Washington – A congressional panel that funds foreign operations has proposed dropping restrictions on aid to Indonesia's military, with the panel's Republican leader saying it was time to recognize the country's dramatic democratic turnaround.

A Democratic lawmaker, however, expressed disappointment that the House appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations would lift restrictions.

Under current law, the US Secretary of State must certify that the Indonesian government has addressed US worry about human rights abuse in the military and other concerns before aid is granted.

Last year, US officials waived the restrictions, citing a part of the law that allowed a waiver for national security reasons. The subcommittee has proposed providing US$2 million less than the $6.5 million President George W. Bush had requested to help Indonesia's military with transportation, counter-terrorism and maritime security; lawmakers proposed $1.28 million in funds for military training.

The request is an early stage in a lengthy legislative process. An overall bill must eventually be approved by both chambers of Congress and signed by Bush. The Indonesia proposal is part of a $21.3 billion measure that would pay for foreign assistance programs for the budget year that begins Oct. 1. Overall, the measure is $2.4 billion less than the $23.7 billion the administration wanted.

The United States cut all military ties with Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, in 1999 to protest alleged human rights abuses by Indonesian troops in East Timor. The ban was lifted in November by the Bush administration, which views the Indonesian government as a bulwark against Islamic militancy.

"The Congress needs to understand that things change," Rep. Jim Kolbe, chairman of the subcommittee, said Friday. "And there are few countries in the world where things have changed as much as Indonesia in the last five, six, seven years."