Over the summer, some of our volunteers have been helping with a local peace campaign. This is a guest blog from Paul Tippell of Traknat explaining the background to the campaign and public meeting on the 29th.
Repressive Regimes
We have seen some reduction and changes in exports to the most politically embarrassing destinations in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings, such as sales to Bahrain, Egypt and Libya. However arms export promotion has continued to all of these countries.
Meanwhile Bahrain's crackdown on democracy activists has continued, and intensified in recent months with a ban on protests (www.amnesty.org/en/news/bahrain-must-lift-ban-all-protests-2012-10-30) and escalating arrests and imprisonment of human rights defenders e.g. Nabeel Rajab ( www.indexoncensorship.org/2012/08/bahraini-activist-acquitted-of-twitter-charges-but-remains-in-prison/). Yet the UK has continued to approve arms export licences and promote weapons sales
Bahraini military delegations were invited to DSEi in 2011 & Farnborough in 2012. Egypt was invited to both DSEi and Farnborough. Libya was on UKTI DSO’s priority market list until just before the uprising and is back on it already despite ongoing insecurity. A military delegation was invited to Farnborough 2012.
Sales (and promotion) to other authoritarian countries with appalling human rights records have continued without letup. For example, Saudi Arabia: actively involved in suppressing democratic uprisings - UK-made Tactica armoured vehicles were sent into Bahrain in March 2011 - UK issued exports licences for these vehicles even while they were in Bahrain. According to Amnesty since February 2011, hundreds of individuals have been arrested and detained – mostly without charge or trial - and, in a limited number of cases, brought to trial on suspicion of taking part in or supporting protests or of expressing views critical of the state. Saudi Arabia is 161st out of 167 on the Economist Intelligence Unit Democracy Index, 167 being the most authoritarian.
David Cameron recently tried to secure large weapons contract with Oman, SA and UAE – all countries with very bad records on human rights. He described the sales as “completely legitimate and right”.
The Government’s policy is: “We will not issue licences where we judge there is a clear risk the proposed export might provoke or prolong regional or internal conflicts or which might be used to facilitate internal repression.” One has to suspect, from the records of these countries and their reaction to the Arab Spring, that they would not hesitate to turn weapons onto their own populations.
So you have to question how the UK government can continue to promote arms sales to these countries and claim to meet their own policy.
Sustainable Development
The Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, states that exports should not undermine the economy or seriously hamper the sustainable development of the recipient country. The Government has published a methodology for determining whether licences should be refused under this criteria. Criterion 8 requires that the following considerations be taken into account :
- relative levels of military and social expenditure
- any EU or bilateral aid
- public finances
- balance of payments
- external debt
- economic and social development and
- any IMF- or World Bank- sponsored economic reform programme.
Specific thresholds apply yet this, as we have seen in Pakistan, is consistently ignored. And very, very few licenses have ever been refused.
Weapons Brokering
Britain has a major arms brokering industry which involves facilitating deals for the sale of weapons between countries. Much of this nasty trade involves small arms. There are estimated to be 250,000 deaths a year due to armed conflict. 90% are killed with small arms. Many of the BIS export licences are for small arms brokering, and licences have recently been approved to many countries including Egypt, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Botswana, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Whilst we recognise that the UK has made progress on the registration and control of brokers, there is much more to be done. We are calling upon Vince to improve the transparency of these licenses and again restrict them if they involve repressive regimes.
What you can do to help?
1. Sign our online petition.
2. Join us on the 29th November at Duke Street Church in Richmond.
3. Contact Paul for further information on other ways you can help on 07970 868508
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