PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS, PEACE AND DEMOCRACY IN INDONESIA

111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 8HW, UK
Tel +44 (0)20 8771 2904 Fax +44 (0)20 8653 0322
Email tapol@gn.apc.org Website http://www.tapol.org

< PRESS RELEASES

Hawk jets used in war on Aceh

19 May 2003

British-made Hawk jets today helped launch a military offensive in the Indonesian province of Aceh after talks in Tokyo between the Free Aceh Movement, GAM, and the Indonesian Government broke down yesterday.

Human rights groups are warning that the renewed military operations, announced today by President Megawati of Indonesia, represent a grave threat to the safety and security of the Acehnese people and will result in widespread loss of life.

The Indonesian press reported that Hawks were this morning used to escort transport planes carrying troops to Aceh. They were preceded by a rocket attack by two American OV-10 Bronco aircraft [see footnote].

TAPOL has written to the British Foreign Office Minister, Mike O'Brien, condemning the use of Hawks. 'The use of the aircraft in this way is… a clear breach of assurances…that British equipment will not be used for internal repression or in counter insurgency operations,' it says

TAPOL has urged the British Government to protest to the Indonesian Government in the strongest possible terms and demand that the British equipment be withdrawn from use in Aceh. It also calls upon the Britain to do all it can to persuade the Indonesian Government that military force will solve nothing and that it must renew its efforts to resolve the conflict in Aceh by peaceful means.

Last week, TAPOL and Campaign Against Arms Trade called upon the British Government to protest about the deployment of British-made Scorpion tanks to Aceh. It complained that the Government's failure to revoke the export licences for the equipment when it came to power in 1997 provided Indonesia with the means for internal repression.

Aceh, on the northwestern tip of the island of Sumatra, has for many years been an area of intense conflict between the Indonesian armed forces, TNI, and GAM. The Acehnese people have suffered widespread and systematic human rights abuses, mainly at the hands of the TNI. A Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed in December 2002 brought renewed hopes of peace, but they have now been dashed by the breakdown of the talks and Indonesia's current military offensive.

The British Government continues to license the sale of military equipment to Indonesia despite widespread criticism of Indonesia's human rights record in East Timor, Aceh and West Papua and its use of the equipment against its own citizens.

ENDS

Footnote:

Translation of report from Kompas Cyber Media, 19 May 2003:

'Rapid Reaction troops (PPRC) have been dropped in Aceh this morning and OV-10 Broncos have rocketed Cot Keueung, an area near Banda Aceh.

'Six Hercules aircraft from Squadrons 31 and 32 tranported 468 rapid reaction troops, which were parachuted to Sultan Iskandar Muda airfiield in Aceh on Monday.

'The troops are from Airborne Infantry battalions 502 Kostrad and Infantry Brigade 18, Kostrad.

'The troops were flown from the TNI airbase in Medan where they had been waiting in readiness for about a week The troops were parachuted at 7.30 this morning to Cot Keueung, preceded by an air attack by two OV-10 Broncos. The planes which dropped the troops were escorted by four Hawk-200. and a Fokker aircraft.

'Major Edir Fernandi of the army Koops (operational command in Aceh) confirmed the landing of airborne troops and said that this would continue. More troops from Kostrad airborne unit 501 are waiting in readiness in Medan.'

Press archive

top