success in doing so. Their intervention, together with the deep hatred of the Tories undoubtedly played a part in delivering Labour's victory.
While Labour had made as few promises on questions of racism and immigration as on other issues neither the black community nor those who had been involved in the fight against the Tory Asy. lum and Immigration campaign expected that things would in fact get worse after May 1.
It's true that there have been some positive moves - although the reformulation of the 'primary purpose rul'e is less progressive than it seemed at first sight. What has become increasingly worrying as the weeks have rolled past is that the rate of deportations have actually increased.
Some have pointed out that the Tories had many cases stacked up. already processed and waiting to be carried through once the election was over. This may of course be true but misses the point.
Under a Labour government, black people have been subject to knocks on the door in the middle of the night leading to instant removal to the airport and from there to destinies where they may face serious dangers.
These racist and reactionary practices need to be challenged not only through support for the campaigns around the individuals concerned but at a more general political level.
The particular outrage that foul of the "2 year rule' during contract work in Nigeria.
deportation of his son Ade. The threat of deportation still hangs to Michael Howard against Ade's impending deportation to Nigeria pointing out that N Lagos airport when he was forcibly removed 26/10/95. supporter and opponent of the Nigerian military regime. He was im- prisoned and beaten while in detention in Lagos. reaching a neighbouring country on 3 June. He is now in poor health both mentally and physically and needs urgent medical at- He attempted to fire Nigeria, once bailed, and succeeded in family in the British press as traitors, sent their agents into the High court to watch the proceedings during Ade's case, and even produced a fictitious report that Abdul was not in detention but was living happily in Nigeria. to deport Ade to Nigeria in May 1996. Thanks to the massive sup- This was disgracefully used by Anne Widdicome in her attempts Abdul's fate is now in your hands. We are appealing to you to urgently review your decision and allow Abdul to enter Britain as with his family back home in Britain. soon as possible, to save his life and allow him to be ro--united Yours Sincerely OUT NOW!
MAASTRICHT MISERY fight against austerity in Europe. super-state * A socialist answer inc postage from London N4 2UU
Number 0107625
Abdul settled in Britain in 1964 with Joyce, his wife and has 5 children, the eldest of whom were born here. He was granted permanent residency status in 1976 but lost this when he fell Isters, joined the huge public outery against the Tory government's Beria was not a safe place. Now they are in king them to end the injustice which they Abdul was handed over into the custody of Nigerian officials at This is in spite of the fact that he was an active pro-democracy A new Socialist Outlook pamphlet setting out all you need to know on the background to the Euro-marches and the * The bosses' strategy for a single currency and a * Why Maastricht is driving a fresh offensive against jobs, living standards and welfare rights across Europe * How workers are fighting back All in easy-to-read A4 format, for just £1.20 Socialist Outlook, PO Box 1109, BRITISH firms are set to increase sales of equipment to the Indonesian armed and security forces in 1997, despite the worsening human rights situation in Indonesia and East Timor.
Britain is already the most important arms supplier to the Suharto regime. Indonesia is a key test of Robin Cook's pledge to put human rights at the centre of Britain's foreign policy.
Two recent World in Action documentaries exposed the special relationship between Britain and the repressive apparatus of Suharto, in particular KOPASSUS, the elite counter-insurgency force spearheading the war in East Timor, and security police, the regime's first line of attack against internal protest. Photographs of Tactica water cannons in use against student protestors in Bandung in June 1996 neatly illustrate this relationship.
Shady figures
The British side includes captains of industry, the SAS (Special Air Service), and shady private figures operating in the twilight world of military procurement and training with advantageous contacts in the export licensing section of the Department of Trade and Industry. The catalogue of exporters includes:
* British Aerospace: 24 Hawk jets contracted in 1993. A further 40 Hawks awaiting an export licence. Hundreds of machine guns, made in Nottingham, supplied to KOPASSUS by BAe subsidiary Heckler and Koch.
* The Rover Group: Hundreds of landrovers, made in Solihull, supplied to KOPASSUS, later mounted with heavy machine guns.
*GKN: Nearly 300 armoured vehicles, including Tactica water cannons, made near Southampton by GN subsidiary Glover Webb, suDDlied to the Indonesian police * Alvis: 50 Scorpion armoured vehicles, made in Coventry, licensed in December 1996.
* Nitor: Godalming-based firm headed by ex-Royal Marine and MOD Mike Hitchcock OBE, supplying "Ultimate" weapon training systems and close quarter battle houses to KOPASSUS. Computer simulation exercises targeting civilian protestors ("moving targets"), shopping malls, discos and mosques accompanied these sales.
* Procurement Services International: Headed by a captain in the Scots Dragon Guards and based in Salisbury, PSI acts as an agent for GKN and Nitor, and claims to be the largest European supplier of equipment to the Indonesian army and police, with sales totalling €400 million since 1993 and an order book worth £700 million.
* The SAS trains KOPASSUS, whose counter-insurgency tactics are modelled on Britain's colonial war in Malaya.
Meanwhile the wave of repression against the pro-democracy movement continues, with the recent sentencing of People's Democracy Party (PRD) president Budiman Sujatmiko to 13 years in prision. There is mounting evidence of the torture and extra judicial killings of East Timorese prisoners.
Both Budiman Sujatmiko and Jose Ramos Horta, leading representative of the East Timorese independence movement, have called on the new Labour government to halt all arms sales to Indonesia. Robin Cook has stated that he will not export equipment likely to be used for internal repression or external aggression. This would include armoured vehicles and water cannon.
However, this position differs more in emphasis than in substance from the previous government wie aco calmeo to use numa rights criteria in granting export licences. It falls far short of the full embargo demanded by the liberation movement in Indonesia and East Timor.
Options open
It leaves open the option of selling military equipment which has not been directly linked in photographic evidence to repression, including Hawk jets.
In fact there is evidence from eye-witnesses, and statements by Indonesian officials, that Hawks have been and will be used for bombing in East Timor.
The Indonesian Minister of Technology admitted that "the planes will be used... also for ground attack" (The Times, 18 April 1993).
Cook will come under enormous pressure from Britain's arms manufacturers to back down on his commitment to human rights.lt is vital that campaigners in the labour movement counteract this pressure and fight to hold Cook to his commitment.
Socialist Outlook
of the Tory government with the removal of first Abdul and then the Whilst in opposition, many Labour MPs, Including Cabinet min-