Dutch Foreign Minister Grants Arms Export License

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Granting Export License Military Equipment to Indonesia Worth €345.000.000

"The application has been tested for the eight criteria of the EU common standings on weapons export (GS2008/944 8-12-2008) . This test, of which the essence of the most relevant criteria is shown here, lead to the granting of the licence based on the following arguments:

Criteria 2 Human Rights: Indonesia is an important, respected partner of the Netherlands. Indonesia is a stable democracy, in which free and honest elections take place. The press is free, there is a fibrant social infield and there is officialy a high level of tolerance. The protection of Human Rights is constitutionaly documentated; compliance is an incidental point of concern. Given the nature of the goods and the final user it is not expected that they will contribute to violations of Human Rights.

Criteria 3 internal conflict:

The domestic security situation in Indonesia has improved greatly over the last decade. The armed conflict in Aceh ended in 2005 after a peace agreement between the Indonesian government and the resistance movement GAM. This agreement stands, and free and honest elections have taken place in Aceh. In Papua domestic tensions remain and violent incidents occur from time to time. Among others activities from security forces are intended, sometimes in respons to actions from the armed separatation movement OPM, tribaly inspired conflicts and crimenal associated violence. The Indonesian policy is formost directed on socio-economic development of Papua, and besides that steps are being made to engage in a dialogue with representatives of the indigenous population.

It is not obvious that goods in question will contribute to the increasement of domestic tensions, partly due to the fact that Indonesian naval material Is not being deployed here.

Criteria 7 risk of diversion: Due to the nature of the goods and the fact that they are deliverd to the Indonesian Navy the risk of diversion is negligible.

Signed, june 4 2013, Lilianne Ploumen, minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Frans Timmermans, minister of Foreign Affairs."

Shortened and translated by Pro Papua.

ENDS

© Scoop Media