Anger as arms exports double to nearly £1billion.
By Ben Russell
The Independent, UK - 8 June, 2004.
EXPORTS OF small arms from Britain doubled last year and the Government was condemned for allowing arms exports worth millions to some of the world's most unstable regions.
Total British arms exports increased to nearly £1bn last year, up from £942m the previous year but arms control campaigners said ministers were permitting arms exports to states with poor human rights records.
| "One person dies every minute from armed violence. The government has promised to clean up its act on arms sales but despite some progress they continue to arm human rights abusers across the globe." |
The biggest destination was Saudi Arabia, where exports totalled £189.3m, followed by the United States with £116.3m, and Malaysia with £97.2m, according to the Government's annual report on strategic arms sales.
The report showed licences for arms exports to Pakistan doubled to £29.5m, while licences for arms sales worth £86.5m were granted to India.
Approved arms exports to Afghanistan doubled from £500,000 to £lm. Licences for the Philippines, where the government is fighting guerrillas linked to al-Qa'ida, rose from less than £250,000 in 2002 to £4m.
Arms sales worth £12.5m to Indonesia were approved, despite continuing controversy over the use of British Hawk jets and armoured personnel carriers. Licences for £17m of arms to Saudi Arabia were issued last year, while licences were issued for £9m worth of military equipment to Israel .
Oxfam condemned the Government's record. Justin Forsyth, the director of policy, said: "One person dies every minute from armed violence. The Government has promised to clean up its act on arms sales but despite some progress they continue to arm human rights abusers across the globe.
"It's time the Government stuck to its own principles and stopped jeopardising the lives of civilians overseas."
Nicholas Gilby, spokesman for the Campaign Against the Arms Trade, said: "The Government continues to licence the sale to the brutal Indonesian government military equipment which could easily be used for internal repression such as weapons sights, gun silencers and components for tanks, helicopters and military aircraft.
"Furthermore, despite warning of tension in the coming years in the Middle East , Indian subcontinent and Korean peninsular, the UK government is contributing to it by flooding these areas with weapons. The Government is behaving with utmost recklessness."
Baroness Symons, the Foreign Office Minister, said: "This Government introduced the UK 's first-ever published arms export licensing criteria and we are leading the global effort to develop common international standards on arms exports. Our export controls system is both rigorous and among the most open in the world."
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