The decision yesterday by the State Department to override Congress-imposed restrictions on US military relations with Indonesia is a grave setback for Indonesian democracy and human rights, says TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign.

"The decision is an insult to the countless victims of military violence in East Timor, West Papua and Aceh and a blow for Indonesia's fragile transition to democracy. The Indonesian military is as powerful, abusive and unaccountable as ever. It will be encouraged by this US endorsement to resist necessary reforms and to continue with business as usual," says Paul Barber, a spokesperson for TAPOL.

According to the State Department, the decisoin was made in the interests of US national security. It will allow the export of lethal equipment to Indonesia and the possibility of the US providing loans or grants for the purchase of weapons. The US could in effect end up making gifts of weaponry to the abusive Indonesian military.

The US Congress has been at the forefront of international efforts to promote reform of the military, known as the TNI, and the accountability of military personnel for human rights violations. Military relations were suspended in 1999 following the TNI's involvement in the devastation of East Timor and the killing of around 1400 people when the territory voted for independence.

Last week Congress approved a foreign aid bill which made the resumption of full military ties conditional upon the prosecution of members of the armed forces involved in gross violations of human rights, co-operation with international efforts to resolve serious crimes in East Timor, and reforms to improve civilian control of the military. The State Department has used its power to waive the conditions despite a lack of substantive progress in these areas.

Although Indonesia has made important progress in its transition to democracy in recent years with direct presidential elections and the signing of a peace agreement in Aceh, it has achieved little in terms of reducing the power and influence of the TNI, ensuring its accountability to the civilian authorities and bringing to justice military personnel implicated in human rights atrocities.

"The US decision will encourage the practice and expectation of military impunity, which remains a major obstacle to genuine democracy in Indonesia," says TAPOL.

The 'national security' reason given by the State Department is likely to be greeted with wry dismay by human rights campaigners in Indonesia alarmed that the same reason is being used in Indonesia to justify the reinvigoration of the TNI's territorial command structure. This enables it to control the population right down to the village level, a situation reminiscent of the Suharto era when the military enjoyed similar powers.

Currently, at the same time as withdrawing troops from Aceh, the TNI is substantially increasing its presence in West Papua. It plans to double its strength in the territory over the next five years with the deployment of a new division of its special combat troops, Kostrad. Kostrad troops are equipped with the most sophisticated military hardware and are potentially the main beneficiaries of the State Department initiative.

The arrival of Kostrad in West Papua will lead to increasing tensions and a further deterioration in the human rights situation in the territory.

Regrettably, the US is sending a clear message that it supports such a disastrous policy.

TAPOL also notes that little effort has been made to address serious corruption allegations regarding past exports of British equipment to Indonesia and is concerned that similar problems could arise in relation to future US exports.