Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10JAKARTA117
2010-01-26 11:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
ENGAGING WITH KOPASSUS UNIT 81
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHJA #0117 0261127 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 261127Z JAN 10 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4374 INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000117
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR S, P, EAP, DRL, EAP/MTS
NSC FOR D WALTON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2020
TAGS: PREL PHUM MARR ID
SUBJECT: ENGAGING WITH KOPASSUS UNIT 81
REF: A. STATE 2306
B. JAKARTA 109
Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume, reasons 1.4 (b and d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000117
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR S, P, EAP, DRL, EAP/MTS
NSC FOR D WALTON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2020
TAGS: PREL PHUM MARR ID
SUBJECT: ENGAGING WITH KOPASSUS UNIT 81
REF: A. STATE 2306
B. JAKARTA 109
Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume, reasons 1.4 (b and d)
1. (C) President Yudhoyono (SBY) and other senior Indonesian
officials have made it clear to us that SBY views the issue
of Army Special Forces (KOPASSUS) training as a litmus test
of the bilateral relationship and that he believes the March
visit of President Obama will not be successful unless this
issue is resolved in advance of the visit.
2. (C) Based on the progress Indonesia's democratically
elected government has made on military reform and
accountability, there is NOW the prospect of a phased
engagement with KOPASSUS Unit 81 (ref a). This phased
engagement would entail strict adherence to Leahy vetting
procedures, as is the case with all training undertaken by
Mission. Embassy Jakarta strongly supports this proposal and
suggests the Secretary raise this issue with Foreign Minister
Natalegawa on the margins of the London Afghanistan
Ministerial Conference (ref b).
3. (C) Embassy Jakarta continues, with interlocutors at all
levels, to stress the importance of reform, accountability,
and transparency as the basis for dealing with KOPASSUS's
history of human rights violations and as the principles that
will allow any future engagement with KOPASSUS. Most
recently, Defense Attache and Poloff made these points at a
meeting with Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro on January
26.
4. (SBU) KOPASSUS unit 81 was created in June 2001 under
Army Chief of Staff order Kep/12/VI/2001 as part of overall
KOPASSUS reform, when Groups 4 and 5 were dissolved and
replaced with two new entities: the Special Forces Training
Command and Unit 81. While the Unit's lineage is traced back
to the similarly named Detachment 81 (which was itself
dissolved in 1996 and replaced with Group 5),its mission,
size, and personnel have changed. Unit 81's mission is
narrowly focused on counterterrorism activities. It consists
of two battalions and one detachment.
HUME
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR S, P, EAP, DRL, EAP/MTS
NSC FOR D WALTON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2020
TAGS: PREL PHUM MARR ID
SUBJECT: ENGAGING WITH KOPASSUS UNIT 81
REF: A. STATE 2306
B. JAKARTA 109
Classified By: Ambassador Cameron R. Hume, reasons 1.4 (b and d)
1. (C) President Yudhoyono (SBY) and other senior Indonesian
officials have made it clear to us that SBY views the issue
of Army Special Forces (KOPASSUS) training as a litmus test
of the bilateral relationship and that he believes the March
visit of President Obama will not be successful unless this
issue is resolved in advance of the visit.
2. (C) Based on the progress Indonesia's democratically
elected government has made on military reform and
accountability, there is NOW the prospect of a phased
engagement with KOPASSUS Unit 81 (ref a). This phased
engagement would entail strict adherence to Leahy vetting
procedures, as is the case with all training undertaken by
Mission. Embassy Jakarta strongly supports this proposal and
suggests the Secretary raise this issue with Foreign Minister
Natalegawa on the margins of the London Afghanistan
Ministerial Conference (ref b).
3. (C) Embassy Jakarta continues, with interlocutors at all
levels, to stress the importance of reform, accountability,
and transparency as the basis for dealing with KOPASSUS's
history of human rights violations and as the principles that
will allow any future engagement with KOPASSUS. Most
recently, Defense Attache and Poloff made these points at a
meeting with Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro on January
26.
4. (SBU) KOPASSUS unit 81 was created in June 2001 under
Army Chief of Staff order Kep/12/VI/2001 as part of overall
KOPASSUS reform, when Groups 4 and 5 were dissolved and
replaced with two new entities: the Special Forces Training
Command and Unit 81. While the Unit's lineage is traced back
to the similarly named Detachment 81 (which was itself
dissolved in 1996 and replaced with Group 5),its mission,
size, and personnel have changed. Unit 81's mission is
narrowly focused on counterterrorism activities. It consists
of two battalions and one detachment.
HUME