21 Jul 2005

Human Rights group praises US senate move to maintain restrictions on Indonesian military

3:50 pm on 21 July 2005

An International Human Rights Organisation has welcomed the move by the US Senate to maintain most restrictions on US military assistance for Indonesia.

The senate has passed its version of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, which would place conditions on foreign military finance and the export of weapons.

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, or ETAN, says the version is a positive step after the "setback" of last month's version passed by the House of Representatives lifted all restrictions.

ETAN's spokesman, John Miller, says the senate's move supports efforts to hold the Indonesian military more accountable for human rights abuses in Papua province.

He says representatives of the House and Senate will soon meet to work out a final version of the Bill for approval by congress.

"We're optimistic. We think there may be a battle in the conference committee between the two bodies. But traditionally the restrictions that have been placed on the Indonesian military usually passed in one house or the other and then"

are agreed on in the conference committee, so we'll be lobbying strongly to make sure that that happens.

ETAN's John Miller.