Air Force shoots down British request<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
British attempts to convince the Indonesian Air Force to abandon
\nits use of the HS-Hawk warplane in the war in Aceh have been shot
\ndown in flames.<\/p>\n
Air Force spokesman Eddy Hardjoko said Thursday that the
\nBritish-made Hawks would remain part of it arsenal, saying the
\nwarplanes had only been used to provide air cover for soldiers,
\nnot combat.<\/p>\n
"The use of the warplanes is in accordance with the military
\nchief's orders," Eddy was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
However, he said the Indonesian Military (TNI) reserved the
\nright to use the Hawks in a combat role should the war worsen.<\/p>\n
Four Hawks were used on the first day of the military
\noperation on May 19 to provide cover for soldiers landing in
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
The British government sent Foreign Office Minister Mike
\nO'Brien to Jakarta to ask the Indonesian government not to use
\nHawks during the operation.<\/p>\n
O'Brien said Indonesia had agreed before it purchased 24 Hawks
\nin 1996 that the warplanes would not be used in activities that
\ncould lead to human rights violations.<\/p>\n
Jakarta, nevertheless, insisted that the deal only applied to
\nEast Timor, which won independence from Indonesia in 1999, not
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
O'Brien told President Megawati Soekarnoputri during a meeting
\non Wednesday that breaching the agreement on the use of the Hawks
\nwould lead to a full review of military ties.<\/p>\n
Eddy said the Hawks would not be used to harm civilians as the
\nongoing military operation in Aceh was to crush armed Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) rebels.<\/p>\n
Former defense minister Juwono Sudarsono said the British
\nreaction to the use of Hawks in Aceh was an overreaction as the
\nwarplanes were used only for a "show of force and air
\nprotection".<\/p>\n
Juwono said Indonesia should start finding other sources of
\nmilitary supplies if the British were not happy.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/air-force-shoots-down-british-request-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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