RI, US may improve military ties

JAKARTA: The Indonesian and United States militaries have agreed to improve cooperation, despite the ongoing weapons embargo imposed in 1999 by the U.S. Congress against the Indonesian Military (TNI)

In a meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri Thursday, visiting U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Thomas Fargo promised to seek new measures to enhance military operations between the two countries.

"Despite the Timika (Papua) issue, we agreed to find new measures to improve military cooperation," TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said, referring to an unsolved ambush in Timika that left two Americans dead.

He, however, stressed that they were yet to agree on the new measures.

The U.S. imposed a military embargo on the TNI following widespread allegations of rights abuses in East Timor in 1999.

The killing of the teachers in Timika, Papua in August 2002 exacerbated the problem. -- JP