By Allan Nairn (www.allannairn.com)
As I was making my way to their studio for our agreed live interview on Indonesian armed forces (TNI) assassinations, I received a call with the news that TV One, the Indonesian national news channel, had canceled my appearance due to pressure from Kopassus.
Kopassus, the army's special forces is one of the units which I reported has been involved in the assassination of political activists in Aceh. President Obama reportedly wants to boost US aid to Kopassus, and my report has apparently created a political crisis for Indonesia's armed forces and the US.
Even though TV One had agreed to interview me alone for 15 to 30 minutes, they decided unilaterally -- without telling me -- that they would only let me on air if the Kopassus commander, Gen. Lodewijk was there to rebut me.
I would have been glad to face and question the General, but the catch was that the General refused to face me.
So, due to Kopassus my live TV One interview was canceled.
General Lodewijk and TNI, why are you afraid to face the facts?
And TV One, why are you afraid to let me discuss them live, as you agreed?
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Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Assassinations Development: Kopassus Pressure Cited as TV One Cancels Live Interview at Last Minute.
TV One Says, Live Assassination Interview Wed. 31 March, 530 or 600 pm Jakarta Time
By Allan Nairn
TV One, the Indonesian news channel, says they will do a live in-studio interview with me regarding my report on Indonesian military (TNI) assassinations at 5:30 or 6:00 pm WIB,(Western Indonesia Time), ie, 6:30 am or 7:00 am US Eastern time.
Last night they agreed that I would be interviewed alone for 15 to 30 minutes and would be allowed to speak freely without censorship, such as occurred last week on METRO TV (see posting below).
We will see what happens.
Since the TNI has threatened to have me arrested, this is their chance to do so. They can arrest me live on national TV in the TV One studio, Jakarta, and we can then have a long, open public trial in which I will discuss the facts of their crimes, and those of their sponsor, the US government.
If they fail to do so it will be a tacit admission that my report is correct, since they have already stated that I have "defiled the good name " of TNI, a crime in Indonesia, and they have stated that they intend to now clear that name with a criminal prosecution.
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Jalan Keluar Yang Pengecut. Akankah Militer Indonesia (TNI) Secara Diam-diam Mengakui Kesalahannya?
Oleh Allan Nairn (News and Comment, www.allannairn.com)
The Straits Times, surat kabar setengah resmi Singapura, melaporkan
dari Jakarta:
“Laporan jurnalis Allan Nairn [re. pembunuhan oleh TNI] telah
menghancurkan harapan Jakarta agar Amerika Serikat mencabut
larangan yang telah berlangsung 12 tahun bagi pelatihan pasukan
khusus, Kopassus … Sebuah delegasi militer Indonesia telah berkunjung
ke Washington pada awal bulan ini untuk melobi pencabutan larangan
tersebut dan media-media di Indonesia melaporkan bahwa memang
ada tanda-tanda bahwa AS akan mencabut larangan tersebut. Namun,
temuan dari Nairn bisa mengkandaskan harapan tersebut . (Salim
Osman, "Report May Hit Bid to Lift US Military Ban," The Straits
Times, Friday, March 26, 2010).
Militer Indonesia (TNI) telah bereaksi dengan ancaman akan menahan
saya, dan saya sudah menyambut baik ancaman mereka itu serta menantang mereka untuk maju terus jika mereka memang percaya akan apa yang selama ini terus menerus mereka sangkal.
Jika TNI memang sungguh-sungguh tidak melakukan pembunuhan-pembunuhan ini -- sebagaimana juga ratusan ribu pembunuhan lainnya -- mereka boleh menyeret saya ke pengadilan terbuka, dimana kita bisa mendiskusikan fakta secara publik, bila perlu selama berbulan-bulan. Ini jauh lebih baikketimbang mengambil penyelesaian secara pengecut dan diam-diam mengakui kesalahan sambil kemudian membekap, menangkap, atau memanggil saya untuk diinterogasi tertutup dan/atau mendeportasi
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