During 2009, even as 40,000 Tamil civilians were being systematically killed by the Sri Lankan military, the UK government approved arms sales worth £700,000 to Sri Lanka. Even after Sri Lanka declared victory, and the war over, the UK government approved sales of arms to £1,000,000
The UK based, Campaign Against Arms Trade group, drawing attention to the UK's direct role in providing alleged war criminals with the equipment needed to bomb homes, hospitals and schools, reiterated that the UK's approval of these arms exports took place despite the UK government's knowledge of the situation on the ground.
Kaye Stearman for Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) said:
"[Channel 4's] Sri Lanka's Killing Fields has cast a spotlight on the slaughter of 2009. David Cameron and the UK government are calling on the Sri Lankan government to investigate the atrocities but we also need a proper investigation of the UK government's own complicity in selling arms to Sri Lanka, despite knowing how they were likely to be used.
"UK arms sales confer support and legitimacy on the Sri Lankan government, just as they do on Middle East governments who use UK arms against their own people."
See full statement by CAAT here
Britain’s involvement in Sri Lanka's war was first exposed in June 2009. It was revealed that the UK had sold Sri Lanka arms even during the 2002 ceasefire and continued to do so, even though the United States’ had suspended all arms sales in early 2008 because of the escalating human rights abuses.
Although several MPs at the time, including Malcolm Bruce (Liberal Democrats), John Battle (Labour) and Mike Gaps (Labour) condemning such sales to Sri Lanka and demanded why Britain continued to supply weapons despite being in breach of the 1998 EU’s code of conduct on Arms Exports, there was no meaningful response.
See The Times' article dated 02/06/09 here
See also 'UK arms sales to Sri Lanka match Tsunami aid' (May 2007)
