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Amnesty International has received the 50th ratification to its Arms Trade Treaty, and the treaty will now become law. The law will be the first of its kind, and will prohibit sales of conventional weapons and munitions to nations when there is knowledge that the weapons could be used to commit human rights abuses.

War crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are among the rights abuses that will constitute grounds for prohibition of arms sales to a country.

In addition, the law will require that states must conduct objective assessments to avoid risks of human rights abuses.

The Arms Trade Treaty began as an idea in 1993. It was hoped that such an idea might stop human rights abuses by stopping the weapons from reaching people who use those weapons to commit abuses.

Read more: Arms Trade Treaty Almost Accomplished, Amnesty Urges 

Currently, sales in conventional arms amounts to nearly USD$100 billion per year. This amount is steadily rising. Over half of the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) 193 member states make and supply conventional weapons, and the five UN security Council (UNSC) members are the world’s largest arms traders.

Currently, there is no international control of the trade.

It is estimated that approximately 500,000 people are killed annually with firearms. A large percentage of this figure are those killed in battlefields.

In the past year, conflicts in many areas–most notably South Sudan, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine–have already claimed many thousands of lives.

The largest importers of arms are India, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. Large amounts of arms are also purchase by several other Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

Amnesty International needed 50 ratifications of the Arms Trade Treaty in order for the treaty to become legally binding. The 50th ratification happened Thursday. The ATT enters into force 90 days after its 50 ratification, so the treaty will be international law December 25, 2014.

“This week we have reached the magic 50 ratifications so the treaty will soon become international law,” wrote Amnesty International’s arms expert Brian Wood.

Argentina, the Bahamas, Czech Republic, Portugal, Saint Lucia, Senegal and Uruguay were the most recent states to ratify.

The treaty is legally binding for all nations that have ratified. Ratification included incorporation of the treaty rules into national laws and submitting official paperwork to the UN consenting to abide by treaty rules.

Many UN members have not yet signed the treaty, however, including top arms exporters China, Israel, Canada and Russia.

Amnesty has pointed out that China is involved in ongoing irresponsible arms transfers, including supplying conflict zones such as Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Libya and Zimbabwe. China also sells to countries with poor human rights records such as  Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Guinea, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

France likewise supplies Singapore, UAE, Greece, Middle Eastern, North African and other Francophone countries. France cooperates with Russia on defense and naval equipment. France in the past has supplied conflict zones such as Libya, Israel, Egypt, Chad and Syria. These conflicts were supplied between 2005 and 2009, and France has shown itself generally supportive of strict arms trade transfer criteria.

Russia is believed by Amnesty to be the largest arms supplier of Syria. Russia also supplied Sudan, and is preparing to supply Egypt. Russia also supplies India, Algeria, Myanmar, Venezuela, and many African states.

The UK is believed to have supplied arms to Sri Lanka, Libya Bahrain and Yemen, which may have been used to commit human rights violations. It has, however, supplied Iraq, Israel, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen with weapons that may have been used to commit human rights abuses.

The United States–the world’s largest arms trader–supplies 170 countries with arms. The US has respected UN arms embargo’s, as well as restricted arms trade on its own to Myanmar, Chad, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and South Sudan.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

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Amnesty International

[BRIEF] Tibetan student Lhamo Tashi self immolated outside of a police office in Tsoe city, Kanlho TAP–the first self immolation in Tibet since April. Tashi is the seventh self immolation in Tibet this year, and is the 138th self immolation in and around Tibet since 2009, when the wave of Tibetan self immolations began in protest of Chinese rule over Tibet.

Tashi self immolated at midnight, September 17.

The news was reported Saturday by Jigme Ugen, president of the Tibetan National Congress.

Security police informed the family of Tashi of his death. The family reside in Drukdo village, Amchok township, Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

Family members traveled to Tsoe to request the body of Tashi, but were told that the body had already been cremated. Some ashes were given to the family.

It is not currently known whether Tashi left a testament or said anything during his self immolation.

Tashi, 22, was a student in Tsoe.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, a paramilitary police officer shot dead a street vendor when the vendor attempted to grab a can of pepper spray held by the officer. The officer was in the process of arresting another man on the sidewalk with three other officers when the incident occurred.

The vendor tried to grab the can from the officers hand, and in the process of grabbing the can, pepper spray was released from the can. The officer fired his pistol at the vendor, who ran approximately 20 feet before falling dead in a pool of blood.

The vendor, Carlos Augusto Muniz Braga, was lamented by his wife.

