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Companies Selling Weapons Used to Repress Protests Must Stop, Says Amnesty International
A Global Human Rights Crisis
Amnesty International has published a new investigation revealing that companies selling less lethal weapons to countries known for violently repressing protests are contributing to a global human rights crisis. The investigation, titled “The Repression Trade: Investigating the Transfer of Weapons Used to Crush Dissent,” identifies 23 major producers of less lethal equipment and hunting ammunition whose products have been unlawfully used in protests in 25 countries around the world.
Among the weapons that have been regularly used in human rights violations, including the torture or ill-treatment of protesters and detainees, are tear gas, rubber bullets, batons, and stun grenades. The lack of transparency and state regulation in the trade of these weapons has allowed these human rights violations to continue unabated.
The Need for Global Regulation
The absence of global regulation of the trade in law enforcement equipment is a significant issue that must be urgently addressed. The Amnesty International investigation used open-source techniques, weapons analysis, and trade data to uncover the irresponsible trade of these weapons. It is clear that companies producing these weapons have a responsibility to put an end to their trade in law enforcement equipment, which is being abused by countries with shocking human rights records.
States that approve and license these exports are also complicit in serious human rights violations, including torture and other ill-treatment. Amnesty International is calling on states to regulate this trade and support a Torture-Free Trade Treaty that would prohibit inherently abusive law enforcement equipment and introduce human rights-based controls.
Profiting from Pain
Amnesty International’s investigation reviewed protest footage from the last decade and found evidence of the reckless use of less lethal weapons in all regions of the world. These weapons, such as tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, and batons, have been misused by countries to harass, intimidate, punish, or disperse protesters, ultimately denying their right to peaceful assembly.
The trade in less lethal weapons, including crowd control equipment, is increasingly globalized, with China, South Korea, the USA, and major European states dominating the market. However, companies in developing economies, such as Brazil, India, and Türkiye, also produce and export these weapons.
Irresponsible Companies Identified
The Amnesty International investigation identified several companies involved in the irresponsible trade of law enforcement equipment. Cheddite, a French-Italian company that produces shells and cartridges, has been found to have its products unlawfully used against protesters in Iran. Similarly, images of products from Combined Systems, one of the largest producers of less lethal weapons in the USA, have been verified in a series of countries where security forces have routinely used unlawful force against protesters.
Norinco Group, a Chinese state-owned conglomerate, has been found to manufacture armoured vehicles and less lethal weapons that have appeared in several countries amid protest-related human rights violations. Two South Korean companies, DaeKwang Chemical Corporation and CNO Tech, have also been documented to have their tear gas and other less lethal equipment unlawfully used in countries like Bahrain, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Peru.
Responsibility Lies with the Companies
In line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, companies must develop and implement human rights due diligence policies and processes to identify and address the risks related to their operations and value chains. Companies exporting equipment that is at risk of being misused by police and security forces must apply human rights due diligence and suspend or cease supply if adverse human rights impacts cannot be prevented or mitigated.
Amnesty International emphasizes that companies have a responsibility to respect human rights and should not be exporting to countries where less lethal weapons risk being used unlawfully against protesters. States must also support the development of legally-binding international laws to regulate this trade, as recommended by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
Conclusion
The investigation by Amnesty International highlights the urgent need for global regulation of the trade in law enforcement equipment. The irresponsible trade of less lethal weapons to countries known for violently repressing protests is fueling a global human rights crisis.
Companies must recognize their responsibility to respect human rights and cease trading in law enforcement equipment that is being abused. States must also take action to regulate this trade and support the development of international laws that prohibit abusive law enforcement equipment.
It is essential that protesters are protected and that unnecessary barriers and restrictions to peaceful protest are removed. The international community must come together to address this issue and ensure the protection of human rights around the world.
<< photo by Turgay Koca >>
The image is for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual situation.