Clinton: more arms to Indonesia

By Jon Lamb

A report recently released in the United States exposes the myth that the Clinton administration has become tougher on the Suharto regime over human rights abuses in Indonesia and East Timor.

In US Arms Transfers to Indonesia 1975-1997: Who's Influencing Whom, Bill Hartung and Jennifer Washburn show that Clinton has maintained huge US arms sales to Indonesia.

Since the invasion of East Timor in 1975, the US has supplied more than US$1.1 billion of weaponry to the Suharto dictatorship. Since 1994, the US has supplied 53% of Indonesia's imported arms.

The report states, "If the proposed sale of nine to 11 F-16s goes ahead as planned, the Clinton administration will have approved roughly $270 million in arms sale to Indonesia in just over four years. This represents more than twice the level of arms sales to Indonesia concluded during the Bush administration."

Clinton has come under pressure over the almost $500,000 donated to the Democrats' national committee by the Indonesian Lippo conglomerate before the US elections last November.

Hartung and Washburn also cite the lobbying of Democrat and Republican politicians by US arms manufacturers. The top 25 US weapons exporters donated $10.7 million to both parties in 1995-96.

There is a growing campaign in the US to halt the proposed sale of F-16s to Indonesia, approval for which will be sought from Congress later this year.

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