Arms Trade Treaty Campaign Briefing - Amnesty International

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6© Private© REUTERS/Buddhika Weerasinghesri LaNkastudeNt shot deadragihar manoharanRagihar Manoharan (above) was one of fiveTamil students shot dead by Sri Lankansecurity forces in the north-eastern town ofTrincomalee on 2 January 2006. He was 20years old.Ragihar was with fellow students onTrincomalee’s seafront when someone ina passing auto-rickshaw threw a grenade,which injured several in the group. A shorttime later, 10 to 15 uniformed officersarrived, believed to be police from the eliteSpecial Task Force. They put the injuredstudents into their jeep and beat them withrifle butts before pushing them out ontothe road. Witnesses stated that the officersthen shot dead all five students, includingRagihar.A commission was established to investigatethe incident but its report has never beenpublished. No thorough investigation hasever been conducted and no one has beenbrought to justice for the murder of Ragiharand his companions.Sri Lanka emerged from a bitter andprotracted armed conflict in 2009. Theconflict between the government and thearmed separatist group, Liberation Tigersof Tamil Eelam (LTTE), lasted almost threedecades. Both parties committed serioushuman rights violations and tens ofthousands of civilians were killed; manymore were injured and abused.Despite these persistent serious humanrights violations committed by Sri Lankansecurity forces and the LTTE, and in theabsence of an effective Arms Trade Treaty,foreign governments continued to allow thesupply of a wide range of weaponry,munitions and other equipment to Sri Lanka.main arms sUppliers to sri lanKaA range of conventional arms have beensupplied to Sri Lanka between 2000 and2009 by several states including China,Czech Republic, Israel, Pakistan, RussianFederation, Ukraine and the USA. According to UN trade data, Pakistansupplied military weapons to Sri Lankaworth US$6 million in 2008 and 2009, andthe USA supplied US$6.4 million in 2007and 2008 respectively. Pakistan was alsoa major supplier of munitions. Between 2001 and 2009, major suppliersof munitions of war included Israel(US$2.88 million), Slovakia (US$4.3million) and the USA (US$3.95 million). China has supplied a wide range ofarms. For example, in May 2007, Jane’sDefence Weekly reported that, accordingto a cabinet memorandum, the Sri Lankangovernment agreed a US$37.6 milliondeal with Chinese company PolyTechnologies to supply munitions suchas cannon charge shells and mortars. Sriamnesty international January 2012 index: aCt 30/001/2012
Left: A Special Task Force motorcycle unitsoldier guards a roadside checkpoint inColombo, Sri Lanka, November 2008.Below: A funeral procession for five studentswho were killed by Sri Lankan security forcesin Trincomalee on 2 January 2006.7Lanka had a previous ammunitioncontract worth US$100 million withanother Chinese company, Norinco. Between 2000 and 2006, the mainsuppliers of heavy weaponry andarmaments, including battle tanks, armouredvehicles, rocket systems, combat aircraftand helicopters, were China, CzechRepublic, Israel, Pakistan, Russia andUkraine. European Union (EU) export data showsthat the UK, Czech Republic, Spain,Slovakia and Bulgaria were the largestsuppliers of arms to Sri Lanka between2001 and 2008. In February 2010, the RussianFederation and Sri Lanka signed a US$300million loan for the supply and repair of arange of arms, including military helicopters.The LTTE has continued to source armsthrough well-developed arms traffickingnetworks, and has captured much of itsartillery from the Sri Lanka Army.recommeNdatioNsThe UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moonshould: Establish an independent, internationalmechanism to investigate crimes underinternational law committed in Sri Lanka,including the killing of Ragihar Manoharanand his companions.© Private Make the results public and, where thereis sufficient evidence, prosecute thoseresponsible in proceedings that meetinternational fair standards.index: aCt 30/001/2012 amnesty international January 2012
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Arms Trade Treaty Campaign Briefing - Amnesty International

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