A Code of Conduct for the Arms Trade
by Scott Nathanson

Twenty-one years ago, Indonesia invaded and illegally annexed the island of East Timor. As a result, 200,000 East Timorese - one-third of the population - died.

In his first run for the White House, Clinton attacked the Bush Administration for not putting the suffering of the Timorese people higher on the agenda and for providing military aide to Indonesia’s dictator, General Suharto.

As President, however, Clinton decided to put the independence of East Timor on the back burner, focusing instead on economic expansion in East Asia. "Commercial engagement" is what the late Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown called it.

The strategy proved an utter failure. In August 1997, pro-democracy protesters in Indonesia were brutally suppressed. Labor leaders were arrested and detained without trial.

While the Administration did ban small-arms sales to Indonesia, it has done nothing to push our allies into joining the ban. What has resulted is completely predictable - other nations such as Germany and Britain merely filled the void.

The Indonesia fundraising scandal helped lift the cloak of misinformation off Clinton’s policy toward Indonesia and East Timor. Once again, he was exposed as a President whose words do not match his actions.

In 1997, the US Congress barred sale of weapons and helicopters to Indonesia if they were to be used in Timor. As Indonesia has historically rejected conditions on arms sales, Congress’ action may have a long-lasting impact on protecting democracy and human rights in the region, and on the burgeoning arms race occurring in East Asia.

Clinton should adopt an arms-trade "Code of Conduct" that would prohibit arms sales to any nation that was undemocratic, abused human rights , failed to comply with international arms-control agreements or attacked other nations or its own citizens.

In East Timor, 90 percent of the weapons used by the Indonesian invaders were made in the US. Let’s stop selling arms to dictators before another such holocaust occurs.

Scott Nathanson is the senior researcher for Demilitarization for Democracy. Copyright 1996, Scott Nathanson. Re-print or electronic distribution without permission is prohibited. Call the Progressive Media Project for information,608-257-4626.

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