Defense Secretary Will Try to Lift US Sanctions on Indonesian Special Forces
Jakarta. Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said his American counterpart, Jim Mattis, will try to lift sanctions imposed on the Indonesian Military's special unit, Kopassus, following a bilateral meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday (23/01).
"Kopassus [members] are not allowed to enter [the United States], he [Mattis] will try to revise this," Ryamizard told reporters.
In 2010, the United States lifted its ban on military contact with Kopassus, which was initially imposed because of accusations of human rights abuses by its members in Aceh, Papua and East Timor.
The sanctions made it impossible for Kopassus to train in the United States, Ryamizard said.
The US Defense Secretary made no comment regarding Kopassus in his press statement following the meeting, but he conveyed America's interest in cooperating with Indonesia to address common challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
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