Indonesia Human Rights Committee,
Box 68419,
Auckland.

Media Release:

Why Did We Train An Officer From The Notorious Indonesian Kopassus Force?

16 June 2012

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee was shocked to learn that the New Zealand Defence Force hosted a Kopassus officer, Major Edwin Sumanta at its six month Staff and Command training course in 2011. [1]

We have been a constant critic of military ties to Indonesia, since these links were restored in 2007, but the acceptance of a Kopassus officer onto an elite New Zealand training programme marks a new low.

The Kopassus Special Forces have a long and bloody record of involvement in human rights crimes and repressing legitimate dissent. Kopassus officers have never been held to account for their numerous documented crimes in Jakarta, East Timor and Aceh In West Papua.

A Kopassus operation was responsible for the death of New Zealand journalist Gary Cunningham (and four colleagues) at Balibo in East Timor in 1975.[2]

Does the NZDF not know or do they not care about the ongoing abuses perpetrated by a Kopassus officers against the West Papuan people? In 2001 Kopassus officers killed West Papuan leader Theys Eluay. International outrage led to some low level officers receiving short sentences, but the army chief of staff called the convicted men ‘heroes’.. In 2009 Human Rights Watch exposed the Kopassus practice of detaining, beating and torturing indigenous Papuans in Merauke apparently randomly and certainly without any legal authority. And last year leaked documents exposed a Kopassus spy network that concentrates on tracking peaceful activists, politicians, church and tribal leaders.

New Zealand training sends an ‘all is forgiven’ signal to the Indonesian authorities, but it is an insult to the countless victims of Kopassus brutality. When will they know justice?

[1] Information revealed by Radio New Zealand International on June 15, 2012 and confirmed on the Indonesian Embassy website: http://www.kemlu.go.id/wellington/Pages/Embassies.aspx?IDP=122&l=en

[2] In 2007 a lengthy and probing Sydney coronial inquest confirmed that the ‘Balibo Five’ were killed in a Kopassus operation headed by Retired General Yunus Yosfiah, then a Captain. Indonesia refused to cooperate with the inquiry and General Yunus Yosfiah laughed when told of the judgement.

ENDS

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