The British Foreign Secretary, Mr Robin Cook, yesterday unveiled his long-awaited crackdown on arms sales to countries who abuse their citizens' human rights. Export licences would not be issued for proposed sales which would compromise the UK's international commitments, or where there was "a clearly identifiable risk" that equipment might be used for internal repression or external aggression, he said.
In a separate measure, Mr Cook announced an immediate ban on the export of torture devices such as electric shock batons. But he confirmed in a written Commons answer that the new, tougher criteria would not apply to contracts signed under the rules applied by the previous Tory administration. That means that there will be no block on the £160 million British Aerospace deal to sell 16 Hawk trainer-fighter aircraft to Indonesia.
Indonesia outraged the international community by invading and annexing East Timor in 1975. Human rights campaigners have lobbied hard for the Hawk deal to be scrapped.
But the government has argued it would be impractical to revoke existing licences. In any case, the Foreign Office says it has found no evidence that Hawks have been used against East Timor.
In a statement, Mr Cook said of the new rules: "Britain is one of the largest arms exporters in the world. That leading position obliges us to take seriously the reputation of the arms trade. Success and responsibility go hand in hand.
"The new criteria . . . will apply to all licences for arms exports. They are universal criteria. They are not aimed at any one country in particular, but they will apply even-handedly to all countries." - (PA)