|
Baltimore Sun
January 29, 2005
SATURDAY MAILBOX; Pg. 13A
Restrictions
on aid protect Indonesians
The
Sun is right to urge the United States not to resume military assistance
to Indonesia ("War and aid in Aceh," editorial, Jan. 19).
The
Indonesian military has failed to meet sensible conditions placed
on cooperation by the U.S. Congress. These included justice and
accountability for past human rights violations in East Timor and
elsewhere, and an end to
its backing of fundamentalists and other militia, such as those
that have recently arrived in disaster-stricken Aceh.
However,
long-time observers might question The Sun's assertion that "U.S.
training would serve as a civilizing influence on the Indonesian
army."
Senior
Indonesian officials have repeatedly made clear that they are not
interested in human rights training.
More
telling is the fact that the military's worst abuses took place
when the United States was fully engaged. During that period, President
Suharto, Indonesia's dictator, brutally seized power, Indonesia
invaded East Timor
and martial law was first imposed on Aceh.
These
actions and others took the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Since
restrictions on aid were put in place, some progress has been made.
For example, East Timor is now independent after a U.N.-conducted
referendum in 1999.
John
M. Miller
New York
The
writer is media and outreach coordinator for the East Timor Action
Network.
The Oregonian
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Indonesian
military 'thuggish'
The
tsunami that struck Indonesia should not be an excuse used to sweep
away restrictions on our assisting its brutal military. You reported
that Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz toured the devastation
of Banda
Aceh, Indonesia (Briefly, Jan. 16).
Wolfowitz,
a primary planner of the Iraq war, said he will bring a recommendation
about future assistance to Indonesia when he returns.
Restrictions
on U.S. military ties to the Indonesian military were first put
in place because of that military's actions in East Timor. Since
then, Indonesia has made a mockery of international calls for justice
for past
human rights violations.
Meanwhile,
abuses by Indonesia's military continue in Aceh, adding near-insufferable
pain to that faced by families from the natural disaster.
Congress
must reject any administration request to provide weapons and training
to Indonesia, until its military genuinely changes its thuggish
ways.
MAX
WHITE
Country specialist for Indonesia and Timor Leste Amnesty International
USA
Southwest Portland
|
