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URGENT ACTION: Stop British support for war in Aceh

July 2003

Indonesia's massive offensive in Aceh - its largest military operation since the invasion of East Timor in 1975 - is causing hundreds of civilian casualties, the destruction of Aceh's infrastructure, and a grave refugee and humanitarian crisis.

British military equipment, including Hawk aircraft and Scorpion tanks, is playing a key role in this war in contravention of 'assurances' from the Indonesian authorities that the equipment would not be used offensively or for counter-insurgency purposes. Land Rovers are also being used extensively to transport troops around the province. Military chiefs have made it clear they will not be bound by any restrictions on the use of the equipment.

In 2002, the British Government authorised a twenty-fold increase in arms sales to the Indonesian military, TNI, which more than likely includes lethal equipment or spare parts for weaponry being used in Aceh.

* Act now to stop British support for Indonesia's bloody war in Aceh *

Action

Please write to your MP urging him or her to protest to the Foreign Secretary about the use of British equipment in Aceh and to demand the imposition of a military embargo against Indonesia. Write to [name] MP, House of Commons, London SW1A OAA.

A sample letter is overleaf (or preferably use your own wording). Please send us a copy of any reply you receive.

Please also circulate this Urgent Action to your friends and networks.

For more information see tapol.gn.apc.org/pr030710.htm and tapol.gn.apc.org/st030630.htm

Thank you for your support.

Carmel Budiardjo, Director

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SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear [name of MP]

Arms sales to Indonesia

I am writing to express my alarm at the use of British military equipment in Aceh, Indonesia and the recent twenty-fold increase in the value of arms export licences for Indonesia. I urge you to protest about this to the Foreign Secretary and demand a military embargo against Indonesia.

British-made Hawk jets and Scorpion tanks are being used by the Indonesian military, TNI, in a major military offensive ostensibly to crush a rebel movement known as the Free Aceh Movement, GAM, but which is clamping down heavily on civil society in general and has already claimed hundreds of civilian casualties. This is without question a flagrant breach of assurances given by Indonesia that British equipment will not be used 'offensively' or for 'counter-insurgency' purposes. A large number of Land Rovers are also being used to transport troops around Aceh.

The British Government is trying to avoid responsibility by saying that it will monitor the use of equipment and follow up credible allegations of misuse. In effect what the Government is saying is that it will wait until the equipment is 'misused' against civilians before it will take appropriate action. Furthermore, it is placing the onus on people on the ground - i.e. the potential victims - to produce 'credible' evidence of the 'misuse' of equipment when they are in no position to do so. The British Government's inaction is, in my view, indefensible.

I am further alarmed that the value of export licences has increased from £2 million in 2000 to £41 million in 2002. The licensed equipment includes a wide range of lethal equipment or equipment required to upgrade or maintain previously-exported major weapons systems, some of which are now being used in Aceh.

I would ask you to press the British Government, through the Foreign Secretary, to:

1. Impose an embargo on the supply of military, security and police equipment to Indonesia, to include contracts agreed before the entry into force of the embargo and the revocation of all existing licences;

2. Insist on the withdrawal from Aceh of all military equipment previously supplied by Britain to Indonesia;

3. Suspend all forms of co-operation with the Indonesian military and police special forces to include training, participation in seminars and conferences, joint exercises and senior level military exchanges;

4. Press the European Union to impose similar restrictive measures against Indonesia.

I am grateful to you for your attention to this urgent matter

Yours sincerely etc.

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