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Government ignored human rights when relaxing conditions for use of UK arms

Press Release - October 26, 2004

Anti-arms trade campaigners have today attacked the Government for ignoring human rights considerations in its decision to relax end-use undertakings on the use of UK-supplied military equipment in war-torn Aceh, despite Indonesia's appalling human rights record in the territory. The Government has admitted that Indonesia has misused UK-supplied equipment in the past and has breached end-use undertakings in Aceh.

MPs on the Quadripartite Committee on Strategic Exports in May 2004 criticised the Government for relaxing the end-use undertakings for Aceh in September 2002. At the time, Indonesian military operations were causing grave human rights abuses in the territory.

The changes opened the way for the use of UK-supplied Hawk jets and armoured personnel carriers in Indonesia's 2003/04 martial law offensive in Aceh, its largest military operation since the invasion of East Timor in 1975.

The Government yesterday published its response to the criticisms (http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/CM6357.pdf). Speaking on behalf of the two organisations which provided evidence for the MPs' conclusions -- Campaign Against Arms Trade and Tapol, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign Nicholas Gilby called the Government's response "irresponsible and inadequate".

He continued "The Government admits that its decision to allow Indonesia to use UK-supplied equipment in Aceh did not take into account the deteriorating human rights situation on the ground, displaying a shameful and callous disregard for the human rights of the Acehnese".

He added "The rest of the response is woefully inadequate and fails to seriously address the grave issues the MPs have raised. It also fails to acknowledge previous Government admissions of Indonesian breach[es] of its assurances and tacitly accepts the MPs' criticisms that it does not seriously monitor the use of UK-supplied equipment in Aceh".

Campaign Against Arms Trade and Tapol are appalled by the inadequacy of the Government's response and will be taking the matter up with the Quadripartite Committee, so the Government is properly held to account for its actions. A serious risk remains of UK-supplied equipment being used to commit human rights violations in Aceh. We reiterate our call for an immediate UK arms embargo on Indonesia.