such violence and inhuman acts should give pause to members of your =
Congress.

Like the U.S. government, we are also concerned about the existence of=20
radical Islamic groups in Indonesia. But only a very small minority of=20
Indonesians are involved with these organizations, which have little to =
no=20
proven connection to international terrorist networks.  Rather, they =
have a=20
domestic base and focus. Moreover, these groups frequently operate with=20
covert and, in some cases, overt support of elements of the military,=20
police, and government.  The greatest threat Indonesians face, and the=20
greatest obstacle to real democracy, is the military. If the standard=20
definition of "terrorism" is applied to events in Indonesia, then the =
true=20
terrorists are the security forces.

Given that the Indonesian military makes no distinction between national =

defence and domestic policing (it is all "national security"), the U.S.=20
government must recognize that any training and aid provided to the=20
military can just as readily be turned against Indonesian citizens as=20
against external enemies. The Indonesian military is, according to its=20
official doctrine of "dual function," not just a military, but a =
political=20
force inside the country. The Pentagon cannot claim that its ties to the =

TNI are purely military-to-military, since the TNI is not a conventional =

military.  Further, since the economic meltdown in 1997, the TNI has=20
increasingly played a dominant role in the economy, creating a =
tri-function=20
doctrine.  This is particularly the case in conflict areas like Aceh,=20
Papua, and Maluku, where war economies have emerged with overriding =
roles=20
for the military and police. Unfortunately, one casualty of the TNI's=20
economic pursuits is our environmental heritage. The military, heavily=20
involved in the illegal exploitation of Indonesia's many natural =
resources,=20
is a major contributor to environmental destruction, including the =
logging=20
that is destroying our invaluable forests.

We view the Pentagon's justifications for resuming ties with the TNI as=20
cynical attempts to legitimise a decision based on narrow conceptions of =

U.S. strategic interests. The problem with the Indonesian military is a=20
political one, not a technical one; it cannot be remedied by any amount =
of=20
training or dollars from the U.S. So long as the military  the shadow=20
government of this country  receives assistance from the U.S., as it did =

for the thirty-three long, dark years of the Suharto dictatorship, it =
will=20
feel confident in resisting public demands to reduce its powers.

We do not ask the U.S. government to actively assist the pro-democracy=20
movement in Indonesia.  We do, however, ask the U.S. government to make =
our=20
job easier by not assisting the TNI.  Such assistance will only serve to =

embolden the TNI to continue its assault on the reform movement =
throughout=20
Indonesia.

Honourable Senators and Representatives, we respectfully request that =
you=20
heed our words and withdraw your support for IMET for TNI.  We ask that=20
instead you renew all military restrictions present in last year's Act =
when=20
you vote on the Foreign Operations Appropriations legislation this =
autumn.=20
We further urge you to cancel plans to provide the TNI with $4 million=20
worth of training for so-called regional counter-terrorism training=20
fellowships.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Ori Rahman
Presidium of Kontras (Commission for Disappearances and Victims of =
Violence)

Agung Putri
ELSAM-Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy

Hendardi
PBHI (Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association)

Emmy Sahertian
National Solidarity for Papua

Bonar Tigor Naipospos
Solidamor

Rachland Nashidik
Imparsial, Indonesian Human Rights Watch

Winston Neil Rondo
Centre for Internally Displaced People's Services

Yeni Rosa Damayant
Women's Solidarity for Human Rights

etanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetan
John M. Miller         Internet: john@etan.org

Media & Outreach Coordinator
East Timor Action Network: 10 Years for Self-Determination & Justice

48 Duffield St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA
Phone: (718)596-7668      Fax: (718)222-4097
Mobile phone: (917)690-4391
Web site: http://www.etan.org

Support ETAN, make a secure financial contribution:=20
http://etan.org/etan/donate.htm

Send a blank e-mail message to info@etan.org to find out
how to learn more about East Timor on the Internet
etanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetan

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<DIV>Please distribute-<BR><BR>For Immediate =
Release<BR><BR>Contact:<BR>Karen=20
Orenstein, +1-202-544-6911<BR>John M. Miller, +1-718-596-7668; mobile:=20
+1-917-690-4391<BR><BR>Indonesian Rights Activists Urge U.S. Congress To =
Block=20
Military Training<BR><BR>In a letter to members of the U.S. Congress, =
Indonesian=20
organizations <BR>expressed "great alarm" at efforts by Senators and=20
Representatives to lift <BR>restrictions on U.S. assistance for the =
Indonesian=20
military (TNI).<BR><BR>The letter (see text below) urged Congress to =
maintain=20
conditions on <BR>restoration of military training and weapons sales, =
and to=20
cancel new <BR>"counter-terrorism training fellowships." Otherwise, the =
groups=20
stated, <BR>"the positive effect the U.S. suspension [of U.S. military=20
assistance] has <BR>had will most certainly be squandered."<BR><BR>The =
activists=20
wrote that "Irreparable damage will be done to our efforts at =
<BR>reform; any=20
further attempts by the TNI to change old practices will almost =
<BR>certainly=20
end" should Congress provide military training through the =
<BR>International=20
Military and Education Training (IMET) program or the new =
<BR>counter-terror=20
program,<BR><BR>Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have =

