RI, US may improve military ties

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