

Don't Train Indonesia's Deadly Kopassus


Don't Train Indonesia's Deadly Kopassus
The Issue
As you must know, humane Gov't's don't offer help to human rights violators. The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, ETAN, has learned that the US is considering training Indonesia's notorious special forces, the Kopassus; which committed numerous atrocities during East Timor's struggle for independence. US law prohibits the training of military units with a history of human rights violations, a provision that has long been interpreted as narrowly as possible. The Bush administration proposed to restart American training of Kopassus, but, the State Department's legal counsel has ruled that this ban, known as the Leahy law, applies to Kopassus. This ruling should stand. Please, our country must refuse to train forces with a long record of terrorizing civilians.

The Issue
As you must know, humane Gov't's don't offer help to human rights violators. The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, ETAN, has learned that the US is considering training Indonesia's notorious special forces, the Kopassus; which committed numerous atrocities during East Timor's struggle for independence. US law prohibits the training of military units with a history of human rights violations, a provision that has long been interpreted as narrowly as possible. The Bush administration proposed to restart American training of Kopassus, but, the State Department's legal counsel has ruled that this ban, known as the Leahy law, applies to Kopassus. This ruling should stand. Please, our country must refuse to train forces with a long record of terrorizing civilians.

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Petition created on November 1, 2009