approved the restoration of IMET for Indonesia, but neither body has =
held a=20
floor vote on the bill. "We were extremely disappointed to =
learn of=20
the committees' show of support for the TNI at a time when the =
military=20
continues to defy reform and has significantly consolidated power =
under=20
President Megawati, resisted accountability for serious crimes =
committed in=20
East Timor and Indonesia, and dramatically escalated human rights =
violations=20
in Aceh and Papua," the letter said. The letter was =
distributed to=20
all members of Congress last week by the East Timor Action=20
Network/U.S. Congress first voted to restrict Indonesia from =
receiving=20
IMET, which brings foreign military officers to the U.S. for =
training, in=20
response to the November 12, 1991 Santa Cruz massacre of more than =
270=20
civilians in East Timor. All military ties with Indonesia were =
severed in=20
September 1999 as the Indonesian military and its militia proxies =
razed East=20
Timor following its vote for independence. Congress first =
passed the=20
"Leahy conditions," basic human rights benchmarks which must be met =
before=20
military assistance to Indonesia is resumed, in late 1999 and =
strengthened=20
them last November. The FY00 through FY02 Foreign Operations =
Appropriations=20
Acts required the president to certify that Indonesia had met these=20
conditions before IMET and foreign military financed (FMF) weapons =
sales=20
were restored for Indonesia. Last year, Congress allowed civilians =
from=20
Indonesia's defense ministry to participate in the Expanded IMET =
(E-IMET)=20
program, which involves course work in such areas as civilian =
control of the=20
military and human rights. The current versions of the Senate and =
House=20
foreign operations appropriations bills continue restrictions on =
FMF. The=20
Counter-Terrorism Military Training Fellowship program was created =
through a=20
last-minute addition to the 2002 Defense Department Appropriations =
Act; $4=20
million has been earmarked for this new military program. The =
East=20
Timor Action Network/U.S. supports human dignity for the people of =
 East=20
Timor by advocating for democracy, sustainable development, social, =
 legal=20
and economic justice, and human rights, including women's rights. For =
 more=20
information, see ETAN's web site at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.etan.org">http://www.etan.org</A>. -30- =
 Dear=20
Member of Congress: We are writing to you with great alarm in =
response to=20
recent steps to provide training to the Indonesian military (TNI). =
We are=20
particularly concerned with recent Senate and House Appropriations =
Committee=20
votes to resume International Military Education and Training (IMET) =
after=20
many years of appropriate restriction. As Indonesian citizens and =
NGO=20
leaders, we offer our views to help you make a better-informed =
decision when=20
 considering the U.S. military relationship with Indonesia. We were=20
 extremely disappointed to learn of the committees' show of support =
for the=20
 TNI at a time when the military continues to defy reform and has=20
 significantly consolidated power under President Megawati, resisted=20
 accountability for serious crimes committed in East Timor and =
Indonesia and=20
 dramatically escalated human rights violations in Aceh and =
Papua. We=20
urge you to renew both the IMET and the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) =

<BR>restrictions legislated in the 2002 Foreign Operations =
Appropriations Act.=20
<BR>We hold out hope that those Appropriations Committee members in both =

chambers who voted for IMET's reinstatement will reverse their =
position and=20
 act to restore the restriction when the bill comes to the Floor for =
a vote.=20
 If not, the positive effect the U.S. suspension has had will most =
certainly=20
 be squandered.&nbsp; The little tolerance shown by the military for =
the=20
 investigation and prosecution of previous crimes in East Timor and=20
 elsewhere largely stems from its desperate desire to regain the =
approval of=20
 the U.S. government. The $4 million to be provided to train the TNI =
in=20
 so-called counter-terrorism programs this year will dampen this =
tolerance.=20
 Should the Congress provide even greater approval for the TNI =
through the=20
 provision of IMET, irreparable damage will be done to our efforts at =

