Sir, - Several correspondents in recent days have lambasted the US and UK for selling weapons to Indonesia. These governments don't sell weapons to dictatorships because of a love of inflicting pain. They do it to provide jobs in their own countries. Asking them not to is asking them to make hundreds on thousands of people unemployed. Secondly, even if the US and UK ceased trading, what would be the benefit? Indonesia would buy elsewhere. What is deplorable is the false morality of the UK and US governments in trying to couch their policies in ethical terms, rather than admitting the economic priorities they actually follow. Perhaps it is more desirable to have higher unemployment in the West in return for fewer arms exports, and debating that point would be preferable to the false piety of late.
Ireland has exported products, including electronic components with possible military end-use, to various dictatorships. If we're demanding that others sacrifice their exports, are we willing to join them in equal sacrifice in a just cause? I doubt it very much. As to the demands from some that the US and Australia intervene militarily, I didn't see the same hypocrites suggesting that Irish troops be put at risk. - Yours, etc.,
Jason O'Mahony, Merrion Strand, Sandymount, Dublin 4.