Nations using child soldiers are invited to British arms fair

[unhappycamper]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/12/child-soldiers-arms-fair-trade

British-made weapons could be used to target children in war zones

Nations using child soldiers are invited to British arms fair
Mark Townsend
Saturday 12 September 2015 10.49 EDT

Britain is continuing to defy the UN by selling arms to countries where child soldiers are routinely used or where youngsters are targeted in war zones. Before the world’s largest arms and security fair, which starts in London on Tuesday, the government is ignoring UN requests that it “expressly prohibit” such sales.

New figures reveal that of the 23 countries listed by the UN for grave violations against children or where child soldiers are used, the UK sold military equipment to 19 during the past five years. They also reveal that between June 2010 and March 2015 the government approved military licences worth more than £735m to countries blacklisted by the UN committee responsible for protecting the rights of the child.

Fresh concerns over the government’s relationship with the British arms industry are compounded by the confirmation that several regimes condemned for their record on human rights received an official invitation to the Defence and Security Equipment International Exhibition exhibition in London’s Docklands.

The countries invited that are also the subject of criticism from campaigners for gross infringements of civil liberties are Angola, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Thailand.

[bemildred]

1. Selling guns is much more important. nt