A Response and Several Challenges to General Prabowo

General Prabowo's campaign said today that the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) are ready to capture me, and claimed that I am part of a US government/business conspiracy against Prabowo.  (See reference links below).

Campaign spokesman Budi Purnomo is reported as saying that "Allan Nairn is a journalist who is known to not have a good relationship with the TNI [Indonesian Armed Forces].  He said that Allan has even been listed as having entered Indonesia illegally seven times.  'TNI has even said that they are going to capture Allan if they learn he has returned to Indonesia,' he stated."  ["Allan Nairn merupakan seorang jurnalis Amerika yang dikenal memiliki hubungan yang tidak baik dengan TNI. Menurutnya, Allan bahkan tercatat tujuh kali pernah masuk ke Indonesia secara ilegal.  'TNI bahkan pernah menyatakan akan menangkap Allan jika ia ketahuan kembali ke Indonesia,' jelasnya." (Merdeka.com, June 26, 2014)].   

I am currently in Indonesia so if the TNI would like to capture me, they can.  

(For background on Suharto/TNI banning me from Indonesia as "a threat to national security" see the previous postings about my discussions with General Prabowo).

If General Prabowo wants me to be captured because of what I've written about him, then I request that he say so himself.

As to the amusing charge that I am working with the US, anyone familiar with my work knows that I am an adversary of the US state and of US corporate interests.

One of my main criticisms of the US for the past 40 years has been of their practice of exploiting and killing poor people around the world, including in Indonesia.

I have publicly called for every living US president to be tried and jailed for sponsoring forces that kill civilians.

One of the many US-backed forces that kills civilians is the TNI, and General Prabowo was the US's closest protege in the TNI (Prabowo described himself to me as "the Americans' fair-haired boy").

In my view, the two most important facts about Prabowo are, first, that he killed civilians, and second, that he killed them while being sponsored by the United States.

I have some challenges for the general:

General Prabowo, will you join me in calling for the US Presidents to be put on trial?

And regarding US exploitation of Indonesia and the issue of mining contracts, General Prabowo, will you join me in calling for the expulsion of Freeport McMoRan from Indonesia?

As to my writing about Prabowo, it is accurate.  If the General wants to deny this, I invite him to face me in the Indonesian courts by filing criminal libel charges against me.

Allan Nairn


Link to view translation of this post in Bahasa Indonesia
Link to view "Breaking News: Indonesian Special Forces, Intelligence, in Covert Operation to Influence Election"

Links re. Prabowo campaign statements:
"Jurnalis Asing Allan Nairn Jadi TO TNI"
"Kubu Prabowo sebut Allan Nairn 7 kali masuk RI secara ilegal"
"Konspirasi Jurnalis Asing Tak Akan Gembosi Prabowo"
"Timses cium ada campur tangan AS jegal Prabowo"
"PKS: Amerika harus terima kalau Prabowo jadi presiden"
"Bantah Wawancara Prabowo dengan Allan Nairn, Tantowi: Dia Musuh Negara"

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