18118: sidatire: Sale of riot-control products to Haiti shameful (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: sidatire@hush.com

Sale of riot-control products to Haiti shameful: DA
January 26, 2004, 07:23 PM

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted parliamentary questions to
the government in a bid to establish whether South Africa has supplied
riot control equipment to the Haitian government. The questions are directed
at President Thabo Mbeki, Kader Asmal, the Education Minister and chairperson
of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), Roy Jankielsohn,
 the DA defence spokesperson, said in a statement today.

Jankielsohn said this followed media reports that "truncheons with the
words 'Made in South Africa' written on them are being used to forcibly
control anti-government protesters in Haiti". Weapons companies selling
their products internationally had to get permission from the NCACC and
the sale would be on record. Riot control products would be covered by
category D (non-lethal weapons) in terms of the relevant regulations.
"If the allegation proves to be true, the committee's negligence in allowing
it can only be described as shameful," Jankielsohn said.

The questions posed include whether the NCACC had ever approved the sale
of any riot control equipment to Haiti, and what factors were taken into
account in reaching the decision to allow the sale. Jankielsohn said
South Africa could ill afford "the growing, international perception
that it is the champion of pariah states like Haiti and Zimbabwe, among
others, providing the tools with which oppressors suppress their citizens".
"Not only will this have long-term economic consequences, but support
for these states, whether overt or covert, raises serious moral questions,
" he said. - Sapa

Courtesy of the South African Broadcasting Corporation.




Concerned about your privacy? Follow this link to get
FREE encrypted email: https://www.hushmail.com/?l=2

Free, ultra-private instant messaging with Hush Messenger
https://www.hushmail.com/services.php?subloc=messenger&l=434

Promote security and make money with the Hushmail Affiliate Program:
https://www.hushmail.com/about.php?subloc=affiliate&l=427