[child-rights] French football team face up to grim reality of arms

* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *

21 June 2002
EUR 21/001/2002


The French 1998 World Cup soccer champions and their coaches who
were defeated in the tournament last week have signed a statement
calling on "the French government and the governments of the
European Union to take initiatives that will lead to genuine
control" of international arms transfers.

       The French team statement, expresses concern that most of
the victims "of wars being waged at the present time are
civilians" and that, "according to UNICEF, eight out of every ten
victims are women and children.  Children as young as five are
being kidnapped, then trained to kill other civilians, including
children."

       The soccer stars identify "the principal countries
responsible for arms exports" as "the United States, France,
Great Britain and Russia, who alone account for 80% of world
trade."

       Echoing the appeal by Amnesty International to the
forthcoming Summit of the Group of Eight on 26-27 June, the
French team states: "We international footballers join with the
many organisations who are calling for a halt to arms sales to
countries that violate human rights."

       The following is a translation into English of the full
statement sent by the French football team. Further information
about Amnesty International's appeal to the G8 Summit can be
found at http://web.amnesty.org/G8/

**********
COLLECTIF CONTROLE DES TRANSFERTS D'ARMES

Amnesty International French Section, Monitoring the Transfer of
Arms

ACAT, Agir ici, CANVA, Justice & Paix, LDH, MAN,
Pax Christi, Réseau Foi et Justice, Survie


Monitoring the Transfer of Arms to Save Lives!


Every year, millions of people become victims of the arms trade.
The International Rescue Committee puts the annual number of
deaths as a direct or indirect consequence of the war since 1998
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 700,000.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says that over 80%
of the victims of wars being waged at the present time are
civilians.  And according to Unicef, eight out of every ten
victims are women and children.  Children as young as five are
being kidnapped, then trained to kill other civilians, including
children.

These people live in countries where the government and armed
bands prefer to sell off their country's riches to buy arms
rather than secure the sustainable development of the country and
the security of their people.
The principal countries responsible for arms exports are the
United States, France, Great Britain and Russia, who alone
account for 80% of world trade.

Although it is true that in 1988 the governments of the Member
States of the European Union adopted a Code of Conduct
prohibiting deliveries of arms to countries where they might be
used for human rights violations, the code is not strictly
applied.

We international footballers join with the many organisations who
are calling for a halt to arms sales to countries that violate
human rights, and request the French government and the
governments of the European Union to take initiatives that will
lead to

GENUINE CONTROL!
******************************************************

The following is the list of the football players and coaches who
have signed the famous letter:

Lilian Thuram
Fabien Barthez
Christophe Dugarry
Vincente Lizzarazu
Djibril Cissé
Emmanuel Petit
Thierry Henry
Johan Micoud
Willy Sagnol
David Trézéguet
Gregory Coupet
Philippe Christanval
Vincent Candela
Alain Boghossian
Iouri Djorkaef
Patrick Viera
Sylvain Wiltord
Michael Sylvestre

Roger Lemerre, coach
Bruno Martini, assistant coach
Guy Stephan, assistant coach

**********************************


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