HL Deb 17 July 1997 vol 581 cc127-8WA
Lord Sefton of Garston

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether it is still their policy not to sell arms to regimes which might use them for internal repression or international aggression, or to abuse human rights; and, if so, what evidence they have that Indonesia is not guilty in this respect.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in both Indonesia and East Timor. We are reviewing the criteria used in considering licence applications to export conventional arms so as to meet our commitment not to sell arms to regimes which might use them for internal repression or international aggression. The review does not focus on individual countries but will result in criteria applicable to all destinations for such arms sales.