[nasional_list] [ppiindia] U.S. to allow sale of arms to Indonesia
- From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
- Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 01:11:04 +0100
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** Beasiswa dalam negeri dan luar negeri S1 S2 S3 dan post-doctoral
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http://informasi-beasiswa.blogspot.com ** U.S. to allow sale of arms to
Indonesia
By Peter Gelling International Herald Tribune
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2005
JAKARTA In a reversal of a longstanding U.S. policy, the State Department
announced that it would lift an arms embargo on Indonesia, a decision that
would allow the sale of military weapons and equipment.
The policy reflects Washington's desire for closer relations to
Indonesia, which the Bush administration believes has made considerable
progress against terrorism. But human rights organizations expressed concern
that the United States would lose influence over the question of abuses by the
military in East Timor, which is now independent of Jakarta.
"The administration considers the relationship between the United States
and Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy, to be of the utmost
importance," the State Department said in a statement Tuesday. "As the world's
most populous majority-Muslim nation, Indonesia is a voice of moderation in the
Islamic world."
Congress has long restricted military aid to Indonesia because of human
rights abuses by the military. But it stipulated that these restrictions could
be waived by the administration if were found to be necessary for national
security reasons.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono lobbied President George W. Bush on a
visit to the United States in May for a full resumption of military ties. He
did so again last week during a conference of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation forum in South Korea.
Indonesian antiterror police officers, funded and organized by the State
Department, recently tracked down and killed one of Southeast Asia's most
active and dangerous militants. Azhari Husin, a Malaysian bomb maker, was
involved many terrorist attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali bombings
that killed 202 people.
Although the announcement Tuesday indicated a strengthening of ties,
there would be few practical consequences, diplomats and analysts said.
"The decision is emblematic of the United States' confidence in President
Yudhoyono," said a Western diplomat in Asia on condition of anonymity. But he
said, "The Indonesians don't have any money to buy military equipment from the
United States."
The lifting of restrictions fell short of the full level of military
relations the United States has with other countries in the region, including
Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand, but it is a major step
forward for Indonesia.
It is the third time this year the United States has moved to enhance
military ties with Indonesia. The Pentagon first renewed training and
educational exchanges with the Indonesian military and then approved sales of
nonlethal military equipment.
Military relations with Indonesia had been restricted by the Clinton
administration in 1991, when Jakarta cracked down on the independence movement
in East Timor, formerly an Indonesian province. Sanctions were further
tightened in 1999 after the army killed hundreds of civilians in East Timor.
Congress passed a law this month extending the restrictions on arms
sales, but inserted a clause allowing the State Department to waive those
conditions for security reasons.
The State Department said: "The administration plans to offer assistance
for specific military programs and units that will help modernize the
Indonesian military, provide further incentives for reform of the Indonesian
military and support U.S. and Indonesian security objectives, including
counterterrorism, maritime security and disaster relief."
Human rights organizations said they believed the administration's
decision undercut any leverage the United States had with Indonesia over the
lingering lack of accountability over abuses by the military in East Timor.
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