Human Rights

Israel carries out extra-judicial executions, collective punishment and torture in its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza; Turkey has a record of brutal treatment of the Kurdish population within its own borders and in Northern Iraq; Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses have long been the subject of concern but have worsened since September 11th; the US has led the way in jettisoning human rights in the name of counter-terrorism, not least, but not only, at Guantanamo Bay; Colombian paramilitaries continue to receive the support of the army in their attacks on opposition supporters; China executed at least 1,060 people in 2002, many without a fair trial;¹ and Russia continues its widespread abuses in Chechnya.

And all these countries have been invited to DSEi 2003.

As well as the physical 'benefit' of military equipment which could be used directly in repression, the willingness of countries to supply arms gives moral support and credibility to the recipient. It undermines local attempts at controlling the military, moderating the excesses of autocratic regimes, or finding non-militaristic solutions to problems. In addition to the countries mentioned above being invited to DSEi, they all received UK arms in 2002.

1 Amnesty International Report 2003 (web.amnesty.org/report2003/index-eng)