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newsrelease newsrelease newsrelease

Embargoed till 10am Sat 27th September 2008		Date:  Wed 24th Sept 2008

Jubilee Scotland, Christian Aid and UNISON join forces to urge Malcolm Bruce, MP to press for Indonesia’s odious debt to be lifted and for ethical overseas investment

Representatives from Jubilee Scotland, and affiliated organisations, Christian Aid and the Aberdeenshire branch of the trade union UNISON have joined forces to urge Malcolm Bruce, MP to press the UK government to cancel Indonesia’s arms debt, run up by British loans in the 1990s to the previous repressive Suharto regime to buy British weapons. 

The crippling debt is a major hurdle in Indonesia's attempts to alleviate poverty and build a democratic state.

The representatives will meet Mr Bruce today (27th September) to lobby for his support and to present a petition signed by a range of supporters calling on the debt to be lifted.

The group will also ask Mr Bruce to support a Private Members Bill(PMB) which would ensure that the operation of the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) takes account of the environmental and social impacts of the enterprises it supports.

Kate Ramsden, Aberdeenshire UNISON Branch Chair, who will attend the meeting said, “We are very pleased that Mr Bruce has agreed to meet with us. In our experience he has a good track record on tackling ethical, environmental and human rights issues so we are hoping he will be able to support our cause.”

"This debt is left over from the 1980s and 90s, when Britain sold weapons to General Suharto's regime, one of the most repressive on earth. Not only was this ethically and morally reprehensible, but the weapons were sold on credit, which means that the debt is still being repaid. Citizens today, who were repressed under Suharto, are paying it back." 
She added, "The effects on Indonesia's people and economy are catastrophic. Today, half of all Indonesians live on less food each day than could be bought for £1 in Scotland. One in three Indonesian children under 5 are malnourished and one in three do not complete primary school. Indonesia spends over three times as much on servicing debt as it does on social services.
Ian Waldram, who will represent Christian Aid at the meeting, said, "Although Britain is not Indonesia's largest creditor, the fact that the debt was for weapons used to suppress human rights and to invade East Timor means that this debt is "odious." It is wrong that the people should pay for the weapons used to oppress them. By canceling it, Britain would show that it values global justice over finance.
“We appreciate that the Department for International Development has conflicting priorities. However, Indonesia now has a democratically elected government. Politicians and citizens are calling for debts to be cancelled and for the money saved to be used to fight poverty. We are hoping that Malcolm Bruce will take whatever steps he can to press the UK government to lift Indonesia’s debt.” 
The group will also seek Mr Bruce’s support for a Private Members’ Bill which would require the ECGD to take account of the environmental and social impacts of the enterprises which it supports. 
David Leavett, Jubilee Scotland said, “The purpose of the Bill is to encourage the use of ECGD facilities to promote sustainable development and to ensure that enterprises supported by the ECGD meet mandatory environmental and social standards. It would also make the ECGD more transparent and accountable.

“We are hoping that Mr Bruce will give us advice on how best to get the Bill through the parliamentary processes, and how best to maximise its appeal.”

ENDS