Sydney – Australia's opposition slammed the government's plans to revive military links with Indonesia's special forces Tuesday, after the cancellation of a visit by its chief over alleged human rights abuses.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said it proved the idea of reviving links with the Indonesian special forces, known as Kopassus, was "stupid". "You can't simply separate out into the green corner the good Kopassus guys and into the red corner the bad Kopassus guys. This is just dumb," Rudd told national radio.

The conservative government should have realized that before it announced the policy change in August, he said. "It is just stupid. Anyone could have told them that before they embarked on this little policy frolic of theirs."

On Monday Indonesia said it was calling off a trip by a Kopassus team led by its chief, Major Gen. Sriyanto Muntarsan, citing protests from activists in Australia as the reason. The team was supposed to observe security arrangements for the Rugby World Cup.

However, The Australian quoted Foreign Minister Alexander Downer as saying that the Australian Defense Force had objected to the visit. Downer said it was "inappropriate" for Australia's military to train with people implicated in human rights abuses.

Muntarsan has been named a suspect over the 1984 killing of Muslim protesters in Jakarta's port district of Tanjung Priok, when he was a captain. He is due to face trial.

Canberra announced in August a plan to resume ties with Kopassus, which were broken off in 1999 when it was accused oforchestrating mass violence in East Timor. Defense Minister Robert Hill argued that it was necessary as Kopassus provides Indonesia's main counter-terrorism capability.