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Obama’s Bad Prescription for Indonesia
President Barack Obama dedicated the signing of health care legislation to a number of people, including his mother, S. Ann Dunham Soetoro, who, he said, "argued with insurance companies even as she battled cancer in her final days." The health care legislative process and its frenetic endgame prompted the president to postpone a trip to the country where his mother raised him for several years of his childhood: Indonesia. While his health care bill is considered by many a huge step forward, Obama is simultaneously, and with far less scrutiny, potentially taking a huge step backward with Indonesia.
News is breaking in Indonesia about the role of the Indonesian military in the murder of political activists in the province of Aceh last year, in the lead-up to elections.
This is happening while the White House is engaged in fierce behind-the-scenes negotiations with Congress on whether to restore aid to the Indonesian military, including one of its most notorious elements, the special-forces command known as Kopassus. Military aid to Indonesia was suspended in 1999 after its military, the TNI, unleashed a campaign of terror on the people of East Timor. In 2005, the Bush administration partially restored military aid, but conspicuously denied aid and training to the Kopassus, thanks largely to the efforts of grass-roots activists and the intervention of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
My colleague Allan Nairn, reporting from Indonesia, broke the story this past week on "Democracy Now!," the news hour I host, and on his blog, allannairn.com. He reported that the TNI "assassinated a series of civilian activists during 2009 ... as part of a secret government program, authorized from Jakarta, coordinated in part by an active-duty, U.S.-trained Kopassus special-forces general who has just acknowledged on the record that his TNI men had a role in the killings." Aceh is a resource-rich province at the western tip of Indonesia. After the devastation Aceh suffered in the tsunami of 2004, the government reached a political settlement with the Free Aceh Movement. The elections in 2009 were a result of that. Nairn details two of the eight assassinations of members of the pro-independence Partai Aceh, citing numerous sources, most of whom, fearing for their safety, remain unnamed.
Allan and I are no strangers to the Indonesian military. In 1991, we survived a massacre in East Timor. East Timor was invaded by Indonesia in 1975, with the full support of President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. In the next quarter-century, the Indonesian military killed more than 200,000 Timorese, a third of the population. Allan and I went there to report on the situation and ended up covering a march to a cemetery in Timor's capital city, Dili. As the mass of unarmed civilians was hemmed in by the cemetery walls, Indonesian soldiers marched in formation, their U.S.-supplied M-16s at the ready, and without warning, without provocation, opened fire on the crowd. Allan and I were beaten to the ground. Swinging their M-16s like baseball bats, the soldiers fractured Allan's skull. We survived, but more than 270 Timorese were killed that day. We managed to escape, and to report on the massacre. While I was denied entry in 1999, Allan sneaked in to Timor and reported on the TNI atrocities there, as they burned much of East Timor to the ground. They arrested Allan, but he continued reporting from prison, giving new meaning to "cell phone."
Since Allan broke the news this past week, the Indonesian press has been buzzing with the allegations. Air Vice Marshal Sagom Tamboen, a spokesman for the TNI, told the Jakarta Globe that the military is considering legal action against Nairn. Nairn told me, "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."
Human Rights Watch recently wrote a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, outlining serious concerns about possible re-engagement with Kopassus. ETAN, the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, has launched a petition campaign at etan.org to block the funding.
Much of the political class in the United States is now chattering and twittering about the health care bill's passage into law, and the potential political consequences. They should spend time focusing on Obama's plans for Indonesia, and the possibility that he may restore funding and training for one of the world's most notorious, human-rights-abusing military forces, the Indonesian Kopassus.
Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.
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20 Comments so far
Show AllA little history:
Indonesia served as the post war blueprint for CIA economic black ops --
The President and his family DO go way back there.
jHere's some ust for fun Google stuff:
Ann stayed about four or five years in Indonesia before she and Barry returned to Hawai‘i. In the early 1970s she applied for graduate school and received a scholarship from the East-West Center
http://www.anthropology.hawaii.edu/N...08/dunham.html
n June 9, 1959, Sen. Johnson introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate to establish an educational center in Hawaii to provide for "cultural and technical interchange between East and West,"
East–West Center - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frank Scotton, a CIA officer masquerading as an USIS officer, played a large role in political and psychological operations (psyops) in Vietnam. A graduate of American University's College of International Relations, Scotton received a government graduate assistantship to the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii.
According to legendary CIA officer Lucien Conein, it was there that Scotton was recruited into the CIA.
