International campaign forces South Korean regulator to cancel tear gas shipment to Bahrain

The Stop The Shipment campaign, launched two months ago with the support of Campaign Against Arms Trade to prevent a massive shipment of tear gas to Bahrain, has succeeded in its campaign to stop DAPA, South Korea’s arms export licensing agency, from allowing the sale of millions of canisters of tear gas to Bahrain.

Following a high profile, multimedia campaign, DAPA has announced that due to political instability and pressure from international rights groups they will cease all tear gas exports to the Bahraini dictatorship.

Sarah Waldron of Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) said:

This is a major victory for human rights campaigners. We believe that it is utterly unacceptable for any government to prioritise short term sales over the safety and human rights of people living under oppression. There is extensive evidence of the Bahraini government using force to crush legitimate dissent, and any company or state that continues to supply weapons or support is complicit in this abuse.

We are calling on the all governments to follow DAPA in ending arms exports to Bahrain. The UK should be supporting democracy in the region and speaking out and against the violence that is taking place. All too often our own policies have been focused on short term gain and immoral arms sales rather than promoting freedom.

The shipment was believed to comprise in excess of 1.6 million rounds of tear gas – more than the entire population of Bahrain.

ENDS

Notes

1. Bahrain has long been a major customer for UK arms exports. In 2012 the UK licensed weaponry worth £4.6 million to Bahrain. The largest category by far was small arms, amounting to £4.2 million. A single licence, approved on 26 October 2012, amounted to £4.1 million, including 400 machine guns. In addition, there were licences totalling over £3.3 million for dual use items, of which over £3.2 million was for telecommunications and information security which could be used to monitor civilians.
2. Prior to 2011, the government listed Bahrain as a key market for UK arms exports. UKTI DSO supported the Bahrain International Airshow 2010, where it organised an outdoor event and UK armed forces have been used in support of sales efforts, demonstrating arms to the Royal Bahrain Artillery. Bahrain was invited to attend the Farnborough Airshow in 2010 and Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) in 2009 and 2011.
3. The UK government announced that it revoked 44 military licences in February and March 2011 to Bahrain, at the beginning of the Arab Spring protests. However, many licences remained in place and by June 2011 military exports had resumed. On 10 October 2012 the UK signed a new defence agreement with Bahrain.
4. The report of the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC), issued on 17 October 2012, noted that Bahrain was not listed as a country of concern by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual Human Rights Report despite its appalling human rights record and suppression of democratic protest and recommended that it be classified as such.

About Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT)

Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) in the UK works to end the international arms trade. The arms business has a devastating impact on human rights and society and damages economic development. Large-scale military procurement and arms exports only reinforce a militaristic approach to international problems. CAAT was awarded a Right Livelihood Award – the Alternative Nobel Prize – for its innovative and effective campaigning against the arms trade.