HOME

SPECIAL EDITIONS

SECTIONS

ARCHIVE

AUTHORS

EDITORS

ABOUT

SITE GUIDELINES

IPHONE APP

Loading

Small arms and ammunitions imports into Sri Lanka from 1992-2010: A latent hypocrisy?
Subscribe to Content Updates
5 Aug, 2012 Groundviews Colombo, International, International Relations, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance

Enter your email address...

iPhone app

Google has just released an interesting visualisation of the global small arms and ammunitions trade (works best in Google Chrome). For those with older browsers, a screencast of the visualisation can be viewed as an HD video below.

Popular

Comments

Issues

Gotabhaya Rajapaksha: Too Drunk with Power to Exercise it?

12 Jul, 2012 103 Comments 9,422 views

Ganesan Nimalaruban: A damning murder, funeral and silence

31 Jul, 2012 28 Comments 5,878 views

Interview with Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga: Governance and politics today, future plans and prospects
26 Jul, 2012 25 Comments 5,251 views

SRI LANKA & TAMIL SELFDETERMINATION

21 Jul, 2012 140 Comments 4,903 views

When disaggregated by country, Sri Lankas small arms and ammunitions imports since 92 to 2010 are very interesting to study through this visualisation, which gives details of the country of origin as well as the sum spent on ammunition and arms per annum, generated from UN Statistics Divisions Commodity Trade Statistics Database known as COMTRADE. COMTRADE source data for the visualisation has been cleaned up by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). As Google notes, the scale of the global trade in ammunition rivals the scale of trade in actual weapons, an insight underexplored by policymakers today in conflict prevention and resolution.

Troubled Waters: Corruption and Human Trafficking in Post-war Sri Lanka

19 Jul, 2012 24 Comments 4,387 views

Jayasena and Rajakulendran: Heroes of a Lesser God

28 Jul, 2012 33 Comments 3,049 views

Tamil Civil Society Memo to the TNA

http://groundviews.org/2012/08/05/small-arms-and-ammunitions-imports-into-sri-lanka-from-1992-2010-a-latent-hypocrisy/

Page 1 / 6

In 2006, our primary arms suppliers are European countries, including the United Kingdom. But we also get supplies from Japan, other South-East Asian countries and the US.

regarding the Eastern Provincial Council Elections

29 Jul, 2012 58 Comments 2,994 views

LLRC roadmap: An action planto suit the US, not us!

27 Jul, 2012 6 Comments 2,979 views

A Critique of Political Fundamentalism in Sri Lanka

3 Aug, 2012 54 Comments 2,967 views

The struggle to go home in post war Sri Lanka: The story of Mullikulam
1 Aug, 2012 10 Comments 2,865 views

Groundviews on Ganesan Nimalaruban: A damning murder, funeral and silence Police attempted to disrupt prisoners funeral: AFHR FRIDAY, 10 AUGUST 2012 19:01 Activists ... Burning Issue on The Kattankudy mosque massacre in Sri Lanka: 22 years after Dear Thivya, I am with you when you point your finger at the Sri Lankan Regimes for all the atroc... Dr.Rajasingham Narendran on Tamil Civil Society Memo to the TNA regarding the Eastern Provincial Council Elections Dear Cyril, Bishop Rayappu Joseph is a clergyman and hence can and lead his flock, particularly t... Dr.Rajasingham Narendran on The Kattankudy mosque massacre in Sri Lanka: 22 years after Walter, During the first world war, when Albert Schweitzer was working as a missionary doctor in ... Senal on The Big Stink in Sri Lanka Hi Iromi, I work at a leading newspaper in Sri Lanka and we want to introduce a green feature and I... Raj Swamipillai on A Critique of Political Fundamentalism in Sri Lanka Another thing re. self determination it really feels like MA Sumanthiran either used to write Anton ... Raj Swamipillai on A Critique of Political Fundamentalism in Sri Lanka Hi Wijayapala, 'Self Determination' the phrase is not dirty in an academic sense to discuss, to t... In 2008, imports drop to $813,224, and the visualisation suggests theres an increase in ammunition imports from India over the last year. Also this year, the US drops as a supplier of ammunition, but remains a source of arms imports. The data does not show for this year any export figures.

For whatever reason, in 2007, there seems to be no trade with China, and Brazil emerges as a new supplier. In comparison to 2006, we are importing less from the EU, and the statistics indicate some measure of arms and ammunitions exports to Belgium and the UAE. Can readers conversant with the global arms trade shed some light on this? The US is a strong ammunitions exporter to Sri Lanka. As opposed to the previous year, there are arms and ammunitions imports from India as well. Unsurprisingly, given the onset of war, imports jump from $277,422 in 2006 to $1,230,656 during the course of the year.

Colombo Peace and Conflict Politics and Governance Post-War

Jaffna Human Rights Human Security Media and
Communications IDPs and Refugees Constitutional Reform Reconciliation Features Identity Vavuniya
War Crimes Elections
Development Trincomalee International Poetry Batticaloa
Foreign Relations International Relations Economy Religion and faith Language Advocacy Disaster
Management UN Panel Report End of war special edition Arts and

http://groundviews.org/2012/08/05/small-arms-and-ammunitions-imports-into-sri-lanka-from-1992-2010-a-latent-hypocrisy/

Page 2 / 6

Theatre Gender Environment

Diaspora Education 18th Amendment Youth Ampara Fiction / Creative Writing Mannar Satire Puttalam
Galle Diplomacy Sport

By 2009, both arms and ammunitions imports from the US have stopped. The total value of imports, $1,331,513, is a dramatic increase over 2008. Brazil remains a key supplier of arms. Of the total value of imports, a staggering $1,122,968 was paid to Brazil alone making it the single most important supplier this year. This is also significant increase from $751,003 paid to Brazil for supplies over 2008. We do not seem to have imported arms or ammunition from India this year.

