Thursday, April 8, 2010

Amnesty International USA issues statement opposing Kopassus training

Amnesty International USA has issued a statement opposing Kopassus training (PDF).
Amnesty advises that it would be counterproductive to United States and Indonesian interests to override existing prohibitions against support of Kopassus until the Indonesian government meets agreed-to obligations to legally resolve crimes committed by Kopassus members.  
The statement cites the Leahy Law, saying "Leahy provisions apply to the Indonesian military as a whole (TNI), as well as to other governments whose military has been complicit in serious human rights abuses."

Amnesty USA also calls for an independent investigation of "credible" charges that Kopassus and other officers were involved in poltical killings in Aceh in 2008