Human rights concerns fail to staunch flow of UK arms

Other countries whose human rights records concern the Foreign Office, but which still receive arms exports from the UK, include Colombia, Saudi Arabia and Russia, where more than £40m of military equipment was exported last year.

On Russia, the Foreign Office report stated: ‘Human rights defenders continue to be gravely concerned by actions taken by authorities… The North Caucasus… remains one of Europe’s most serious human rights issues.’ Yet last year ministers authorised export licences to Russia worth £10m. These included military cargo and utility vehicles, sniper rifles, gun silencers, shotguns, and components for military aircraft navigation equipment.

The British government is exporting record levels of military equipment to 19 of the 20 states its own ministers and officials have just identified as ‘major countries of concern’ for human rights abuses.

The 20 countries were listed in the Foreign Office’s annual Human Rights Report, which was launched by the Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, last week. They include China, Burma, North Korea, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe.

But the government’s arms export records reveal that concerns over human rights appear not to have prevented ministers from approving tens of millions of pounds of military sales to those same regimes.

For instance, on China the report stated: ‘The Chinese authorities continue to violate a range of basic human rights. The use of the death penalty remains extensive and non-transparent; torture is widespread.’ Yet, despite the existence of a European Union arms embargo, ministers approved strategic export licences – which are needed to sell military items abroad – for China worth almost £70m between July 2005 and June 2006.

Posted by Judy
Born and raised in Toronto, I'm now heading over to the UK to pursue an MA in Russian Politics, Security and Integration. I'm crazy about feminism, multilateralism, peacekeeping, the Toronto Maple Leafs and puppies.

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