PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS, PEACE AND DEMOCRACY IN INDONESIA

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Demonstration and photo opportunity: Foreign Office, Whitehall, Friday 23 May, 12:00 to 14:00

The following press release was issued jointly by TAPOL and Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT)

Contact: Paul Barber, TAPOL, on 01420 80153 or 0776 180 8095; or Ann Feltham, CAAT, on 020 7281 0297

22 May 2003

Indonesia’s massive military offensive in the province of Aceh has sparked world-wide protests against what is likely to be a bloody and brutal campaign. It will be Indonesia’s largest military operation since the invasion of East Timor in 1975.

Campaigners in Britain are outraged that British-made Hawk jets and Scorpion tanks are being used and will be demonstrating outside the Foreign Office on Friday in a protest organised by TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign and Campaign Against Arms Trade.

Indonesia's military chief, General Endriartono Sutarto, has said he will ignore assurances given to Britain that the equipment will not be used for offensive purposes.

Paul Barber of TAPOL says:

"We are dismayed by the British Government’s hypocrisy in allowing Indonesia to use British weaponry in Aceh at the same time as it calls for peaceful dialogue to resolve the conflict.

"We call upon the Government to demand the withdrawal of British equipment, to halt further supplies of military equipment to Indonesia, and to denounce the military offensive."

Human rights groups fear that the military operations will result in massive violations of human rights and widespread civilian loss of life.

Aceh, on the northwestern tip of the island of Sumatra has been an area of intense conflict between the Indonesian armed forces, TNI, and the Free Aceh Movement, GAM, for over 26 years. It has cost around 15,000 lives. A Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed in December 2002 brought renewed hopes of peace, but they have been dashed by the recent breakdown of talks and Indonesia’s military offensive.

Hawk aircraft and Scorpion tanks are being used in Aceh as part of the military operations. TAPOL and CAAT have persistently complained that the British Government’s failure to revoke the export licences for the equipment when it came to power in 1997 has provided Indonesia with the means for offensive actions and internal repression against its own civilians.

ENDS

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