British weapons in the Indonesian war in Aceh

Aguswandi and Paul Barber

The scenario is depressingly familiar, the outcome tragically the same. The feared Indonesian armed forces, TNI, are engaged in a massive military offensive in a territory strongly opposed to rule from Jakarta. Aceh, a province of 4 million people on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra, is being subjected to the TNI's largest operation since the invasion of East Timor in 1975.
There are many parallels with East Timor, not least the key support beingprovided by Britain. British-made Hawk ground-attack aircraft and Scorpion tanksare playing a vital role in flagrant breach of Indonesian "assurances" that Britishequipment will not be used for offensive or counter-insurgency purposes.
The Scorpions are employed to "sweep" villages and to form roadside checkpoints.Unquestionably, they will be used against suspected rebel positions when required.British Land Rovers are also being used extensively to transport troops andweapons around Aceh. The vehicles are an extremely intimidating presence andstrike fear into local people only too aware of the TNI's record of abuse.

Urgen Action! Stop British support for war in Aceh

Indonesia's massive offensive in Aceh is causing hundreds of civilian casualties, thedestruction of Aceh's infrastructure, and a grave refugee and humanitarian crisis.British military equipment, including Hawk aircraft and Scorpion tanks, is playing a keyrole in this war in. Land Rovers are also being used extensively to transport troopsaround the province. Military chiefs have made it clear they willnot be bound by any restrictions on the use of the equipment.

Action

If you live in the UK, please write toyour MP urging him or her to protest to the Foreign Secretary about the use of Britishequipment in Aceh and to demand the imposition of a military embargo againstIndonesia. Write to [name] MP, House of Commons, London SW1A OAA.A sample letter is available on our website (or preferably use your own wording).Please send us a copy of any reply you receive.
If you live elsewhere, you can still write a letter to the British Foreign Secretary, using the above address.
Please also circulate this call for action to your friends and networks.

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

Trust us!

Incredibly, the British Government is asking the Acehnese people to trust theTNI not to abuse human rights. If the situation were not so grave, this would bea laughable proposition. The TNI is renowned for its brutality, its lack ofaccountability in conflict areas, and its record of using imported equipment inEast Timor, West Papua and Aceh and against its own citizens elsewhere.
    The message from Indonesia's military chiefs could not be clearer. They insistthey will use the weaponry at their disposal to "complete the job" in Aceh andthey will not comply with any restrictions on the use of British equipment. Yet despite widespread demands for the withdrawal of the equipment and for amilitary embargo against Indonesia--set out in a statement signed in June by over90 human rights organisations, peace groups and anti-arms trade campaignersaround the world--the British Government refuses to intervene.
    Its feeble response is to say it is monitoring the situation. It seems more keenon preserving the value of the arms trade with Indonesia--a recent report disclosedthat in 2002 the British Government authorised a staggering twenty-foldincrease in the value of arms sales to Jakarta, from #2 million in 2000 to #41million in 2002.
    The ostensible purpose of Indonesia'smilitary offensive in Aceh is to crush the rebel group known as the Free AcehMovement, GAM, but Achenese civil society is bearing the brunt of theonslaught. The war is causing hundreds of civilian casualties, the destruction ofAceh's infrastructure and a grave refugee and humanitarian crisis. Human rightsdefenders are in particular danger. They have been forced to flee or go under-ground for fear of being arrested, tortured or disappeared.

Prolonging the conflict

Activists are struggling to find the words to express their contempt for those whoare prolonging the conflict by selling arms to Indonesia. Their anger at the roleof the British Government is palpable.
The message they are getting is thatBritain will not do anything unless and until the equipment is actually used toabuse human rights. An atrocity involving the killing of civilians might provokea response, but anything less is unlikely to be sufficient it seems.
In an appalling abdication of responsibility, the British Foreign Office is plac-ing the onus on people on the ground-- the potential victims--to produce credi-ble evidence of the "misuse" of equipment. That is clearly impossible given themilitary's tight grip on conditions throughout Aceh. Indeed the TNI hasissued an explicit warning to people not to take photographs of Scorpion tanks orto film them. Those who disobey are likely to face arrest and arbitrary detention or farworse.

Aguswandi is an Acehnese human rights activist and a postgraduate student in International Politics at London Metropolitan University.
Paul Barber works for TAPOL - the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign.
TAPOL the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign (+44 20 8771 2904; http://tapol.gn.apc.org ).