BY : AVIONEWS




What's anachronistic is that it's all made in EU (WAPA) - A group of European and international non-governmental organizations, among which Safeworld and Amnesty International, spread yesterday a report based on reliable sources according to which the Indian government is transferring to Myanmar the Advanced Light Helicopter (Alh), an attack helicopter. It's made in India but it can't work properly without essential elements coming from European Countries. This case shows that EU's controls on weapons have to be stricter and more urgent.

If this transferring was done, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, UK and Sweden could put in risk the embargo imposed by EU in 1998 against Myanmar.

The various models of the Alh have missile launchers made in Belgium, missiles, weapons and engines made in France, Italian brakes, British fuel tanks and gearboxes, auto-defence equipments made in Sweden. German firms have had a fundamental role in designing the Alh.

Roy Isbister of Safeworld said: "The EU's embargo says clearly that no military equipment can be provided, directly or indirectly, to be used by Myanmar. What does an embargo mean if it's not applied or respected?".

Myanmar has a well known past of human rights violations, that United Nations described as regular and systematic, with summary executions, tortures and enlistment of children soldiers.

According to Helen Hughes, who made researches on the control of weapons for Amnesty International, "We should pay more attention on the so-called agreements on the final use and the re-export on component by EU member Countries. Otherwise, these Countries can strengthen indirectly an already condemned brutal regime, and which violations of human rights are crimes against humanity".

Info Birmanie - Burma Campaign, a French NGO, said "EU must respect own commitment not to allow Myanmar to use European military equipments and press the Indian government to stop the transfer of the Alh. 'Made in EU' supply cannot be used to violate human rights".

The yesterday report showed also some US firms engaged in production of military equipments for Alh, in spite of the embargo on arms imposed by Usa against Myanmar. At now there aren't restrictions on transfer materials from India to Myanmar.

The report asks EU to start immediately consultations with the Indian government. If India wants to or has already provided Alh helicopters to Myanmar, EU should:
- ban all the licenses of existing authorization to export and reject every future request of authorization concerning the transfer of technology or components that could be used on the Alh;
- interrupt every cooperation with India that could mean the transfer of equipment under the embargo EU;
- subject all future licenses to transfer of checked goods and technology to India to strict and really applicable conditions, so that these goods can't be exported to Countries which have an embargo.

Besides improving the European and national practices, EU's Countries should support totally the current attempt of developing an international treaty on arms market. It should provide global and mandatory rules on every transfer of weapons according with international law and with human rights standards.

This Treaty is the aim of the campaign Control Arms, that in Italy is performed by Amnesty International and by the Italian network for disarmament. Both the organizations underline that the report of yesterday expressed the need of an high level of transparency and control, in order to have laws that can be in agree with safety and safeguard principles of human rights. The Italian law on arms export is good but if it's not known properly - all the measures to sell a weapon or also a component of it - there is the risk of encouraging, with Italian products and technology, governments which violate human rights or spread the tension and threats of conflicts in the world.

On these subjects, Amnesty International and the Italian network for disarmament are going on with a confrontation with the Italian Parliament and government.

Origins of the components of Alh:

Belgium:
missile-launching made by Forges de Zarbrugge FZ

France:
engines made by Turbomeca
weapons made by Giat
missiles made by Matra Bae Dynamics

Germany:
components for the control of the flight and the engine made by SIitec Aerospaces
development of the design by Eurocopter

Italy:
braking system made by Elettronica Aster SpA

United Kingdom:
hydraulic system provided by Apph Precision Hydraulics Ltd
equipment for the flotation, system of auto-sealing fuel tanks provided by Fpt Industries
fuel tanks, equipment for the flotation and gearboxes provided by Gkn Westland

Sweden:
equipment of auto-defense provided by Avitronic (Saab AB is co-proprietor of this firm). (Avionews)