“Why does the government deploy police unprepared to deal with the people–and how will I now take care of my three children?” said Claudia Silva Lopez.

Also among the bereaved are three children, aged 4, 9 and 12 years.

Claudia Lopez was not allowed to view her husband’s body.

Carlos Lopez was not working at the time of the incident. Reportedly, he was just passing through on his way to pick up one of his children from school when he noticed the three officers arresting another vendor.

The officer has since been arrested, according to the mayor of the city.

Brazil is known for having a high incidence of death during arrest. In comparison with the United States, where 1 in 32,000 arrestees are killed by police, Brazil has a rate of 1 in 229.

The number is considered to be higher still, however, as many people go missing unaccounted for. In 2013, over 5000 people went missing in Rio de Janeiro.

By James Haleavy

Citing “irrefutable evidence” obtained by the Russian Investigative Committee, Russian authorities have launched a criminal case against Ukraine for its use of prohibited means and methods of warfare.

“We have witness testimony provided by Ukrainian refugees and intend to file a motion that the witnesses be recognized as the injured parties in this case,” stated a representative from Trunov, Aviar and Partners law firm, Igor Trunov.

“I appealed to the Investigation Committee with the application and the answer came to me that the case is initiated,” said Trunov.

The Russian firm is alleging that Ukraine used prohibited means and methods of warfare in Donetsk and Luhansk. The law in question is Article 356 of the Russian Criminal Code, which deals with prohibition in warfare.

“The case was initiated by the crime under Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code upon application by unidentified servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, armed members of the National Guard of Ukraine and militants of the right sector and regards prohibited means and methods of war in the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics,” said Trunov.

Russian authorities are basing the case on Ukraine’s alleged use of phosphorous bombs in its campaign against the pro-Russian separatist movement in eastern Ukraine.

“During an inquiry into the alleged use of prohibited means and weapons of war, the Main Investigative Department of the Russian Investigative Committee discovered irrefutable evidence of prohibited weapons being used against civilians,” said the official spokesman of the Investigative Committee, Vladimir Markin, last month when the report was completed.

The Investigative Committee found that, based on chemical analysis of soil samples taken from areas where eyewitnesses reported shelling from Ukraine, there was evidence of combustion byproducts of H-17 incendiary liquid commonly used in the production of landmines and air bombs.

“People in the affected areas will suffer horribly and will often die an awful death. If not, they experience severe psychological trauma,” said Markin.

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have repeatedly accused Ukraine of using phosphorous bombs.

Additionally, Trunov is alleging that Ukraine used weapons against its civilian population and civil objects in violation of the Geneva Convention. Trunov based these claims on a commission formed by the Russia Red Cross to investigate for instances of war crimes in Ukraine.
Trunov stated that these crimes must be investigate by the International Criminal Court (ICC)

State Duma lawmaker Roman Khudyakov has asked the Investigative Committee to provide its evidence for the case.

Trunov said that in the near future he intends to ask the UN Security Council and to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court at The Hague to address the case.

In Sweden, the far-right Swedish Democrats party, often called fascist and racist for its nationalist and anti-immigration policies–as well as for public scandals such as racist comments posted online and photos of swastika-wearing candidates–has become the third largest party in the nation. Thousands demonstrated against the outcome of the vote in Stockholm.

“We want to organize immediately,” said Jazz Munteanu, an organizer of the protests. “I would not want be home on the couch, sad over election results–that we have fascists and racists who have come into our parliament.”

More than 3,000 people congregated at the Stockholm’s main square in response to Munteanu’s call.

The Swedish Democrats party now occupies 49 seats of Sweden’s 349-seat parliament.

In 2010, the party made it to parliament with 5.7 percent of the vote, or 20 seats.

A leader of the Swedish Democrats party, Jimmy Ståhl, responded to the demonstration.

“We have had an election in a democratic spirit,” said Ståhl, “so I think it’s really strange that you cannot accept the rules of democracy.”

“As I see it, we have one of the best migration policies–to call us racists is just ridiculous.”

In the election, 13 percent of Swedes voted in favor of the Swedish Democrats, despite several pre-election scandals, including the stepping down of one candidate after a photo was publicized of her wearing a swastika armband, and another candidate received public criticism after posting racist and anti-immigrant comments on the internet.

The rising number of voters who supported the Swedish Democrats also did so despite news that the young leader of the party, Jimmie Akesson, gambled the equivalent of approximately US$70,000 online.

