December 8, 2003	Monday	Shawwal 13, 1424

LONDON: The UK government is selling arms and security equipment to countries whose human rights record it has strongly criticized, according to lists of weapons cleared for export that have been seen by the London-based Guardian newspaper.

The countries include Indonesia, where the UK Foreign Office (FO) has reported allegations of extrajudicial killings, Nepal, where it has reported summary executions, and Saudi Arabia, where torture is just one abuse of basic human rights attacked by the FO.

Licences have been approved this year for the export to Saudi Arabia of “security and paramilitary goods”, hitherto unpublished figures show.

The list of items under this category is: “Acoustic devices suitable for riot control purposes, anti-riot shields, leg irons, gangchains, electric shock belts, shackles, individual cuffs, portable anti-riot devices, water cannon, riot control vehicles, portable devices for riot control or self-protection by the administration of an electric shock.”

The UK government’s arms export guidelines state that licences will be refused if there is a “clear risk [they] might be used for internal repression”.

The exports to Saudi Arabia, which also include a wide range of military hardware and weapons systems, were cleared despite sharp criticism of the country in the FO’s latest annual human rights report published in the summer.

It said: “We continue to have deep concerns about Saudi Arabia’s failure to implement basic human rights norms.”

The government also approved export licences for categories of arms including machine guns, rockets and missiles, to Indonesia.

Indonesian forces are engaged in fierce fighting against pro- independence rebels in Aceh where British equipment is being used despite assurances from the government they would not be used for offensive or counter-insurgency measures.

After foreign observers were refused access to Aceh, the UK government told members of the British parliament (MPs) last month that it “remained concerned about the situation”.

British-built Saracen armoured vehicles were being used by Indonesian forces in Aceh, Tapol, the Indonesia human rights campaign said this week.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service.