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WASHINGTON DC, KOMPAS.com – The administration of President Donald Trump has said it will host Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto at the Pentagon, the US military headquarters.
The United States has lifted the ban on Prabowo from entering the country over allegations of human rights violations and military crimes, as in East Timor.
However, since he was appointed Indonesia’s Defense Minister last year, the Trump administration has viewed Prabowo as a key figure in deepening defense relations with Indonesia.
Also read: Get to know the Eurofighter Typhoon, the fighter plane that Defense Minister Prabowo will buy used
Especially after Washington noticed that Russia and China were persuading the Indonesian military.
A senior US defense official vigorously defended the decision to welcome Prabowo, who was also scheduled to meet with Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
“Prabowo is the twice-elected Indonesian president-appointed defense minister from the world’s third-largest democracy,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“He is our partner, a very important association, and it is important for us to engage with him and treat him as a partner.”
Prabowo will host official briefings elsewhere in the Washington, DC area, after Jakarta considers buying fighter jets that also attract Russian interest.
Amnesty International and other human rights defenders criticized the decision of the US State Department to grant him a visa.
Also read: Prabowo’s visit to the US, from the ban, hiring a lobbyist, to the possibility of military cooperation
It has been almost 20 years since the United States refused to grant a visa to go to its country, even when Prabowo’s son graduated from Boston University.
In 2012, Prabowo said he was also denied visas to the United States, after he was accused of sparking riots that killed hundreds in 1998 that ended with the resignation of President Suharto.
“The State Department’s decision to lift the ban on Prabowo Subianto is a total change in long-standing US foreign policy,” said Amnesty International’s US director of defense and government relations Joanne Lin.
Gerindra Party Chairman Prabowo Subianto (left) and Golkar Party Chairman Airlangga Hartarto (right) say goodbye to journalists after delivering a statement to journalists after a political meeting at Prabowo’s private residence, Jalan Kertanegara, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta, Monday (7/6/2020)). The closed political meeting between the two political parties discussed the importance of stability between political parties and the discourse of a coalition in the 2020 simultaneous regional elections. BETWEEN PHOTOS / Aditya Pradana Putra / hp.Joanne called Prabowo’s visit “a disaster for human rights in Indonesia.”
Senator Patrick Leahy, author of a law prohibiting US military assistance to foreign military units that violates human rights, has joined in criticizing the Trump administration’s decision.
He said that Prabowo Subianto “did not meet the requirements to enter this country.”
“By issuing a visa to Defense Minister Prabowo, President [Trump] and the Minister of Foreign Affairs [Amerika Serikat] once again it has shown that for them ‘law and order’ is an empty slogan that ignores the importance of justice, “he said.
Prabowo is known to have enlisted in the army at the age of 19 and six after joining Kopassus, the Army special forces.
Also read: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that Prabowo’s visit to the United States should not be questioned
He led the Mawar Team, which was accused of kidnapping student activists who were involved in the movement to overthrow Suharto.
Since then, thirteen activists remain missing.
Prabowo has consistently denied involvement in alleged human rights violations, including in Jakarta, East Timor and West Papua.
But Prabowo has become a political actor, repeatedly running for president.
Meanwhile, the United States is expected to warn Jakarta again about a massive arms purchase from Moscow.
According to some experts, the purchase of Russian fighter jets could trigger US sanctions under the Against American Enemies with Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
“We raised the issue of CAATSA risk in all our conversations with the Defense Ministry,” the US official said.
The Indonesian Defense Ministry declined to comment on Prabowo Subianto’s trip to the United States.
Indonesia’s wish list includes a “roadmap” to obtain the F-35 fighter jet, an Indonesian official said. Reuters they don’t want their names published.
“[Tapi] to be honest, we weren’t expecting much, “he said.
Also read: Prabowo will visit Austria, discuss the purchase of a used fighter jet
