US Lifts Restrictions on Military Cooperation with Indonesian SF

Originally implemented because of human rights issues, the US ban on cooperation with Indonesian special forces is being rolled back.

The United States announced on Thursday it was dropping a more than a decade-old ban on ties with Indonesia's special forces, imposed over human rights abuses in the 1990s, a move that may eventually allow military training.

The decision, made public during a visit by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Jakarta, was taken after Indonesia took steps requested by Washington including removal of convicted human rights violators from the organization's ranks.

Gates, after meeting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said the resumption of security cooperation activities would be "gradual" and "limited."

"These initial steps will take place within the limits of U.S. law and do not signal any lessening of the importance we place on human rights and accountability," Gates said.

Human rights groups have voiced concern, however, that the roughly 5,000-strong special forces unit, known as Kopassus, still harbors rights offenders who were suspected of abuses but never convicted.

So let me get this right: they were suspected of abuses, but never convicted. Were they ever tried? If they were suspected, but never tried, then this article sounds like they should've gone straight from being suspects to being convicted, without the bother of any due process.

By: Brant