U.S. aid revival to TNI wins support: Reports

U.S. aid revival to TNI wins support: Reports

Dow Jones, New York

The Bush administration's effort to re-establish military ties with Indonesia, which has been curtailed for nearly a decade because of its army's widespread human rights violations, has some unexpected support among Indonesians, The New York Times reported in its Friday editions.

Many who suffered under the military in the past, and who are still critical of the army for its continuing rights abuses, say that the best hope for eventually developing an army whose conduct is appropriate for a democracy is to send officers to schools in the United States.

They add that restoring aid would require a delicate balancing act. Somehow, the United States would have to make clear that it was not condoning past abuses and must keep up pressure on the Indonesian military for fundamental reforms.

The Times reported that this would require tight conditions on the aid, they say. American officials say they are aware that a resumption of aid would be cited as approval by the Indonesian military. But they say that, on balance, the benefits to the United States and to Indonesia of restoring the military relationship, and of working to create an army with high professional standards, outweigh the disadvantages.

The Bush administration wants to finance a new Indonesian military unit to deal with civil conflict, and to lift the ban on Indonesian soldiers attending American military schools as part of the International Military Education and Training program, The New York Times article pointed out.