About the CIA-sponsored East-West Center, Scotton said, "It was a cover for a training program in which Southeast Asians were brought to Hawaii and trained to go back to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos to create agent nets."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig11/valentine4.1.1.html
Ford Country: Building an Elite for Indonesia
by David Ransom
Distressed by the specter of Sukarno and the strong left wing of the Indonesian independence forces, the American Establishment found the bland nationalism offered by Soedjatmoko and Sumitro a most comfortable alternative. The Marshall Plan strategy for Europe depended on "the availability of the resources of Asia," Soedjatmoko told a New York audience, and he offered them an Indonesia open to "fruitful cooperation with the West."2 At the Ford Foundation-funded School of Advanced International Studies in Washington in early 1949, Sumitro explained that his kind of socialism included "free access" to Indonesian resources and "sufficient incentives" for foreign corporate investment.3
http://www.cia-on-campus.org/internat/indo.html
Just one thing I want to point out:
Sukarno was no hero of any kind. He was a tinpot wannabe imperialist.
You must be thinking of Suharto.
http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Suharto#Overthrow_of_Sukarno
_.281965.29
I'm thinking of Sukarno, he had tinpot imperialist ambitions too: the invasion of West Papua / Irian Jaya, the attempt to invade Malaysia during the so called Confrontation / Konfrontasi, the ambitions towards subsuming Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia's neighbours, into Indonesia, which was part of a wider dream of an Indonesian empire encompassing modern day Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and possibly the (southern) parts of the Phillipines.
TNI appear to be handling this very badly and idiotically: threats to sue, claims that Nairn was an "accomplice" of Ramos Horta in Timor Leste, complaints that his sources are not disclosed, and claims that Nairn is trying to break up Indonesian unity. IIRC, they claimed the same things, especially the Indonesian unity flag waving propaganda, when their atrocities in Timor Leste were pointed out. Yeah, his sources are not disclosed. Given what the allegations involve, assassination, there's a freaking good reason why the sources are not disclosed.
Indonesia is the next stage in the 'war on terror'. They're loaded with oil and have the largest population of Muslims in the world. That's why it was so important to get Suharto in the fold. Like the Shah, Pinochet and the Central American bunch, we couldn't care less (did I get that right?) if he was an oppressive dictator as long as he was loyal to our interests.
Look for a CIA report claiming the emergence of Al Qaida or some such group to be uncovered in the jungles of Indonesia. The familiar strategy then ensues - increased military aid, harsher crackdowns on the people who protest our motives which stirs the pot more until we officially intervene. The eternal resource war; we're determined to secure the last drop.
Glacier Worm: I wrote nearly the same message back in 2004 to Thom Hartmann (TomDispatch.com). This was at the beginning of Junior's Global War on Terror.
I said that Iran won't be the next invasion - it'll be in Indonesia. After all, more Muslims there than middle east and pretty unknown (at least, for the the US population who are generally ignorant of world affairs).
I told Tom that it's going to be pretty easy for the media to ratchet up the fear level of the ignorant US by suddenly bringing in a relatively unknown, but resource rich, place (much like Iraq was pre-invasion) and unknown leader and unknown people and create an al-quida link (which will go unproven, of course) and bingo, the next front on the GWOT.
Only the blind - those blinded by fear - can't see this one coming ...
And again, it's all about the rape of Mother Earth.
This is a good example of the deep continuity between Bush imperial policy and Obama/Democrat imperial policy. The speeches are prettier, but the actions are the same, and sometimes worse (Afghanistan, this example.) The worst of it is, so many "progressives" are still in love with Obama that he can get away with things Bush could not have.
So once again: if you want positive "Change!" (without the quote marks), you're going to have to make a real change in your politics. The longer we cling to the Democratic Party, with its deep history of imperialism (Vietnam, anyone?), the deeper in the shit we are.
For real change, go to the Green Party: www.gp.org. To find out what's going on in YOUR state, click "States" in the upper left, then your state on the map. The campaign season for a critical Congressional election is just heating up. Without a strong Green Party, it'll be Republicans as far as the eye can see.
-"This is a good example of the deep continuity between Bush imperial policy and Obama/Democrat imperial policy."
Yes, have Cheney's "executive hit squads" been investigated? Has Obama reconsidered his support for the assasination of Americans abroad?
What else can you say? America voted Democrat, you got Democrats. That's how democracy works. Try a party that supports human rights next time.
Okay green charles, i went to the green party web site. no new hampshire affiliate (not that surprising) but there was no one home at the links to Vermont or Massachusetts affiliates either. Though i agree a third party would be a great step in real democracy, there isn't one yet.
Plenty of us don't see the insurance protection bill as a step forward either: backwards, backwards, and more backwards.
And what about the self determination of the people of Aceh? The self determination of the people of Timor Leste? If the interests of Aceh, or Timor Leste conflict with the interests of Indonesia, I guess they should not be allowed to self determine? If the interests of the people of Aceh conflicts with the interests of Indonesia, I guess assassination is acceptable then.
