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Clinton urged to raise rights concerns in Indonesia

JAKARTA : Human Rights Watch has urged US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to raise military accountability for abuses

Published July 20, 2011 Updated July 20, 2011 04:30am

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By Abdul Ahad

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Clinton is due to arrive on the holiday island of Bali on Thursday for meetings with leaders of Southeast Asian countries at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Forum.

"Closer US military ties with Indonesia were a reward for better behavior by Indonesian soldiers, yet one year later atrocities by the military still go unpunished," Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Elaine Pearson said in a press release Tuesday.

"This is an important opportunity for Clinton to speak publicly about the need for genuine military reform," Pearson said.

Indonesia's constitution explicitly guarantees freedom of religion and the country of some 240 million people has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

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