British ministers flout arms sales code<\/p>\n
Richard Norton-Taylor, Guardian News Service, London<\/p>\n
The United Kingdom (UK) government is selling arms and security
\nequipment to countries whose human rights record it has strongly
\ncriticized, according to lists of weapons cleared for export that
\nhave been seen by the London-based Guardian newspaper.<\/p>\n
The countries include Indonesia, where the UK Foreign Office
\n(FO) has reported allegations of extrajudicial killings, Nepal,
\nwhere it has reported summary executions, and Saudi Arabia, where
\ntorture is just one abuse of basic human rights attacked by the
\nFO.<\/p>\n
The government approved export licenses for categories of arms
\nincluding machine guns, rockets and missiles, to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Indonesian forces are engaged in fierce fighting against pro-
\nindependence rebels in Aceh where British equipment is being used
\ndespite assurances from the government they would not be used for
\noffensive or counter-insurgency measures.<\/p>\n
After foreign observers were refused access to Aceh, the UK
\ngovernment told members of the British parliament (MPs) last
\nmonth that it \"remained concerned about the situation in Aceh\".<\/p>\n
British-built Saracen armored vehicles were being used by
\nIndonesian forces in Aceh, Tapol, the Indonesia human rights
\ncampaign and the Campaign Against Arms Trade said this week.<\/p>\n
Next week human rights activists in Indonesia are planning to
\nchallenge the legality of British arms exports to the country,
\nTapol said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
There have already been reports of Hawk jets and Scorpion
\ntanks deployed in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The FO says in its human rights report that while the
\nprofessionalism of the Indonesian security forces had improved,
\n\"serious problems remain, with allegations of extrajudicial
\nkillings, disappearances, arbitrary detention, rape, torture and
\nmistreatment of prisoners\".<\/p>\n
Licenses have been approved this year for the export to Saudi
\nArabia of \"security and paramilitary goods\", hitherto unpublished
\nfigures show.<\/p>\n
The list of items under this category is: \"Acoustic
\ndevices ... suitable for riot control purposes, anti-riot
\nshields ... leg irons, gangchains, electric shock belts,
\nshackles ... individual cuffs ... portable anti-riot devices ...
\nwater cannon ... riot control vehicles ... portable devices for
\nriot control or self-protection by the administration of an
\nelectric shock\".<\/p>\n
The UK government's arms export guidelines state that licenses
\nwill be refused if there is a \"clear risk (they) might be used
\nfor internal repression\".<\/p>\n
The exports to Saudi Arabia, which also include a wide range
\nof military hardware and weapons systems, were cleared despite
\nsharp criticism of the country in the FO's latest annual human
\nrights report published in the summer.<\/p>\n
\"We continue to have deep concerns about Saudi Arabia's
\nfailure to implement basic human rights norms,\" it says,
\nreferring explicitly to capital and corporal punishment and
\nrestrictions on freedom of movement, expression, assembly and
\nworship.<\/p>\n
It adds: \"We believe that between January and December 2002,
\nthe Saudi authorities executed about 46 people, one of the
\nhighest figures for any country in the world.\"<\/p>\n
The government has also approved big increases in the sale of
\narms to Nepal where security forces are fighting Maoist
\nguerrillas. Last year Britain provided Nepal with two military
\nhelicopters with funds from its \"conflict prevention\" fund.<\/p>\n
Yet the FO accuses the Nepalese army and Maoists of \"gross and
\nwidespread human rights abuses\". Its annual report adds: \"The
\nsecurity forces were responsible for extensive and systematic
\nillegal detentions, torture and summary executions\".<\/p>\n
The government's arms export criteria state it \"will not issue
\nlicenses for exports which would provoke or prolong armed
\nconflicts or aggravate existing tensions\".<\/p>\n
The list of export licenses was provided by Nigel Griffiths,
\nthe British trade minister, in response to questions from Menzies
\nCampbell, the UK's Liberal Democrat party's foreign affairs
\nspokesman.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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