Also, whether the population has prospered or not, should be left up to the population of Timor Leste themselves.
I really dislike how some mistaken radicals always see the dominant group in some Third World countries as if they were heroes and saviours, as longs as those dominant groups might possibly oppose the US.
"So what do you advocate, rfloh? That under the management of the US Empire judging these 'self determination' issues, that Indonesia just be disintegrated into multiple non-viable national statelets? That would be your idea of 'being allowed to self determine', as you put it? Then they can do the same with Congo, Sudan, Iran, and Yugoslavia? Right?"
It is up to the people who are resident to determine what is non-viable. Not you.
Furthermore, define non-viability. Countries such as Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, much smaller States than Indonesia, which Indonesia also once tried to subsume, using the same tired lazy anti-western imperialist rhetoric that you are using, are all perfectly viable states. Oh yes, along with the lazy anti-western imperialist rhetoric used as an excuse to attempt to subsume those States, Indonesia also once claimed that those states were non-viable. Turns out, they are all more viable than Indonesia, since none of these States have to resort to assassination as a method of are dealing with unhappy provinces that want to break away.
I support whatever the people of ACEH want.
"Oh, I forgot! You and your co-thinkers already supported the dividing up of the former Yugoslavia, didn't you? Another great success story for the locals just like when Australia moved in to split off East Timor from Indonesia under the auspices of 'self determination' being applied. Another great 'self determination' success story like splitting the fSU into tens of warring national groups. Leftists like yourself, rfloh, are more Rightist than the leaders of the Empire even, when they start in on their warped ideas regarding supposedly supporting self determination!"
Oh, I forgot! You and your co-thinkers supported the mass rape and the mass killings that happened in the former Yugoslavia. Another great success story for the locals, as women get raped left and right, as people get killed en masse, while leftist radicals in the west cheer on the rapes and the killings. Hail Milosevic. Hail Arkan. Champions of the proletariat.
Leftists like you are the ones who create the Stalins, and all the other tinpot wannabe Stalins. You really don't care about the people, despite all the shouting and the rhetoric. As long as someone opposes the US, or might possibly oppose the US, he's your hero.
Sukarno was more or less democratically elected. Suharto, not
Check out this video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LdaZurzZYI&feature=youtube_gdata
Sent from my iPhone
This is nothing more than another veiled project under obama - of enhancing its military presence to foster its "interests" (oil, other resources, same old, same old) .
it is really related to the USA trying to "return" to LAOS -- remember LAOS?
a tiny country that is growing in importance because it is so centrally located in the southeastern asian region between China (with whom laos shares the border and has deepened trade and other ties) -
BUT - in the 60's , 70's, was the scene of USA, CIA BOMBINGS that left tens of thousands of refugees and homeless and maimed, and left the infamous "unexploded" bombs throughout the countryside...
SUDDENLY the USA is giving "humanitarian aid" largely to remove the thousands of unexploded US ordnance peppering the country...
but to the LAOTIANS that is HARDLY "humanitarian aid" ...rather reported to be perceived as "the USA trying to clean up the MESS THAT IT LEFT".....
and WHY is the USA doing that?
"china containment" ...
same as in Indonesia to provide a "counterbalance" (not an entirely bad idea..but REALLY who NEEDS the USA to do that anyway? the asians can take care of themselves -- always have - AND china, no matter how powerful china has become, just ask VIETNAM...)
As usual Amy Goodman was outstanding with this article.
Now we have the right wing lunatic crowd throwing up this hot air about those among progressives "blaming America First," but here we have the Indonesian army thugs beating US journalists doing their jobs to inform people, and these right wing jack asses blame America first by attacking those such as Amy Goodman and this other US journalist. Give me a damn break. I could easily write, and would be glad to do so, an article showing the loony right in this country is the true "blame America First" crowd historically. Therefore, loony right hot air blowers beware. You're stepping in some deep do do.
Then we get this "Stalinist" label for progressives which sounds like it comes out of George Will's overrated hot air blowing mouth.
AD
Thanks again Amy.
the u.s. indonesian connection needs a lot of exposure- very few of our citizens know anything about East Timor. obomber must not be allowed to sneak behind the clouds and go back to supporting the Indonesian military. Amy and Allen Nairn are doing a great job.
I'm afraid that the the foreign policy of Barack Obama is the one that falls in line with a long history of U.S. imperialism. No, I am not a wild eyed Trotskyist. I am a mature, Latino with 45 plus years of activism in the civil rights, anti-war and labor movements.
I voted for Obama and up until about 10 months ago believed he would be the best president this nation ever had. Damn was I wrong! So were a lot people.
I don't hate the president. I just don't think that he or the Democratic Party will ever be the solution for the U.S.
WE NEED A VIABLE, INDEPENDENT, THIRD PARTY!