UK ends bilateral military aid to Colombia

[Judi Lynn]

UK ends bilateral military aid to Colombia
• Concerns over human rights prompts decision
• Colombia says move is 'severe blow' to military

Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogotá guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 29 April 2009 12.31 BST

Britain has quietly ended nearly a decade of military aid to Colombia's armed forces after accusations of gross violations of human rights, including the murder of civilians who were shot and reported as guerrillas killed in combat.

The Colombian government was "extremely surprised" by the decision to cut off the bilateral cooperation programmes, the deputy defence minister, Sergio Jaramillo, told the Guardian.

The British foreign secretary, David Miliband, announced the move in a written statement to the House of Commons last month, stating that the government "shares the concern … that there are officers and soldiers of the Colombian armed forces who have been involved in, or allowed, abuses".

"Our bilateral human rights projects with the Colombian ministry of defence will cease," the statement said.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/29/colombia-uk-military-aid

[Judi Lynn]

1. Government stops aid to Colombian army

Last Updated: 1 April 2009

Government stops aid to Colombian army
(01/04/09) UNISON has welcomed an announcement by the government that it is changing the way that it gives aid to Colombia.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced today that, instead of trying to deal with the drugs trade by giving substantial funds to the Colombian military, it will be providing funding for non-government organisations in the country.

Mr Milliband said that: "The government shares the concerns of many in the House that there are officers and soldiers of the Colombian armed forces who have been involved in, or allowed, abuses …

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And he added that: "With British trade union partners, we will continue to look at ways in which the UK can promote labour relations in Colombia."

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: "We welcome the shift from military aid to supporting NGOs in the fight against injustice, and we believe the Columbian government needs to do more to put human rights first."

In November, as the country re-applied for a renewal of its EU trade preferences, Mr Prentis wrote to the European Commission to call on it to investigate the Colombian government's complicity in murders, disappearances and the torture of thousands of people.

It is currently the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist. Between 2002 and 2008, more than 600 trade unionists in the country were murdered – more than in the rest of the world put together.

http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=5252