Today (Monday 14th of May) an Indonesian Military officer will start a 7 month course at the NZ Defence Forces (NZDF) Command and Staff training college at Trentham Army Camp. This is despite the fact that the Indonesian Military (TNI) is still committing massive human rights abuses in West Papua and no military personnel have been held legally accountable for their mass murdering of civilians in East Timor (1975-1999) and Aceh (1976-2005). The military still gets paid huge bribes to offer "security" for big business and also represses workers' unions and left groups within Indonesia. The NZ government shamefully kept up joint training exercises, in areas such as counter-insurgency and ground bombing skills with the Indonesian Military, during the occupation of Timor that killed nearly a third of East Timor’s population. Military ties were cut when Indonesia’s occupation became too politically embarrassing in 1999.

On May 11th the Indonesia Human Rights Committee held a small demo outside the NZDF HQ in Grey Lynn, Auckland to call for all NZ military ties with Indonesia to be cut. According to the Auckland Police this demo of 8 people plus a baby required the presence of two police cars and a police photographer. Triangle TV and an AUT student journalist covered the demo.

Peace Action Wellington have also called for NZ-Indonesia Military ties to be cut. Spokesperson Valerie Morse said: “Helen Clark and Phil Goff are operating in a totally underhanded manner. Last year, they gave public assurances that New Zealand was not considering changing its military relationship with Indonesia, which has been suspended since 1999. It seems that was all a lie, a ruse, to hide a growing relationship with the murderous armed forces of Indonesia, the notorious TNI"

Keep out a watch for more actions happening over the next 7 months. Get in contact for more info (see links below for IHRC and PAW)