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Attack on arms sale to Sri Lanka Attack on arms sale to Sri Lanka
(about 24 hours later)
An arms trade monitoring group has criticised the sale of 10,000 military missiles by Slovakia to Sri Lanka. An arms trade campaigning group has criticised the sale of 10,000 military missiles by Slovakia to Sri Lanka.
The missiles are designed to be dispatched from multiple rocket launchers. The three-metre missiles are designed to be dispatched from multiple rocket launchers.
There are concerns that the sale could constitute a violation of the spirit of the European Union Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. Symon Hill, from the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), said the sale was "exactly what Sri Lanka doesn't need at the moment".
The three-metre missiles are due to be shipped to the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Thursday. Sri Lanka has been engaged in civil war for 25 years, and the CAAT fears the weapons may be used against civilians.
Sri Lanka has been engaged in civil war for 25 years, and Saferworld is concerned that the weapons could be used against civilians. Mr Hill says "there are many examples of the Sri Lankan army being accused of the killing of civilians, as often happens in civil wars".
Roy Isbister, head of arms exports controls at Saferworld, said that the EU code of conduct forbids arms exports where there is a danger the weapons could be used against civilians. Code of conduct
"Where there's a serious risk of human rights abuses," he said, "or where regional peace and security have been undermined, then the document says the sale should not go ahead. Analysts say that because the Sri Lankan government bans most independent observers from travelling to the war affected areas, it is impossible to know the full truth.
"But although the code of conduct is a politically binding document, it is also too loosely-worded, so that countries have lots of wriggle room to justify selling arms." The European Union, of which Slovakia is a member, has a Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, designed "to prevent the export of equipment which might be used for internal repression or international aggression, or contribute to regional instability".
There have been reports that the Sri Lankan army sometimes uses its weapons indiscriminately and that civilians are caught up in the conflict. But Symon Hill of the CAAT says that the Code is "so weak, so vague, with so many loopholes".
Analysts say that because the government bans most independent observers from travelling to the war affected areas, it is impossible to know the full truth. He adds that "the EU needs to be realistic about enforcing a code of conduct. Slovakia isn't the only country that appears to have broken the code."
The European Union would not comment on this specific case, but Christiana Hohmann, spokeswoman for Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European commissioner for external relations, said that "how the code is implemented is up to each member country".The European Union would not comment on this specific case, but Christiana Hohmann, spokeswoman for Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European commissioner for external relations, said that "how the code is implemented is up to each member country".
The Slovakian Economy Ministry denies that the sale is in violation of the code.The Slovakian Economy Ministry denies that the sale is in violation of the code.
Ministry spokesman Branislav Zvara said that "the UN Security Council's evaluation of the situation in Sri Lanka has not led it to declare an embargo on arms shipments to the country".Ministry spokesman Branislav Zvara said that "the UN Security Council's evaluation of the situation in Sri Lanka has not led it to declare an embargo on arms shipments to the country".
But Saferworld says it will be impossible to ensure that the missiles are used only for military purposes, and not for "internal repression", as the code puts it.
The Sri Lankan government ended a formal ceasefire with Tamil Tiger rebels in January.The Sri Lankan government ended a formal ceasefire with Tamil Tiger rebels in January.