27 Sep 2004

Americans renew ban on Indonesian military cooperation over unresolved Papua killings

7:42 pm on 27 September 2004

The United States has decided to renew a ban on aid to the Indonesian military until it finds out whether Indonesia is cooperating with a murder probe in the province of Papua.

The U.S. Senate voted to continue the ban on training and soldier education grants to Indonesia on Friday.

Indonesian police say they are following up an FBI report into the 2002 shootings of two Americans and one Indonesian near the town of Timika.

The man wanted for the murders remains at large.

Indonesia and the FBI say he is a separatist rebel leader, but activists claim he is linked to the Indonesian military.