Immigration is becoming an increasingly hot issue in Sweden. Sweden currently grants automatic residence to all refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict. This year, approximately 80,000 people are expected to apply for asylum.

Analysts believe Sweden’s rising support for the Swedish Democrats stems from the party’s stance on immigration.

“Islamism is the Nazism and communism of our time. It has to be met with disgust and much stronger resistance than has so far been the case,” said Akesson in August on the issue of increasing Mulsim immigration.

Akesson has been vocal about his criticisms of what he has called “mass immigration.” He has stated that the labour market and school system are particularly affected by immigration.

The party is nationalist, but has stated that it maintains a zero tolerance policy towards racism.

Elsewhere in Europe, nationalist parties are also gaining popularity, such as France’s National Front, which moved into the political mainstream recently.

[Brief] In Moscow, a group of teenage students organized and carried out a demonstration that included Ukrainian colors and peace symbols.

The children were reportedly responding to comments made earlier by the school’s head mistress, who had responded to an American Eagle t-shirt worn to school by one 7th grade student by saying that the shirt was American propaganda.

The students organized a demonstration in which they came to school wearing Ukraine’s blue and yellow and painted their arms and faces with peace symbols.

The student demonstration was posted to Facebook by a mother of one of the students, Maria Kniazena, who wrote of the action, “I can certainly tell you that I am proud of the children in the class. They have their own opinions, and are not afraid to voice them.”

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Beijing has taken a variety of actions in its efforts to tame ethnic unrest in Xinjiang. While there are plans targeting economic inequalities between Han Chinese and Muslim Uighur–plans which would likely improve ethnic relations–many policies impose increased restrictions on Uighurs, which may further escalate tensions. Particularly, some rallies and policies resemble the tactics used in the Chinese Cultural Revolution era, and they may deepen the mistrust and the divide between the government and Uighurs.

Massive migration of Han Chinese into Xinjiang from other parts of China has been encouraged for the past few decades. Equally massive investments into infrastructure and industrial development have greatly increased the economic output of Xinjiang, ranking it among the top performing provinces in China. But jobs created have gone overwhelmingly to Hans, who now make up more than 40% of the province’s 22m people.

Besides economic inequality, Uighurs grievances have been exacerbated by officials’ intolerance of Islamic traditions and their emphasis on Chinese instruction in schools. For example, during Ramadan, officials put pressures on teachers, students and civil servants not to observe fasting rituals.

The most recent unrest in Kashgar prefecture on July 28, the end of the holy month of Ramadan, is the bloodiest in Xinjiang since the riots in 2009. More than 100 people died and more than half of these deaths were alleged terrorists gunned down by police. Beijing blamed terrorists for this action, but Uighurs activists abroad claimed it was sparked by the enforcement of bans against fasting.

After this tragedy, one city in early August temporarily banned people who donned certain Muslim clothing from taking public buses during a sporting event hosted by the city. Public signs illustrated the banned styles, and portrayed women in full and partial veils and headscarves and men with full beards and even modest goatees. It is worth noting, however, that is was a city-level policy and not publicly endorsed by the central government. It is possible local officials enacted such rules to impress Beijing. Even before the July 28 incident, the capital Urumqi had banned bus passengers from carrying items ranging from cigarette lighters to yogurt, with restrictions similar to those of airlines.

There is a rising concern that Chinese policies include excessive use of deadly forces in controlling Uighur militants. In some cities, patrolling SWAT units have already been authorized to shoot dead suspected terrorists without warning. A recent Associated Press review of articles by China’s state media found that at least 323 people have died in Xinjiang-related violence since the escalation of the unrest started in last April. Almost half of those deaths were inflicted by police gunning down alleged perpetrators.

The government’s increasingly repressive security measures make it difficult to clearly understand what fueled the July 28 incident and whether the deaths of alleged perpetrators in associated episodes are justifiable. Police routinely stop foreign journalists from approaching trouble-spots. Social media are rigorously censored. Kashgar police stop motorists going into and out of Uighur sections of the city, checking identity cards and belongings. Crimes meriting detention can include carrying too much petrol–the substance could be used for bomb-making.

Beijing likes to claim that Uighurs live in harmony with Han Chinese. In reality, while Uighurs resent Hans for the economic inequality and cultural restrictions, Hans often feel that Uighurs are ungrateful to the generous provided by Beijing. Wang Lixiong, a Chinese scholar and minority rights activist who sees tensions in Xinjiang as rapidly descending into “Palestinization,” in which there is mutual ethnic hatred between groups.

