KOPASSUS--ALLEGED PAPUA INCIDENTS NOT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001095 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, PM, DRL NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2019 TAGS: PGOV MARR PHUM ID SUBJECT: KOPASSUS--ALLEGED PAPUA INCIDENTS NOT REPRESENTATIVE Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: A new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report claims that Indonesian Army Special Forces (KOPASSUS) continue to violate human rights in Papua. However, the report draws this conclusion based on six incidents in a single Papuan town with a history of corruption, violence, and other governance problems. Our human rights contacts have been unable to corroborate the claims in the HRW report. Even if substantiated, these incidents by a handful of KOPASSUS personnel do not provide an accurate picture of KOPASSUS as a whole. Nor does the HRW report acknowledge the reforms that the Indonesian military has made. This message provides draft press guidance for responding to inquiries about the report. END SUMMARY. ALLEGED INCIDENTS ¶2. (C) A new Human Rights Watch report alleges that Indonesian Army Special Forces (KOPASSUS) continue to violate human rights with impunity in Papua, eastern Indonesia. The report, "What Did I Do Wrong? Papuans in Merauke Face Abuses by Indonesian Special Forces" details six cases of alleged human rights violations between August 2007 and May 2009 in Merauke, a city in southeast Papua. In these incidents, KOPASSUS personnel allegedly beat and kicked nine Papuans inside a KOPASSUS compound. (Note: None of the incidents described in the report appear to meet the standard of gross violation of human rights as defined in Section 502B(D) of the Foreign Assistance Act.) Several cases involved Papuans who were drunk or engaged in disruptive behavior near the KOPASSUS barracks. ¶3. (C) Our human rights contacts are unable to confirm the cases included in the HRW report. Rudolf Kambayong, head of the Jayapura Catholic Diocese Peace and Justice Secretariat (SKP),told us he was unaware of the cases in the HRW report. (Note: SKP, which maintains an office in Merauke, is one of the most reliable sources of information on human rights in Papua.) Officials at the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) also said they were unfamiliar with the cases in the report. Mission will continue to seek information on the alleged abuses through our human rights contacts. MERAUKE NOT TYPICAL ¶4. (C) Our contacts agree that Merauke is not a typical Papuan town. Muridan Widjojo, a senior Papua expert at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, told poloff that "Merauke is the only place in Indonesia where the New Order still reigns." Most observers put the blame for Merauke's problems on the shoulders of a local official (regent) Johanes Gluba Gebze. An ethnic Papuan, Gebze presides over a regional government where allegations of corruption and brutality are rife. Advisors to Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu told poloff that Gebze is "out of control" and has made numerous illegal forestry deals with Chinese and Korean companies. (Note: Governor Suebu has banned such deals as part of his efforts to conserve Papuan forests.) At Suebu's request, the Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has begun to investigate Gebze. ¶5. (C) Gebze is notorious for his brutality. He has personally assaulted several critics and beat one severely during a public meeting. Contacts have told us that he sometimes employs off-duty police and military personnel to intimidate his enemies. Widjojo told poloff it was plausible that the KOPASSUS personnel in the HRW report were acting on Gebze's behalf, or at least with his tacit approval, although he could not confirm this. (Note: The HRW report noted that KOPASSUS personnel did not wear military uniforms when they committed the alleged violations. This may corroborate that they were acting unofficially.) A DISTORTED PICTURE ¶6. (C) The HRW report presents a distorted picture of KOPASSUS based on six alleged incidents in a single Papuan town. These isolated incidents by a handful of personnel are not an appropriate basis for drawing conclusions about the behavior of 6,000 KOPASSUS personnel across Indonesia. Further, the report fails to acknowledge the significant JAKARTA 00001095 002 OF 002 reforms that the Indonesian military--including KOPASSUS--have made. Those reforms include human rights training for all personnel and submission of the military to the civilian justice system for offenses committed while off duty. DRAFT PRESS GUIDANCE ¶7. (U) Mission recommends that the Department use the following press guidance if asked about the HRW report. Begin Text Q: What is your response to the recent Human Rights Watch report claiming human rights abuses by Indonesian Army Special Forces (KOPASSUS) in Papua? A: -- We have reviewed the report and are seeking further information regarding the alleged human rights violations described therein. Indonesian human rights organizations have so far been unable to confirm the allegations. -- We hope that the Indonesian government will conduct a thorough investigation of the incidents in the report and punish any military personnel who broke the law. -- In the past ten years, Indonesia has made significant progress reforming its military, including KOPASSUS. Improving respect for human rights is a central part of those reforms. End text. HUME