By Colombo Telegraph –
UK Government database shows that arms sales continue despite litany of rights abuses, the Independent newspaper reports today, under the headline “Revealed: UK sells arms to Sri Lanka’s brutal regime”.
Britain's foreign secretary David Miliband with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Apr 29th, 2009 in Colombo
The newspaper said; “Britain is selling millions of pounds worth of small arms and ammunition to Sri Lanka despite the country’s dire human rights record, The Independent can disclose today.”
According to the newspaper, figures taken from the Government’s own database show how the authorities in Colombo have gone on a buying spree of British small arms and weaponry worth at least £3m.
“The sales indicate how far President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government has been welcomed back into the international fold by Britain, despite the behaviour of his armed forces during the brutal last few months of the 2009 civil war”, the newspaper said.
The Independent reported ;More than £2m of the sales came under the “ML1” label – a category used by the Government to denote small arms and weapons. Export licences were granted on four separate occasions – once in July and three times in August. In total the Government approved the sale of 600 assault rifles, 650 rifles, 100 pistols and 50 combat shotguns. The sales also included £330,000-worth of ammunition and £655,000 in body armour. It is not clear whether the sales are a one-off or represent a significant increase in British weaponry heading to Sri Lanka. From the beginning of 2008 to June 2012, the value of export licences to Sri Lanka amounted to just £12m.
Read more in the Independent.
Read in the Guardian
Celerati Editorial / February 18, 2013
Liam Fox, former minister of defence resigned on allegation of wrong doing. The accuse was inappropriate arm trade with Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. If you add that 1 billion barrels of oil has been found in the Mannar Basin, that Cairn (Vedanta) is in charge of the operations (both listed in London), you start to understand why the UK simply ignored the massacres. The problem is that this amount to complicity in the slaughtering of 40 000 Tamil civilians.
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gamini / February 18, 2013
Celerati, now it should be clear to the intelligent how the Americans, the Indians, the British and a few others, how they gave assurance to VP to help ellect MR as President, bury all the heavy artilery and concede victory to MR in order that MR will be the undisputed leader. Thereafter VP was betrayed and all other LTTers numbering over forty thousand who were asked to surrender were massacred by the Sri Lankan Forces with the full knowledge of all these Countries. Hence this lukewarm response from the UN and all these countries reference War Crimes investigations. Let the can of worms be opened now.
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bonaparte / February 18, 2013
Which novel were you reading Gamini? Please share the title with us! LOL!
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gamini / February 19, 2013
Bonaparte, the events so far and the attempts to cover same by the forces who had their hands in the fiasco can be easily identified. Now with more evidence to unfold your type who are blind, who only see a War Victory will never see or understand. So do not bother yourself as it is beyond you.
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James Bond / February 18, 2013
The Rajapakse regime buys arms from Russia and Britain in exchange for support to boost Mahinda Rajapakse’s ego.
Russia’s Lumumba university gave Mahinda Rajapakse a free Degree for buying helicopters and huge amounts of unnecessary weapons from Russia, just as the UK’s support through arms purchases was sought for the various Commonwealth Circuses – (CHOGM, Hambantota Commonwealth Games Bid, Commonwealth Parliament meeting) to boost Mahinda Rajapassa’s ego and show gullible Sinhala voters that he is god and Lanka the Miracle of Asia.
Only David Cameron now on a second visit to Delhi in 3 years consistently ignores the Miracle!
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Panda / February 18, 2013
This is amusing. The Sri Lankan government keeps blaming the “Western countries” for all their ills, investigations, and their supposed plans to bring this country down, but it seems we still get the aid, and surprise, the arms, from these very same nations. Every one seems to be playing stupid games in this business.
The people keep getting fooled by the rhetoric against these nations.
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JULAAMPITYE AMARAYA / February 18, 2013
they sold a BRAND NEW C 130 transporter, cargo plane FROM TEHIR JUNK YARD to Sri Lanka once on a very exorbitant price.
so nothing to worry.
transaction commissions will flow to the spot, where the purchase approved.
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Leon / February 18, 2013
This is absolutely shocking and shows the hypocrisy of the Western world.They say one thing and do the very opposite.I hope the Labour parliamentarians will take up this matter with the Tory Govt.
After reading this article I will not be surprised if UK attends the Commonwealth Conference in Sri Lanka
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Mahela / February 19, 2013
If the MARA Govt can give One Hundred and Fifty Million Dollars to Uganda for just one UNHR vote……..what is 3 million pounds for arms going to get……….it’s peanuts compared to Billions paid to China with 100% commission to regime. (Ask Gen. Sarath Fonseka)
May be British supplied couple of outdated rifles……few fake old hand grenades………….old used bullet proof vests…….old RPG’s….and some night vision goggles (which MR weares) with 50% commission will fill up the deal.
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