“No Tank You”, Ploughshares-stylie

A group of ten activists, including three East Timorese refugees, entered the Glover Webb factory in the early hours of 5th May at Hamble, near Southampton, to comply with international codes of conduct on arms control.

They found over 300 Tactical armoured vehicles and water cannon awaiting export to the repressive Suharto regime. After marking the vehicles with “NOT FOR EXPORT TO INDONESIA”, they quietly waited to explain to the workers why the vehicles could not be exported to Indonesia.

All were arrested on suspicion of burglary, including the accompanying journalist. They’ve been released on condition they return to find out whether they’ll be charged. The East Timorese were kept for longest, to ensure they were not those dastardly illegal immigrant people. One, granted political asylum after escaping torture back home, was denied medication by our boys (& girls) in blue.

British military weaponry has been used in human rights abuses both in East Timor and Indonesia, and attempts to prevent the export through the courts have surprisingly enough failed.