A British foreign office minister, John Battle, is due to arrive in Indonesia later today Sunday for a visit which will also take him to East Timor.

Before leaving London, Mr Battle said he thought the European Union was unlikely to extend its arms embargo against Indonesia, which expires on Monday, as the armed conflict over East Timor's independence had ended.

The minister said existing British arms export licences could then be renewed.

He added that the government in Jakarta needed to be supported not attacked, though it would continue to be closely monitored on the issue of human rights.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service