UK tanks roll on Indonesian rebels

[Aidoneus]

(on edit: fixed a serious formatting mistake, left off a braket..)

UK tanks roll on Indonesian rebels
Antony Barnett
Sunday July 13, 2003
The Observer

The British Government faces fresh embarrassment over its controversial policy of selling arms to Indonesia as the first evidence emerged of the Indonesian military using UK-made tanks to crush a rebellion in its Aceh province.

Friday's edition of Indonesian daily Suara Pembaruan published a photo of two Scorpion tanks, made by the Coventry firm Alvis, in offensive operations in Pidie sub-district, north Aceh, while an Indonesian military commander told The Observer he knew the Foreign Office in London would 'have a fit'.

--snip--

Despite pledging to introduce an ethical foreign policy, then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook allowed the export of these tanks because he claimed they had received assurances the equipment would not not be used for internal repression.

The decision by the Indonesian military to use them in this bloody civil conflict is a clear violation of those promises, and human rights groups are demanding the British Government intervenes.

--snip--

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,997169,00.html

[NYC]

1. Clickable link:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,997169,00.html

Excerpt:

Friday's edition of Indonesian daily Suara Pembaruan published a photo of two Scorpion tanks, made by the Coventry firm Alvis, in offensive operations in Pidie sub-district, north Aceh, while an Indonesian military commander told The Observer he knew the Foreign Office in London would 'have a fit'.

The spectre of British-made tanks involved in the conflict is acutely embarrassing for the Blair Government, which came under pressure to block the sale after it was elected in 1997. Yesterday a Foreign Office spokesman said an investigation would be launched.

...Indonesian generals have repeatedly said they do not intend to abide by non-binding assurances made to the British Government about the use of weapons.

[Aidoneus]

2. fixed my mistake

left off a bracket and a couple other formatting codes, fixed now.

[bemildred]

3. "ethical foreign policy"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ...

Thanks for the laugh. I'm not sure what use
tanks are in this sort of conflict, but maybe they
improve the production values propaganda wise.