Even the Pentagon...

Newsweek writes that "Even the Pentagon, which cut ties to the Indonesian military after massacres in East Timor two decades ago, was pushing for renewed links including increased U.S. assistance for Kopassus, the Indonesian special forces." 

Even the Pentagon! When did they ever support not training Kopassus?

Congress and the administration (in response to Congressional pressure) first cut IMET military training in 1992. The Pentagon did everything it could to resist and undermine that policy. In 1998, the East Timor Action Network, journalist Allan Nairn, and members of Congress released documents that showed that the Pentagon had continued training under a program (JCET) not explicitly banned by legislation, defying Congressional intent not to further the skills of a military brutalizing people in East Timor and elsewhere. Kopassus were the shock troops of this repression. JCET then ended in mid-exercise as the Suharto dictatorship was in its death throes.

Training Kopassus remains a really bad idea, and the U.S. should not indulge Indonesia by resuming training. It will only further stall efforts in Indonesia and East Timor to hold them accountable for past and recent human rights violations. 

Training will only embolden unreformed elements of the military and clearly won't discourage future crimes.

Sign the petition opposing U.S. cooperation with Kopassus

see also ETAN's Guide to U.S. Security Assistance to Indonesia and East Timor

Congratulations to Timor's Milena Pires on CEDAW election

ETAN congratulates Milena Pires (full name: Maria Helena Lopes de Jesus Pires) on her election to the Convention on the monitoring commission Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, She was elected as an expert, although she was nominated by the government of Timor-Leste. Her four-year term begins on January 1 of next year.


Milena has served as Country Programme Coordinator for UNIFEM and worked or consulted for various government agencies and NGOs. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly which drafted Timor's consitution.

Sofia Borges, Timor-Leste's ambassador to the UN wrote on Facebook:

Dear friends today marked a very historic and important day for Dra Milena and Timor-Leste. I want to congratulate dra Pires for winning the elections today and wish her every success in further promoting the rights of women worldwide and enhaning the work of CEDAW. This win only goes to show that small islands have big ideas, big dreams and contribute big. Congratulations we are truly proud of you Milena. It has been a tough campaign but we have proven that with little resources but with sheer determination we can do this. Cograutlations to Minister Zacarias da Costa, this has been a big day for Foreign Affairs.

ETAN at US Social Forum

ETANers at our table at the US Social Forum (USSF) in Detroit last week.

Tabling at the USSF. Left to right: Karen Orenstein (former staff, member of board), Octo Mote from West Papua Advocacy Team, Craig Hughes (board member) and John M. Miller (National Coordinator). 

Thanks to all who stopped by the table or attended our workshop.

Japan to engage Kopassus?

ETAN has learned that Japan may intensify cooperation with Indonesia's notorious special forces troops. This is something the U.S. still refuses to do, because of Congressional opposition among other reasons. This is an issue that ETAN has long been working on.

Japan's military commander Gen. Ryoichi Oriki visited the Kopassus headquarters on June 2, 2010. The Kopassus put the visit on their home page with a photo. 

Gen. Ryoichi Oriki greets Kopassus commander Maj. Gen. Danjen Lodewijk F. Paulus.

If anyone has more information about Japanese cooperation with the Indonesian military, especially Kopassus, let us know.

New Kopassus Number 2 helped form militia in East Timor in 1999

The TNI has promoted U.S.-trained Col. Widyotomo Nugroho to Deputy Commander of Kopassus. Nugroho took IMET courses in intelligence. 

The Masters of Terror (MOT), which mispells his name as Wioyotomo Nugroho, says he served as SGI intelligence head in 1998 and possibly early 1999 in East Timor, where took "an active role in setting up the militia," SGI centers served as torture houses during the Indonesian occupation.

James Dunn in a report to the UN wrote that Nugroho "exercised a key responsibility in the TNI/militia command structure and his role be much worse than 23 years ago.’ Militia witnesses allege that he issued orders to kill. Is accused of sexual attack on Timorese woman.'

Allan Nairn told the U.S. Congress on September 30, 1999, that "Nugroho, who was the on the ground coordinator for the militias in the initial months of their operation," was a graduate "of U.S. IMET and intelligence training." 

This is the complete MOT entry follows