London – The British government was forced Tuesday to defend a decision to invite Indonesia to Britain's biggest arms fair, after it emerged that British-made jets were used to intimidate people in East Timor.

Defence Procurement Minister Baroness Symons defended the invitation to next month's fair, saying it was a recognition of Indonesia's right to defend itself, as guaranteed by the United Nations Charter.

Symons reiterated British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook's insistence on Monday the Indonesian government had given "absolutely specific assurances" that British-made Hawk jets would not be used for internal repression again.

Indonesia was now a country "in transition" since it held democratic elections earlier in the year following the deposition of former dictator President Suharto, Symons said. "It is an emerging democracy and has the right for self-defence," she told BBC radio.

Reports emerged Monday that the jets made by British Aerospace had twice been used to intimidate separatist islanders in East Timor, which has just held a referendum on independence.