reform; any further attempts by the TNI to change old practices will =
almost=20
 certainly end. The current trials in Jakarta, far from =
representing=20
progress towards accountability for crimes committed in East Timor, =
have=20
been a farcical misrepresentation of justice and a humiliation for =
the=20
Indonesian judicial system and international law. Six Indonesian =
police and=20
military officers were acquitted in the first set of verdicts in =
August; the=20
only East Timorese defendant received a three-year sentence for =
crimes=20
against humanity.&nbsp; The trials are more likely to entrench =
impunity than=20
end it.&nbsp; In particular, the prosecution team under the Attorney =
General=20
has shown a complete lack of commitment to human rights and law =
enforcement.=20
It has failed to indict senior officers responsible for planning and =

directing the violence and to adduce evidence of a widespread and =
systematic=20
campaign against civilians. It has also falsely portrayed events as =
part of=20
a civil conflict between two violent East Timor factions in which =
the=20
Indonesian security forces were essentially bystanders and the =
United=20
Nations acted discriminatorily against Indonesia. We wonder =
if,=20
perhaps, members of Congress are unaware that the kinds of =
 violations for=20
which the TNI was well-known in East Timor continue in Indonesia. =
The same=20
tactics the TNI employed in East Timor are now used in Aceh and =
Papua,=20
including the formation and sponsorship of lethal militia and =
village sweeps=20
where anyone, even children, suspected of independence sympathies =
are=20
targets of military violence. Peace and human rights activists are =
regularly=20
assaulted with impunity; extra-judicial killings, torture, and rape =
remain=20
all too common. In Aceh, the Indonesian government persists in =
its=20
pursuit of a military solution to the conflict with an excessive =
build up of=20
troops, attempts to sabotage the dialogue process facilitated by the =

Switzerland-based Henri <BR>Dunant Centre and a vow by President =
Megawati to=20
"crush" the armed <BR>resistance.&nbsp; The result is a terrible death =
toll -=20
currently running at the <BR>rate of more than 100 a month, mostly =
civilians -=20
and widespread suffering <BR>exacerbated by a complete lack of military=20
accountability for rights <BR>violations.&nbsp; In 1999, a Presidential=20
Commission concluded that 7,000 <BR>violations had occurred during and =
after the=20
period from 1989 to 1998 when <BR>Aceh was a "Military Operational Area" =

(DOM).&nbsp; It identified five <BR>particularly heinous crimes for=20
investigation and prosecution, but little <BR>progress has been =
made.&nbsp;=20
Similarly, the authorities have failed to respond <BR>in any meaningful =
way to=20
the brutal killing of three humanitarian workers <BR>employed by the=20
organization Rehabilitation Action for Torture Victims, as <BR>well as a =
fourth=20
person in December 2000, and the massacre of 31 people at <BR>the PT =
Buni Flora=20
plantation in East Aceh in August 2001.&nbsp; In both cases <BR>the =
military is=20
suspected of involvement.&nbsp; These are just a few examples of <BR>the =

hundreds of cases in which the perpetrators have escaped=20
justice. Impunity also persists in Papua, most notably in =
relation to the=20
 assassination last November of Theys Eluay, chairperson of the =
Papuan=20
 Presidium Council, the non-violent formal negotiating partner =
representing=20
 Papua to former Presidents Habibie and Wahid.&nbsp; Many other cases =
remain=20
 unresolved.&nbsp; The Abepura case, in which a student was shot and =
two=20
others died in police custody, has been stalled by the Attorney =
General's=20
office for a year now despite a finding by Indonesia's Commission on =
Human=20
Rights that the case involved a gross violation of human =
rights.&nbsp; The=20
authorities have failed to respond to demands for an investigation =
into=20
rights violations committed in the Wasior sub-district, when =
operations by=20
the police special forces, Brimob, reportedly resulted in ten =
summary=20
 executions, numerous disappearances and the burning of many =
homes. We=20
can only speculate that Representatives and Senators are not aware of =
 the=20
fact that the Indonesian military often uses militia units to further =
 its=20
political aims.&nbsp; For example, the Islamic fundamentalist militia =
Laskar=20
 Jihad is able to travel throughout Indonesia causing serious =
conflict=20
 because they enjoy the backing of powerful members of the TNI and=20
 police.&nbsp; In Maluku, members of both the Laskar Jihad and the =
Christian=20
 militia Laskar Kristus have provoked much of the inter-religious =
conflict=20
 that has taken place there. Dozens of police and military officers =
have=20
 publicly joined one of the two sides.&nbsp; Reconciliation stands no =
chance=20
 unless this open support by the military for extremist wings is =
ended. The=20
 knowledge that the U.S. could be directly assisting the perpetrators =
of=20
 such violence and inhuman acts should give pause to members of your=20
Congress. Like the U.S. government, we are also concerned about =
the=20
existence of radical Islamic groups in Indonesia. But only a very =
small=20
minority of Indonesians are involved with these organizations, which =
have=20
little to no proven connection to international terrorist =
networks.&nbsp;=20
Rather, they have a domestic base and focus. Moreover, these groups=20
frequently operate with covert and, in some cases, overt support of =
elements=20
of the military, police, and government.&nbsp; The greatest threat=20
Indonesians face, and the greatest obstacle to real democracy, is =
the=20
military. If the standard definition of "terrorism" is applied to =
events in=20
Indonesia, then the true terrorists are the security =
forces. Given=20
that the Indonesian military makes no distinction between national =
 defence=20
and domestic policing (it is all "national security"), the U.S. =
 government=20
must recognize that any training and aid provided to the military =
can just=20
as readily be turned against Indonesian citizens as against external =