Despite the strikingly amateurish appearance of most of the attacks (rarely do perpetrators use anything other than knives), Beijing’s rhetoric on every violent episode is focusing on the “rare minority” terrorists who practice jihadism and the external influence of Islamist militancy seeping across the border from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Economist cautioned Beijing in its coverage of the July 28 tragedy that in making jihadism the core of the Uighurs’ militancy, China may risk changing the current home-grown grievance into the complex religion-embedded conflicts that are much harder to settle. As seen in recent months, the violence has been morphing, spreading beyond the region itself and taking on some of the hues of jihadism elsewhere—through suicide-attacks and indiscriminate killing of civilians.

People are put into jails on terrorism-related charges. Singapore Asia One reported that some mass public sentencings are reminiscent of China’s Revolutionary-Era rallies. Authorities have encouraged neighbors and friends to inform on each other. Urumqi policy in May posted rewards for tips on everything from terrorism training to growing long beards. Last Thursday, China’s state media revealed the newest rewards scheme, offering up to one million Yuan (US$160,000) for terrorism-related tips.

Such grassroots security monitoring is undeniably important in preventing further damages, but this kind of spying is risks deepening the mistrust between Han Chinese and Uighurs as well as causing the deterioration of relationships even within exclusive communities. Alleged terrorists are called “People’s Enemy.” This term was last used over 50 years ago during the Revolution-Era for landlords, counter-revolutionaries, vagabonds, prostitutes, capitalists, marketeers, foreigners and intellectuals. That movement to crush landlords in the countryside consequently disintegrated the close-knit communities that had previously existed.

While the damage to Uighur-Han Chinese relationships from these rewards-for-tips schemes are speculative, the real damage was done on July 30, when Ilham Tohti, a prominent Uighur scholar, was charged with separatism. Mr. Tohti is widely considered a moderate advocate for better treatment of Uighurs (never called for separation or violence). His prosecution will silence moderate Uighurs who hardly embrace jihadism but are still angry about the ethnic policies. However, this estranges Uighurs further and leaves them more vulnerable to fall prey to extremists.

Opinion by Tina Zhang

Canada’s Department of National Defense is testing unmanned aerial vehicles in the nation’s arctic territories.

“Experimental missions like CAFJAE are important in our quest to find new ways to meet the demands required to successfully carry out military operations in Canada’s Arctic,” said Dr Marc Fortin, the assistant deputy minister for science and technology at the Canadian Department of National Defense.

The department stated that 34 tests had been conducted in August by the Canadian Armed Forces Joint Arctic Experiment Scientific Team (CAFJAE) at Canadian Forces Station Alert.

Included in the project were experiments purposed to provide information about such military interests as deployment of assets in the northern environment, technology performance, and information regarding how the Canadian Air Forces operational ability could be extended by drones.

“This experimental mission in Alert clearly demonstrates the potential opportunities and challenges that come with operating this technology. It greatly benefits not only the Canadian Armed Forces, but also our government partners in the North,” said Fortin.

“Unmanned systems offer many potential benefits to the Canadian Armed Forces,” commented Dr Simon Monckton, a lead scientist at CAFJAE, “but we must carefully study the strengths and weaknesses of these technologies before moving forward.

“Our CAFJAE experience in Alert has shown that this technology could support some difficult tasks the CAF might need to complete in the Arctic.”

Specific details of the military project have not been disclosed.

By Sid Douglas

[BRIEF] Following reports by US and Russian media outlets that a Russian reconnaissance satellite may have exploded over the skies of Colorado and Wyoming September 2, Russia’s defense ministry Tuesday denied that the satellite or part thereof had re-entered the atmosphere in US airspace.

The reports cited the American Meteor Society and said that at least 30 eyewitnesses in the two states observed a fireball in the sky that was suspected to be the satellite.

Eyewitnesses in Wyoming and Colorado reported observing a blast in the air Sept. 2, which was thought to have been Russia’s Kosmos-2495 imaging reconnaissance satellite. The eyewitnesses observed a fireball at around 10:30 p.m. local time.

Tuesday, a spokesperson for Russia’s defense ministry, Igor Konashenkov, denied the claims, stating that “the Russian satellite group functions normally and is being constantly monitored by Russian Aerospace Defense Forces.”

Konashenkov also said that “most likely, the true motive” behind the reports was an attempt by US intelligence agencies to spot the location of the Russian satellite again after they had lost track of it.

Russia also claimed to have a video that a video showed the satellite re-entering the atmosphere over Kazakhstan.