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Report: G8 Countries Selling Arms to Repressive Governments
Jun 22, 2005
A new report says the world’s industrialized countries are selling arms to governments that abuse human rights. The joint study was published today by Amnesty International, Oxfam, and the International Action Network on Small Arms.
It comes ahead of next month’s meeting of the industrialized countries, the G8, in Gleneagles, Scotland. Among the topics to be discussed there is the possible adoption of Britain’s proposal for an arms trade treaty.
The report says G8 member states (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK, and the United States) are undermining their commitments to poverty reduction, and human rights with arms exports to some of the world's poorest and most conflict-ridden countries. The study reports G8 weapons have been exported to countries including Sudan, Burma, the Republic of Congo, Colombia and the Philippines.
"Each year hundreds of thousands of people are killed, tortured, raped and displaced through the misuse of arms. How can G8 commitments to end poverty and injustice be taken seriously if some of the very same governments are undermining peace and stability by deliberately approving arms transfers to repressive regimes, regions of extreme conflict or countries who can ill-afford them?" said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
The study highlights several cases where arms are being sold to human rights abusers. Despite a European Arms embargo, France exports bombs, grenades and other ammunition to Burma and Sudan; a loophole in an Italian law allows Rome to sell large numbers of firearms to Colombia, and the Republic of Congo; Russia exports heavy weaponry, including aircraft, to Ethiopia, Uganda and Algeria; the United States provides military aid to states carrying out persistent human rights violations including Pakistan, Nepal and Israel; and Japan exports small arms and light weapons to countries with poor human rights records such as the Philippines.
“This research shows that, as well as the G8 being responsible for more than 80% of the world’s arms exports, they persist in selling weapons that oppress the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. G8 foreign ministers meeting this week must back the Arms Trade Treaty and agree a process to make it happen," said Barbara Stocking, Director of Oxfam.
The coalition says the examples included in the report show why a tough and enforceable Arms Trade Treaty is urgently needed. It should be international, legally-binding and based on international law -- especially human rights and humanitarian law -- because these universal standards if observed, would save lives, prevent suffering and protect livelihoods.
"In view of the massive loss of life and destruction of property and livelihood's fuelled by irresponsible arms transfers, the G8 must turn rhetoric into reality and push for negotiations to start on an Arms Trade Treaty by 2006. To do anything less would be a disgraceful betrayal of the millions of men, women and children subject to human rights violations and fear of armed violence every day," said Rebecca Peters, Director of the International Action Network on Small Arms.
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