The US State Department has insisted it had made no decision on whether to send training aid to Indonesia's military, despite reports that it wants to release 400,000 dollars to armed forces tainted by human rights concerns.
"At this point we're consulting with the Congress regarding the disbursement of fiscal year 2003 international military education and training funds for Indonesia," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. "After the consultations are complete, we'll decide whether to move ahead with the courses for Indonesian military personnel," he said.
The Washington Post on Wednesday reported that the administration wanted to send 400,000 dollars to the Indonesian armed forces.
Survivors of an ambush in which two American teachers and an Indonesian colleague were injured in the US-owned Freeport copper and gold mine in Papua province last year have urged the US government not to send the funds until the Indonesian government cooperates with an FBI probe into the case.
Police in Papua have said a witness linked Indonesian special forces soldiers to the killings. The military has blamed a group of separatist rebels.
The US administration halted most military contacts with Indonesia over the 1999 bloodshed in East Timor and says they will not be restored until soldiers are held to account for abuses.
The US House of Representatives recently approved an amendment to deny Indonesia military assistance funds under 2004 spending bills. International Military Education and Training (IMET) funds would be withheld "until the Indonesian government decides to cooperate with US investigators and provide credible and honest answers about the attack," according to Republican Joel Hefley, who sponsored the measure.
The resumption of the IMET programme was proposed last August by visiting US Secretary of State Colin Powell as a first step towards restoring some ties. Indonesia is seen as an important partner in Washington's war on terror. But the Papua killings occurred just weeks afterwards.
US ambassador to Jakarta Ralph Boyce said last month that Indonesia's failure to hold its military accountable for rights abuses is a "continuing concern" as the country moves towards greater democracy.