Belgian arms for Myanmar?

16 July 2007

BRUSSELS – Amnesty International and other non-governmental organisations suspect India of supplying helicopters to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), despite the ban on sales of weapons to the country. La Libre Belgique and Le Soir report that a company in Liege helped build the helicopters.

The company denies any part in violating the weapons embargo.

The Liege-based company Forges de Zeebruges won a contract with an Indian company to provide weapons equipment for helicopters. The company then applied for a permit for this from the Walloon government, the head of the company reports.

The regional government issued the permit on condition that the country ordering the weapons would not be allowed to sell them on to a third country.

Le Soir reports that India and China are competing to secure market share on the arms market in Myanmar.

Subject: Belgian news