Sian Powell, Jakarta – Indonesia's Kopassus special forces have been directly implicated in thousands of human rights violations in East Timor in a new report documenting instances of murder, rape and torture, just weeks before Australia resumes joint training exercises with the notorious unit.
Australian special forces soldiers will begin counter-terrorism and hijack recovery exercises with Kopassus troops in Perth next month, six years after Canberra severed military ties when Kopassus was accused of killing political activists in the dying days of the Suharto regime.
Kopassus-trained militia also fired on and wounded Australian soldiers in the lead-up to East Timor's independence in 1999 and members of the unit are also suspected in the past of training terrorist groups such as Laskar Jihad.
The independent Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation, which took nearly 8000 statements from East Timorese witnesses, received 8710 reports of human rights violations by Kopassus and its predecessor Kopassandha, in all districts and during all periods of Indonesia's occupation from 1975 to 1999.
Kopassus has long been blamed for orchestrating the violence in East Timor during Indonesia's 24-year occupation. In 1999, many militias were said to be run by Kopassus forces.
Allegations of atrocities are sprinkled throughout the commission's damning 2500-page report. "In addition to assignments with Kopassandha/Kopassus units (Nanggala and Chandraca) Kopassandha/Kopassus personnel also served in territorial units and combat battalions, including in intelligence roles," the report says.
"Though extremely high, the number of violations attributed to Kopassandha/Kopassus does not therefore cover anything like all the reported violations committed by its personnel."
East Timor President and former resistance hero Xanana Gusmao wrote about Kopassus in a letter to the UN in 1982, which is quoted in the report. "In every village there was and still is a prison and every day five to 10 people are tortured, burned with cigarettes, systematically electrocuted with high voltage electricity, or become victims of the Nanggala (Kopassus) killer knives," he wrote. "They pull out fingernails and squeeze testicles with pliers." Mr Gusmao also wrote of women taken to serve the pleasures of both ordinary soldiers and Kopassus.
Defence Minister Robert Hill announced last month that Australian special forces and Kopassus special forces would take part in the two-week Exercise Dawn Kookaburra.
Senator Hill maintains the exercises are vital to fostering co-operation with Indonesia in readiness for a terrorist incident involving Australians. But the Labor Opposition has urged Australia to vet Kopassus soldiers to ensure none has committed human rights abuses or actions against Australian soldiers.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Australia had not been provided with a copy of the report – due to be handed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York today – and could not comment.