FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 1, 2017
Reply to: canceloyw@gmail.com @thailandsfuture
https://www.facebook.com/ThailandsFuture-453094888233289/
Thailand hosts major arms dealers November 6 – 9, 2017:
DEATH IS OUR BUSINESS
Asian ‘Defence & Security’ 2017:
Tri-Service Asian Defense & Security Exhibition, Conference
and Networking Event: http://www.asiandefense.com.
(Fully supported by the Thai Ministry of ‘Defence’
and the Royal Thai Armed Forces.)
Human rights seminars have been banned by Thailand’s military coup since May 22, 2014, as are all expressions of protest and gatherings of more than four persons. Critical media commentary, including political cartoons, is banned. More than 1,100 Thais have been detained and more than 150 have fled into exile abroad. Dissidents are now tried by military courts-martial with no rights to defence counsel or appeal. Such courts have handed down sentences up to 70 years, most often for Facebook posts. Thailand’s military calls such draconian measures necessary for “national security”.
However, a congress of arms merchants has been invited to Bangkok, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, to hold “Defense & Security 2017” from November 6 – 9 at Impact Arena.
Billing itself, “The Region’s Leading Defence & Internal Security Exhibition”, “it will also host leading companies in Internal Security which will feature state-of-the-art technology for both private and government requirements,” from “over 400 companies from 50 countries.”
The merchants of death drone on.
Touting “unbeatable business opportunities in the ASEAN military and security market,” Asian Defense & Security 2017 invites state and non-state arms dealers to display their murderous wares and provides “outstanding business networking opportunities.” All the murderers all in one place.
“DEFENSE & SECURITY 2017 has proved to be the ideal venue and business platform for enhancing cooperation and partnership between global manufacturers, delegations, military decision-makers and related government officials—especially from ASEAN.
“The exhibition is already considered one of the most important military events—a ‘must attend’ for military and security related companies looking to do business in booming ASEAN.
Dreaming big, killing big…
Eleven pages of 207 displays from Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Korea, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, and USA. Worldwide, nearly 1,500 arms merchants exhibit at 80 of these murderous trade fairs, trading in death.
Over 15,000 trade visitors from 50 countries and more than 300 official delegations including Ministers of Defence, Chiefs of Armed Forces and High-Ranking Government officials from 60 countries are also expected to attend.
13,895 visitors came from 59 countries for the Defense & Security 2015 show: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand,Turkey, U.A.E., Ukraine, UK, United States and Vietnam.” 94% of attendees are from the host country.
Major human rights violations have occurred
in almost all these countries.
“DEFENSE & SECURITY 2015 will feature a full display of defense and internal security equipment that will include weapons systems, guns, missiles, tanks, UAV’s, transport vehicles & vessels, satellites, telecom & a wide range of electronic defense technology.
“Manufacturers of fire control systems, launchers and other important military systems and hardware will also be present.
“The Internal Security section, will display equipment covering security products such as CCTV, intruder alarms, access & electronic security, personal hand guns, body armour, riot control equipment, protective gloves, night-vision technology, communication jamming devices and many other cutting-edge products from major manufacturers.
Professional killers…
“‘Fully supported by the Thai Ministry of Defence and the Royal Thai Armed Forces.’ ‘DEFENSE & SECURITY 2015 is for PROFESSIONALS ONLY. The exhibition is open to international military personnel and focused on high-ranking officials from the Army, Navy, and Air force of various Asian Countries. Invitations will also be extended to Chiefs of Police, Customs, Coast Guard, the Ministry of Interior, and other government and private security organisations.
“Promoting the Thai Defence Industry: ‘Neutral Thailand is an ideal place to showcase defence and internal security related products covering all military services & Internal Security.’”
DEFENSE & SECURITY 2017 even gives us a list of ‘live targets,’ the death-dealers who act as world-wide agents for global arms sales:
http://www.asiandefense.com/CONTACT-US/World-Wide-Agents, as well as arms fair sales agents in the back of its 2017 prospectus. Why worry about North Korea when we have such sterling defenders!
“‘Live’ demonstrations” available upon request.
In 1953, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children… This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.”
“The arms trade is a major cause of human rights abuses. Some governments spend more on military expenditure than on social development, communications infrastructure and health combined.”
Governments generate $45-60 billion in arms sales every year, over 75% to developing countries. ASEAN countries alone has a 2016 military budget of $40 billion; Thailand’s military spending has grown astronomically, by nearly 20%, since the military junta seized power.
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council (US, Russia, France, UK, and China) together with Germany and Italy account for 85% of global arms sales. Global military spending stands at $1.9 trillion. This isn’t a business—this is a cartel!
Arming both sides: Hutus & Tutsis
In 2008, alleged ‘illegal’ Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout, was arrested in Thailand after being lured here by US agents. He was extradited to the US where he was sentenced to 25 years.
Guns and bombs do not discriminate. They kill innocent civilians and armed combatants equally effectively. In 2011, the US earned $66.3 billion from overseas weapons sales. Perhaps the US government can’t stand competition!
Militaries bomb hospitals, schools, and weddings. Unmanned drones are used for extrajudicial assassinations. All are responsible for enormous “collateral damage”, in itself a mild euphemism cloaking mass slaughter.
So who are the real “terrorists”?
What makes the merchants of death
at Defense & Security 2017
different from Viktor Bout?
What do they tell their children at night
—that they didn’t pull the trigger?
There are always good reasons for war. US War Secretary Donald Rumsfeld points this out best: “There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.” Got that? Time for more killing! As Jean Shepherd’s mother opines, “You’ll shoot yer eye out!”
Imagine a world without militaries: free education through post-tertiary, free universal medical care, free housing for all, free child daycare and residential eldercare, even a guaranteed annual income for all citizens.
These legal arms dealers destabilise our country and our world. Their craft is killing and scaremongering. They thrive by operating with impunity without the knowledge and consent of world citizens.
Arms merchants are the very face of evil, those who profit from killing… And we’ve invited them into our house.
So who, exactly, are Thailand’s “enemies”???
Contact: canceloyw@gmail.com
https://thailandsfuture.wordpress.com
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https://www.facebook.com/ThailandsFuture-453094888233289/
Campaign Against Arms Trade https://www.caat.org.uk
Stop the Arms Fair http://www.stopthearmsfair.org.uk
https://omegaresearchfoundation.org/resources/arms-fairs
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