Labour is exporting more guns and other military equipment to Indonesia than the Tories – in spite of Robin Cook's much-vaunted "ethical" foreign policy. Sales of small arms, including machineguns, have even doubled under Labour. Licences for the sale of howitzers, mortars and flame-throwers have been approved even though Indonesia continues its illegal occupation of East Timor, where thousands of civilians have been killed during a battle for independence. When Cook became foreign secretary he announced that the government would introduce an "ethical" policy.
"Our foreign policy must have an ethical dimension and support the demands of other peoples for democratic rights," he said. "The government will put human rights at the heart of foreign policy." As an opposition MP, Cook lambasted the arms trade in general and described weapons exports to Indonesia as "particularly disturbing".
Yet, together with the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Trade and Industry, Cook has allowed twice as many licences for the export of small arms and machineguns to Indonesia as were granted during the Tories' last year in office.
The same volume of ammunition sales to Indonesia was allowed last year as during John Major's final year in power, and exports of weapons including howitzers, mortars and flame-throwers are also being allowed at pre-election levels.
Cook has assured people privately that he will allow Indonesia access to arms only if they are not to be used for internal repression. Yet Colonel Halim Nawi, the Indonesian defence attache to London, admitted on television last month that British-made equipment had been used to crush dissent in East Timor. The level of arms sales is an embarrassment to Cook and his ministerial colleagues. An annual report listing arms exports has been delayed as a result. It was promised last July but ministers say only that it is expected "soon".
"We have had fine words from Robin Cook but he has failed to get to grips with the arms trade," one of his backbench critics said last night. "His ideals in this area are noble but he does not seem to have delivered." The government announced last week that Britain's arms exports reached Pounds 6.25 billion last year, a record level, exceeded only by American arms sales. The announcement came on budget day, ensuring scant media coverage. The trade department and defence ministry have defended the interests of the arms industry, arguing that it employs 410,000 people and that foreign companies will steal British contracts if excessive prohibitions are brought in. Labour critics complain that, as a result, the criteria Cook introduced in July 1997 to judge arms exports are riddled with loopholes. Any export can be allowed if "the end use is judged to be legitimate such as protection of members of security forces from violence".
"How do you judge whether guns, armoured cars and tear gas are to be used to defend the police or turned on innocent civilians?" said a Labour MP. The controversy over the government's record is expected to deepen because ministers oppose German calls for a European Union code to restrict arms brokers – middlemen who fix arms deals – from circumventing national restrictions by arranging manufacture abroad.
Government ministers did not dispute that it was "possible" there had been an increase in arms exports to Indonesia. The Foreign Office claimed the situation in East Timor had improved, pointing out that the government have offered the people there greater autonomy under a deal finalised just last week.