JOINT COMMANDS & OVERSEAS SUPPORT
Joint Forces Command Headquarters
JFC HQ,Building 410
Northwood Headquarters, Sandy Lane
Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 3HP
Our Ref: FOI2016/03571 / Email:
Date: 21 April 2016
MrConnor Woodman
Dear MrWoodman,
Thank you for your email of 16 November 2015. We are treating your correspondence as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). A search for the information has now been completed within the Ministry of Defence, and I can confirm that some information is in scope of your request is held.
Question 1
To know if any British military training of Kopassus, the Indonesian Army's (TNI's) counter-terrorism unit, is on-going or has occurred in the past 7 years. In particular to know if the Joint Counter Terrorist Training and Advisory Team is doing or has done any training.
RESPONSE: The British Military are not currently training, nor have they trained in the past 7 years, the Indonesian Army’s counter-terrorism unit.
Question 2
To know if any military aid is or has been provided to Kopassus by the United Kingdom in the past 7 years.
RESPONSE: The British Military are not currently providing military aid, nor have they provided military aid in the past 7 years, to Kopassus.
Question 3
To know if British training of Indonesian police, particular Detachment 88 (or Densus 88 or D88), is on-going at the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation. If so, to know how much in British pounds the British government is contributing to the Centre and to know what methods, techniques and tactics the training includes.
RESPONSE: In 2015 the British Military provided a 4 person Short Term Training Team to teach Close Protection to the Pengamanan Objek Vital (PAMOBVIT). The PAMOBVIT are an armed branch of the Indonesian police responsible for the protection of Ministers, diplomats and visiting foreign dignitaries.
As part of delivering the UK’s CONTEST strategy to counter the international threat from terrorism, HMG has provided law enforcement capacity building assistance, including training in counter terrorism related courses to more than 1,500 Indonesian law enforcement officers (including D88 personnel) at the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation.Given the sensitive nature of CT activities, we cannot provide details of actual spend on activity in particular countries. Section 24 of the Freedom of Information Act has been applied to safeguard national security.
Question 4
To know if and how many Indonesian military or police officials are being trained in the UK, either through MoD-affiliated higher/further education programmes, or otherwise, in the past 7 years.
RESPONSE: 53 military personnel received training in the UK through MOD affiliated higher/further education programmes in the UK in the past seven years.
If you are not satisfied with this response or you wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of your request, then you should contact me in the first instance. If informal resolution is not possible and you are still dissatisfied then you may apply for an independent internal review by contacting the Information Rights Compliance team, 1st Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB (e-mail ). Please note that any request for an internal review must be made within 40 working days of the date on which the attempt to reach informal resolution has come to an end.
If you remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you may take your complaint to the Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. Please note that the Information Commissioner will not investigate your case until the MOD internal review process has been completed. Further details of the role and powers of the Information Commissioner can be found on the Commissioner's website,
Yours sincerely,
JFC Secretariat Team