Calls on British Government to Suspend Kopassus Training

TAPOL has today called on the British Government to suspend its plan to conduct training for Kopassus, Indonesia's special forces, in view of reports of abuses perpetrated by members of the force in Merauke, province of Papua.

The UK's Joint Counter Terrorist Training and Advisory Team is due to conduct training for members of Kopassus in October this year at the Kopassus training facility in Batujajar, Central Java. The training is taking place following claims that the force which has been responsible for acts of brutality for many years has distanced itself from politics and now respects human rights.

In a letter to Foreign Secretary David Miliband TAPOL calls on the British Government to press Indonesia to investigate the latest information about the behaviour of Kopassus troops in West Papua and to make it clear that such training can only be considered if members found guilty of these abuses are called to account. 'Until such time as Kopassus troops have been called to account, training programmes for members of the force should be suspended.'