Amnesty: Indian copter sale to Burma violates arms embargo

Amnesty and other non-governmental organisations, including Saferworld, said they had credible information indicating that the ALH sale is a mockery of the EU arms and trade restrictions on Myanmar, because the aircraft's components are made by EU members.

"The proposed transfer to Burma of a military helicopter containing components and technology from as many as six European Union countries threatens to undermine an EU arms embargo on Myanmar," Amnesty said.

"Myanmar (Burma) has a widely documented record of serious human-rights violations, which the United Nations has described as widespread and systematic. Such abuses include summary executions, torture and the recruitment of child soldiers." 

ALHs are built with components made in Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden, the report said.

It said that the ALH is armed with rocket launchers made by Forges de Zebrugge in Belgium; its engine, guns and rockets come from France; Germany supplies parts, and the German Eurocopter Group was involved in the development of ALH; brake systems come from Italy; and Sweden provides self-protection equipment. Britain supplies the hydraulic, flotation equipment and self-sealing fuel-tank systems.

Roy Isbister of Saferworld said that the EU embargo explicitly prohibits transfers, directly or indirectly, of EU military equipment to Myanmar.

"What is the point in having an arms embargo if it is not going to be implemented or enforced?" Isbister asked.

Amnesty and Saferworld called on the European Union to hold talks with the Indian government on its sale of the ALH, and if the sale went through to Burma, to seek to withdraw all existing export license authorizations and reject all new applications.

The non-governmental organisations urged the EU to discontinue all future production cooperation with New Delhi and to prohibit India from re-exporting all future transfers of controlled goods and technology.

The EU began its arms embargo and trade restrictions against Myanmar, formerly Burma, in the early 1990s to protest human-rights violations. In 1991, the EU expelled Burma military attaches and recalled their own attaches.

The embargo and restrictions were reviewed and strengthened in recent years.//Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA)