Allan Nairn: A Challenge to the Indonesian Army

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Allan Nairn

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A Challenge to the Indonesian Armed Forces, and to the US Government. Statement of Allan Nairn in Response to Arrest Threat from TNI.

In response to my report revealing their assassinations of political activists (see posting of March 21, 2010 - http://http//www.allannairn.com/2010/03/breaking-news-indonesian-army-kopassus.html), the US-backed Indonesian armed forces (TNI) are threatening to have me arrested, presumably on criminal defamation charges. (See Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Nurdin Hasan , Jakarta Globe, " Indonesian Military Threatens Legal Action Over Aceh Party Killings Claims .")

I welcome this threat from TNI, a force which has murdered many hundreds of thousands, and challenge them to arrest me so that we can face-off in open court.

I will be glad to stand in court before the Indonesian public and detail TNI's role in numerous tortures, disappearances, massacres and assassinations.

I would welcome the opportunity to enter a formal, public legal proceeding which would afford the opportunity to question TNI Generals under oath.

If given such a chance I would also attempt to call US personnel as witnesses, and question US military, CIA, State Department, and White House officials about their support for TNI. I would ask these Americans why they have given weapons, training and money to TNI, even as they have seen that force repeatedly kill civilians.

The Indonesian justice authorities are famously afraid of the TNI. They have not fulfilled their responsibility to protect society by enforcing the murder laws impartially.

But if they want to arrest me instead of arresting TNI officers, fine.

That will give us a chance to publicly discuss the crimes of the Indonesian -- and US -- governments.

http://www.allannairn.com/2010/03/challenge-to-indonesian-armed-forces.html

ENDS

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