Arms Human rights group calls for global small weapons ban

Amnesty International has said that World governments should pledge to actively prevent sales of weapons that are likely to be used in human rights violations in a new arms treaty under negotiation.

Whether used by the military in Burma to disperse protesters in September 2007, or by Somali armed factions terrorising the streets of Mogadishu, the human rights group warned small weapons had "catastrophic" effects worldwide.

Amnesty International described the system of national laws regulating arms sales is a "shambles",that "allows massive violation of human rights to occur".

Although 153 countries voted for a UN motion to start work on a global arms treaty in December 2006, Amnesty accused the United States - which rejected the motion - China, Egypt, India, Pakistan and Russia of stalling.

Published by Mike Hitchen, Mike Hitchen Consulting