U.S.-RI military ties still need strings attached: Report

U.S.-RI military ties still need strings attached: Report

JAKARTA (JP): An international think tank, in its report on
military ties between the United States and Indonesia,
recommended that albeit seeking various positive engagements and
dialog, Washington should continue attaching conditions to the
provision of military assistance and training to the Indonesian
Military (TNI).

Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) argue, in its
recently issued report, that TNI's recent track record and strong
opposition in some corners of Washington warrant such conditions.

Among them is the insistence that any future U.S. assistance
or training be predicated on Indonesia making the entire military
budget a public record.

"Such transparency is a bare minimum to be expected from any
modern military operating in a democratic system and could be
achieved in the short term," the report said.

"The handling of the military budget remains central to any
lasting military reform effort. No substantial progress toward
military reform is really possible without support of budget
reform."

The ICG is a private, multinational organization that
regularly issues extensive analysis and recommendations on
various international issues.

It has issued several reports on Indonesia this year covering
issues that include Aceh, Irian Jaya and the political crisis.

The ICG includes former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari,
former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans, Nobel Peace
Laureate Oscar Arias Sanchez and former Indian prime minister
Inder Gujral.

The report was issued as the Bush Administration completed a
policy review of military assistance toward Indonesia, which
cited that despite being limited, military cooperation has
symbolic significance and is often viewed as a barometer of ties
between Jakarta and Washington.

The ICG said that, in the short term, U.S. assistance should
still include progress on accountability for human rights abuses.

"Longer-term provision of support would need to revolve around
the reform and possible eventual dismantling of the territorial
force structure, conducted in concert with efforts to strengthen
the professionalism of police forces in dealing with internal
security," it said.

It argued that while it was not unreasonable that the TNI
insist that the territorial structure be gradually taken apart
due to the police's inability to maintain international security,
it was ultimately self-serving.

"The police will never develop the skills and capability they
need to do their job unless resources for internal security are
increasingly channeled to them rather than the military," the ICG
said.

"The territorial structure does need to be phased out and the
logical transfer of responsibility for internal security from the
TNI to the police needs to be accomplished in a coordinated
fashion."

On large transfers of arms, the ICG felt that until Indonesia
shows major improvements in stemming human rights abuses, such
sales were not justified with exemptions for spare parts of
existing equipment judged on a case-by-case basis.

The group, however, claims that the Bush Administration "is
receptive to improving ties with the Indonesian military, albeit
realistic about some of the U.S. Congressional hurdles".

The U.S. has supplied more than US$148 million worth of
weapons and ammunition to Indonesia since 1993, including
technical support and spare parts for previously sold U.S.
aircraft and armored vehicles.

It all but ceased, however, following the crisis in Timor in
late 1999.

Slowly, limited cooperation has been renewed but the 2001
Foreign Operations appropriations bill still contains clear
provisions regarding potential military assistance to Indonesia.

Neither International Military Education Training (IMET) nor
Foreign Military Financing (FMF) can be made available to
Indonesia unless Bush submits a report to a Congressional
committee that states Jakarta has met a number of basic standards
with regards to human rights and its accountability.

These conditions include taking effective measures to bring to
justice members of the TNI guilty of human rights abuses in East
Timor.

As of 9 July, no Congressional certification had been
submitted by the Bush Administration. The ICG said that in
interviews with both administration officials and Congressional
staff, none is expected before the end of the fiscal year on
Sept. 30,

But the ICG also said that the Bush administration has
submitted a budget request for the fiscal year 2002 that includes
$400,000 for IMET funding for Indonesia.

"However this money may well come with strings attached as
well."

"The Administration will likely let the smoke clear from the
ongoing Indonesian presidential crisis and see if some progress
can be made on accountability issues, before it decides whether
to move forward with any certification in the future."(mds)