enemies. The Indonesian military is, according to its official =
doctrine of=20
"dual function," not just a military, but a political force inside =
the=20
country. The Pentagon cannot claim that its ties to the TNI are =
purely=20
military-to-military, since the TNI is not a conventional =
 military.&nbsp;=20
Further, since the economic meltdown in 1997, the TNI has =
 increasingly=20
played a dominant role in the economy, creating a tri-function=20
 doctrine.&nbsp; This is particularly the case in conflict areas like =
Aceh,=20
 Papua, and Maluku, where war economies have emerged with overriding =
roles=20
 for the military and police. Unfortunately, one casualty of the =
TNI's=20
 economic pursuits is our environmental heritage. The military, =
heavily=20
 involved in the illegal exploitation of Indonesia's many natural =
resources,=20
 is a major contributor to environmental destruction, including the =
logging=20
 that is destroying our invaluable forests. We view the =
Pentagon's=20
justifications for resuming ties with the TNI as cynical attempts to =

legitimise a decision based on narrow conceptions of U.S. strategic=20
interests. The problem with the Indonesian military is a political =
one, not=20
a technical one; it cannot be remedied by any amount of training or =
dollars=20
from the U.S. So long as the military&nbsp; the shadow government of =
this=20
country&nbsp; receives assistance from the U.S., as it did for the=20
thirty-three long, dark years of the Suharto dictatorship, it will =
 feel=20
confident in resisting public demands to reduce its powers. We do =
not ask=20
the U.S. government to actively assist the pro-democracy movement in =

Indonesia.&nbsp; We do, however, ask the U.S. government to make our =
<BR>job=20
easier by not assisting the TNI.&nbsp; Such assistance will only serve =
to=20
<BR>embolden the TNI to continue its assault on the reform movement =
throughout=20
<BR>Indonesia.<BR><BR>Honourable Senators and Representatives, we =
respectfully=20
request that you <BR>heed our words and withdraw your support for IMET =
for=20
TNI.&nbsp; We ask that <BR>instead you renew all military restrictions =
present=20
in last year's Act when <BR>you vote on the Foreign Operations =
Appropriations=20
legislation this autumn. <BR>We further urge you to cancel plans to =
provide the=20
TNI with $4 million <BR>worth of training for so-called regional=20
counter-terrorism training <BR>fellowships.<BR><BR>Thank you for your=20
attention.<BR><BR>Sincerely,<BR><BR>Ori Rahman<BR>Presidium of Kontras=20
(Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence)<BR><BR>Agung=20
Putri<BR>ELSAM-Institute for Policy Research and=20
Advocacy<BR><BR>Hendardi<BR>PBHI (Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights=20
Association)<BR><BR>Emmy Sahertian<BR>National Solidarity for =
Papua<BR><BR>Bonar=20
Tigor Naipospos<BR>Solidamor<BR><BR>Rachland Nashidik<BR>Imparsial, =
Indonesian=20
Human Rights Watch<BR><BR>Winston Neil Rondo<BR>Centre for Internally =
Displaced=20
People's Services<BR><BR>Yeni Rosa Damayant<BR>Women's Solidarity for =
Human=20
Rights<BR><BR><BR><BR>etanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetan<BR=
>John=20
M. Miller&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Internet: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:john@etan.org">john@etan.org</A><BR><BR>Media &amp; =
Outreach=20
Coordinator<BR>East Timor Action Network: 10 Years for =
Self-Determination &amp;=20
Justice<BR><BR>48 Duffield St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA<BR>Phone:=20
(718)596-7668&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fax: (718)222-4097<BR>Mobile =
phone:=20
(917)690-4391<BR>Web site: <A=20
href=3D"http://www.etan.org">http://www.etan.org</A><BR><BR>Support =
ETAN, make a=20
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