Indian helicopters for Myanmar:

Making a mockery of embargoes?

Summary

This report highlights how an EU arms embargo on Myanmar (Burma) is under threat. It reveals how the proposed transfer to Myanmar of a military helicopter containing components and technology from as many as six European Union countries threatens to undermine an EU arms embargo which has been in place on since 1988. Myanmar - or Burma - has a widely-documented record of serious human rights violations, which the United Nations has described as widespread and systematic.

Written by European and international NGOs, including Amnesty International and Saferworld, the report reveals how variants of the ALH attack helicopter contain rocket launchers from Belgium; rockets, guns and engines from France; brake systems from Italy; fuel tanks and gearboxes from the UK and self-protection equipment from a Swedish company. German companies have been crucial to the design development of the ALH.

The report calls on the EU to initiate immediate consultations with the Indian government to prevent this transfer from taking place. It also stresses the need for stricter EU arms controls to improve national and EU arms export practice.

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