How U.S. Sees The Indonesian Special Troops Kopassus

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — Golkar's central board board deputy chief, Theo L. Sambuaga objects if the United States still has a negative view on the Indonesian Special Forces Command (Kopassus) and for that reason sets aside the force from various military agreements between the US and Indonesia.

"We must be strict in increasing inter-military defense cooperations, such as through the international military training (IMET). If the IMET doesn't include the Kopassus then it's not fair," stated the deputy chief, Saturday evening, Jakarta. Theo L. Sambuaga, who was also the former chief of Commission I of the House, made the statement in regards to the visit of the US President Barack Obama to Indonesia soon.

To increase inter-military cooperation by prioritizing the IMET, Theo Sambuaga urges the US to include Kopassus members in the training. "All this time the US has never included the Kopassus because of the pressures from the US congress that always link the Kopassus with past incidents, such as the human rights issues in east Timor."

Theo Sambuaga stated that there's no reason for the US now to link military cooperations with those past incidents. "I think it's no longer a reason. Whoever violated the law and human rights have been openly processed by the law and the guilty have been punished. We must be strict so that institution isn't punished. That's not right."

Theo Sambuaga pointed out that though the faults have been linked with the institutions, but punishing the institution isn't justifiable because the issue is actually with the personnel, and they have been openly processed by the law. (WAH/C17-09)