Twitter updates

On Facebook

Media and Awards

2010 sees a dramatic reduction in arms and ammunitions imports. It is unclear what the $4,510 worth of exports to the UK is about this year. We are also exporting arms to Tanzania and of all places, the Seychelles, but these could be statistical anomalies given their very small values. Indias exported around $60,000 worth of supplies to Sri Lanka, dwarfing the $8,284 from the US. The Philippines has exported $34,372, and Singapore just over $9,000.

Interestingly, the highest ever sum of money spent on arms and ammunitions imports comes from 2000, under the administration of the then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. The pulsating blue line is hard to miss. Of the total value of imports in 2000 ($9,061,456) a staggering $8,947,607 came from the Czech Republic.

http://groundviews.org/2012/08/05/small-arms-and-ammunitions-imports-into-sri-lanka-from-1992-2010-a-latent-hypocrisy/

Page 3 / 6

Though the figures and statistics can and will be debated, its interesting to juxtapose the countries that have undergirded Sri Lankas war (from 92 onwards, under successive governments) and the list of countries that supported the UN Human Rights Council Resolution on Sri Lanka in March this year.

If anything, the UN HRC voting map compared to the trade of arms and ammunition strongly suggests that the arms of foreign governments interested in strengthening accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka are not entirely in sync with other arms of government, including the private military industry, that have materially supported Sri Lankas war. This disconnect is one that Sri Lankas current regime has tirelessly sought to highlight, for entirely parochial reasons. That said, if there is now an interest in and commitment towards accountability within Sri Lanka by the international community, it begs the question will there be any accounting of how foreign arms and ammunition flows contributed to gross human rights abuses in Sri Lanka? Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? 1,652 views

Tweet

Related Posts
Buying Onions From India & China Nov '07 jafrep 15 Visualising Sarath Fonsekas key campaign issues and manifesto Jan '10 Groundviews 15

Thoughts from India Dec '06 sid 4

Visualising Mahinda Chintanaya 2010: The Presidents election manifesto Jan '10 Groundviews 3

4 Comments
Mango
August 6, 2012 12:58 am

Dear GV, Did you really mean to write will there be any accounting of how foreign arms and ammunition flows contributed to gross human rights abuses in Sri Lanka? Huh? Those human rights abuses were committed using locally available thugs and weapons

http://groundviews.org/2012/08/05/small-arms-and-ammunitions-imports-into-sri-lanka-from-1992-2010-a-latent-hypocrisy/

Page 4 / 6

including machetes, sticks, knives etc, in addition to imported guns and bullets. The weapons and ammo imports were necessary to crush the LTTE. How exactly was any SL govt expected to defeat a conventionally armed LTTE? With harsh words? Let it not be forgotten that even in 2008, key EU countries (UK etc) tried to prevent the Czech Republic from re-supplying the SL Armed forces with ammo and spare parts. Reply

silva
August 7, 2012 1:52 pm

Who punishes the governments that harm their own citizens? Judging by the submissions made by conscientious Sinhalese to LLRC, successive Sri Lankan governments have been committing crimes against the ethnic minorities. The President has not yet condemned the recent attacks on mosques by Buddhist mobs and monks. One cannot enlist enough the crimes committed by the government in the last three years alone to the people of the North and the East. Reply

Mango
August 8, 2012 4:02 pm

Silva, Successive SL governments have committed unspeakable crimes against all its citizens, irrespective of their so-called ethnicity. The current mob appear intent on setting a new record of wasting golden chances, reflexive brutality and self-enrichment. There will be a payback the difficulty is in predicting when and what will cause it.

Ward
August 7, 2012 10:18 am

Towards Lasting Peace and Stabilityseminar for more arms sales: http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=168430 Reply

Leave A Reply
This is a moderated forum. Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. Please do not post comments that are off topic, defamatory, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Comments are automatically scanned for spam and obscenity. Comments are only approved if they are in line with the site guidelines. Those that do not will be edited or deleted without prior intimation. Comment approval may take up to 24 hours. Thanks in advance for your civil and constructive engagement.

Name (required) Email (required) Website

5

http://groundviews.org/2012/08/05/small-arms-and-ammunitions-imports-into-sri-lanka-from-1992-2010-a-latent-hypocrisy/

Page 5 / 6

Submit Comment c d e f g Notify me of follow-up comments by email. c d e f g Notify me of new posts by email. Please note: JavaScript is required to post comments.

About Groundviews
Located at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Groundviews is a citizen journalism website that uses a range of genres and media to highlight critical perspectives on governance, reconciliation, human rights, the arts and literature, democracy and other issues. The site has won two international awards, including the prestigious Manthan Award South Asia in 2009. The grand jury's evaluation of the site noted, "What no media dares to report, Groundviews publicly exposes. It's a new age media for a new Sri Lanka... Free media at it's very best!"

Blogroll
Citizen Journalism Guidelines Curated Twitter Feeds Facebook Fan Page Vikalpa Vikalpa Video

Accolades | Key Content

ALL CONTENT ON THIS SITE IS LICENSED UNDER A CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION-NO DERIVATIVE WORKS 3.0 LICENSE.

http://groundviews.org/2012/08/05/small-arms-and-ammunitions-imports-into-sri-lanka-from-1992-2010-a-latent-hypocrisy/

Page 6 / 6