FORMER KOPASSUS CHIEF DENIES AMERICAN JOURNALIST'S ALLEGATIONS

Jakarta, Mar 23 (ANTARA) - A former Army Kopassus (Special Force) commander has dismissed allegations by an American journalist that the force was involved in political murders in the runup to the general elections in Aceh in 2009.

"There had been no Kopassus presence, either open or covert, in Aceh since 2004 so how could any member of the force have been involved in any activity, including 2009 general election activity, there," said Major General Soenarko, a former Kopassus commander who in 2009 headed the Aceh regional military command.

In a statement to ANTARA on Tuesday, Soenarko admitted that political life in Aceh prior to and during the 2009 legislative election in Aceh was marked by great dynamism. He as Aceh military command chief actively helped the provincial police to ensure security and order during the local polls "but not a single Kopassus member was there, much less was any element of the force involved in practical politics there."
American journalist Allan Nairn's claim that Kopassus had had a hand in a few politically-motivated murders during the 2009 legislative election period in Aceh was "a totally unfounded accusation," he said.

"It's slander, nonsense. The journalist concerned also knows it is because he did ask me for a clarification. I don't know why he still spread the accusation through his blog," Soenarko said.

Soenarko who is now head of the Army's Infantry Center said Kopassus as an integral part of the reformed National Defense Forces (TNI) had become committed to preserving its strict neutrality in practical politics. "If Kopassus had really taken part in practical politics in Aceh, we would have been hanged," he said.

Soenarko said Nairn's allegations could be part of "the agenda of a certain party" although he did not know who the party was.
Allan Nairn, the American journalist, in his blog last March 21, released an article titled "Breaking News: Indonesian Army, Kopassus, Implicated in New Assassinations. Forces Chosen by Obama for Renewed US Aid Ran? 09 Activist Murders."
In his article, Nairn quoted a number of sources, including local administration officials, police, the wives of the alleged murder victims, Kopassus officers, to conclude that Kopassus was implicated in the murder of at least eight Aceh Party members.

He said the murders were committed on instructions from Kopassus higher-ups in Jakarta.

Earlier in the past, Nairn also became known for his reports on alleged human rights violations committed by Indonesian military in East Timor (now Timor Leste) which eventually led the United States to impose an embargo on the TNI in 1993.
(T.R018)