| Subject: AFP: Finnish cartridges used in East Timor:
Amnesty Date: Sun, 01 Aug 1999 11:25:45 -0400 From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org> Received from Joyo Indonesian News: Finnish cartridges used in East Timor: Amnesty HELSINKI, July 28 (AFP) - Finnish-made 7.62-millimetre cartridges were found in Dili, East Timor, Amnesty International revealed Wednesday. "The spent cartridge casings carry the markings of the Finnish arms maker 'Lapua' and the specimens are at Amnesty's London office," said Frank Johansson, Amnesty's representative in Finland, from Helsinki. The cartridges were found on April 17. Experts fear the ammuniction could have been used by the paramilitary groups trying to sabotage the forthcoming UN-organised referendum, said Finnish news agency FNB/STT. UN Secretary General Koffi Annan confirmed Wednesday that the referendum had been put back until August 30 because of security fears. Amnesty has asked the Finnish government to publish all export licences for military material issued to the arms companies Patria Lapua Oy and Nammo Lapua. They also want to see all the manufacturing licences for cartridges for Indonesia granted to the two companies. The Finnish foreign ministry said no military material had been exported to Indonesia in the past five years. No export licences for cartridges to Indonesia had been granted in recent years, said a defence ministry spokesman. The Finnish authorities have already said that to their knowledge no military material sold to Indonesia since the 1970s had ever served for persecution in the country nor for human rights violations. Back to July Menu |