With a population of 10 million people, the
number of registered firearms in the Czech Republic has increased
from 100,000 in 1990 to over 500,000 in 2000.
Once the second largest arms producer in the Warsaw Pact, the defence industry
is now in decline. In 1992 the government expressed an ethical distaste for
the industry, but by 1999 entrance to NATO necessitated a change in attitude.
With arms exports topping $100 million annually and the government refusing
to endorse the EU code of conduct, some dubious exports have become noticeable.
100,000 hunting rifles were exported to Yemen between 1995 and 2001, many of
which may have ended up in Sudan. Groups in Sri Lanka and Eritrea have purchased
weapons from the Czech Republic, and illegal exports to Bangladesh have been
reported.
Organisations
Ministry
for Foreign Affairs document site
One World International
Human Rights
People in Need
Foundation
Czech
site of the European Network Against the Arms Trade (ENAAT)
UNDP CR shares a site with UNDP
Slovakia
Other links
Report
on the arms industry (2002) from Saferworld (PDF)
SAFER-Net
factsheet on gun laws and ownership
Article
on the defence industry (2002) from radio Prague
Article
on illegal trade to Iraq (2002) from christian Science Monitor
Report
on Semtex smuggling (2002) from the Guardian newspaper
Abstract
of a report in Czech (2001)
Document
on the arms industry (1999) from ENAAT (PDF)
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