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UK arms sales to Indonesia increase again

FAO Defence and Parliamentary correspondents

29 July 2004

The Government has authorised a substantial increase in the number of arms exports licences for Indonesia during the first three months of this year despite widespread parliamentary and public concern about the human rights record of the Indonesian military and its use of imported equipment against civilians [see note 1].

Whitehall's new quarterly report on export licensing decisions taken between January and March 2004, published yesterday [see note 2], reveals that 41 standard licences were issued for Indonesia in the period compared to 110 for the whole of 2003, equivalent to an annual increase of almost 50 per cent. The total value of the licence applications for Indonesia was £5.5 million compared to £12.5 million for 2003, equivalent to a 76 per cent. increase.

The equipment licensed for export included components for aircraft cannons, combat aircraft, general military aircraft, general military vehicles, military aero-engines, munitions launching equipment and technology for the use of equipment.

The licences were issued at a time when Indonesia was conducting a martial-law offensive in the province of Aceh, its largest military operation since the invasion of East Timor in 1975. UK-supplied Hawk jets and Saracen and Stormer armoured personnel carriers were used in the year-long offensive between May 2003 and May 2004, which claimed at least 2,000 lives. Stormer vehicles were used in Aceh as a show of force by the army during the Indonesian national elections in April 2004.

"We are disappointed that the Government has failed to respond to repeated concerns about arms exports to a country where there is real risk that equipment will fuel internal conflicts and be used in violation of human rights. We repeat our longstanding call for an embargo on the supply of British military equipment to Indonesia," says TAPOL spokesperson Paul Barber.

This latest revelation comes in the wake of criticism by a committee of MPs in May that the Government failed to investigate claims that UK-supplied equipment has been used in violation of human rights or for offensive purposes in Aceh. The MPs also criticised the Government for its inadequate monitoring of the end use of equipment and described end-use assurance provided by Indonesia as "not worth paper they are written on." [see http://tapol.gn.apc.org/pr040518.htm]

ENDS

Notes

1. A factsheet on Arms to Indonesia is available at http://tapol.gn.apc.org/st040604.htm
2. The report is available at http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/strategicexportcontrols2004JanMarreport.pdf

For more information, contact Paul Barber on 01420 80153 or 020 8771 2904.

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