CHILE
Military Exports from Canada (1990-1999)
Equipment Military
Types Exports
1999
5, 9, 10 126,273
1998
1, 5, 11 597,776
1997
3, 10, 11 406,066
1996
1, 10, 14 20,958
1995
1, 10, 13 201,142
1994
1, 10, 11 97,176
1993
- 0
1992
- 0
1991
10, 11 371,974
1990
10, 11 148,512
Total $1,969,877
Sources: Export of Military Goods from
Canada, Annual Reports 1990-1999. Published by the Export Controls Division,
Export and Import Controls Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade, Government of Canada. Web site: <http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/~eicb/>
-----------------------------------
Examples of Canadian Military Exports (1990s)
Bell Helicopter Textron
• Bell
230 helicopter for marine patrol
$4.5
million (FY 1994)
Ploughshares Monitor, Sept. 1996
Computing Devices Canada Ltd.
• RAYO
multiple rocket system fire control (subcontract)
Value
unknown (reported between Jan. 1996 – June 1997)
Ploughshares Monitor, Sept. 1997
Indal Technologies
Ltd.
• Super
Puma naval helicopter ASSIST haul-down system on destroyer
Value
unknown (1993)
Ploughshares Monitor, June 1994
• ASSIST
deck handling system for Bell 230 helicopter (subcontract)
$3
million (1993)
Project Ploughshares’ Canadian Military
Industry Database.
Para-Ordnance Manufacturing Inc.
• Handguns
Value
unknown (Date unknown)
Ploughshares Monitor, Sept. 1999
-----------------------------------
Canadian Government Promotes Military Exports
Military War/Air Show
Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio
(FIDAE) bills itself as "Latin America's most important aeronautics
fair." <http://www.fidae.cl/ingles/index.asp>
Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade (DFAIT) encourages Canadian military industries to attend
this biennial international trade show which it describes as "the only
show in Latin America that provides an excellent opportunity for the industry
to present their products to an array of visitors from several countries."
("Trade Events in Chile 2000-2001" <http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/geo/html_documents/82138-e.htm>)
FIDAE
is also promoted on the Canadian Embassy in Chile's web site ("Related Trade and Investment
Links" <http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/santiago/stago01c-e.htm>)
The
Canadian government sponsored a pavilion for Canadian companies at FIDAE in
1996. <http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/geo/html_documents/82153-e.htm>
---
Canadian Exhibitors at FIDAE 2000:
* Bombardier
Aerospace
* Cdn.
Aerospace Training Project
* Concord Xxi Inc.
* Eagle
Copters Ltd.
* Eas
Exhibition Services Inc.
* Explorer
Consulting
* Irvin
Aerospace
* Pratt
& Whitney Canada
* Standard
Aero
* Thomson-CSF
Systems Cda. Inc.
* Wescam
Source: FIDAE website <http://www.cybercenter.cl/fidae/2/english/fr_norte.html>
---
Expo Naval 2000
This biennial international exposition and
conference for Latin America navies was last held in Dec. 5-8, 2000. (The next will be held in Dec. 2002) Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs
promoted this military trade show, encouraged Canadian military exporters to
attend and referred them to the trade show's web site
<http://www.fisa.cl>
Source: "Trade Events in Chile
2000-2001" <http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/geo/html_documents/82138-e.htm>
---
Aerospace Market in Chile
"Canada's competitiveness in the
aerospace market is bolstered by the emerging size of the Chilean aerospace
market and Canadian compatibility in the repair and overhaul of short-haul
aircraft, helicopters and avionics. The best prospects are in navigation
equipment, ground support apparatus, pilot training equipment, ground radars,
advanced electronic components and communications gear. Purchases of aerospace equipment in Chile
are dominated by the military."
Source: "The Aerospace Market in
Chile," Feb. 1998. By Team Canada Market Research Centre and the Cdn. Trade
Commissioner Service, DFAIT.
<http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/geo/html_documents/47221-e.pdf>
-----------------------------------
Human Rights Violations (1999)
Torture and ill-treatment
Political prisoners were reportedly thrown to
the ground, beaten with fists and rifle butts and doused with water and tear
gas by guards during a prison transfer. At least two were reportedly tortured
with an electric prod, while others had their heads forced under water while
handcuffed. Two suffered serious head injuries.
Demonstrations
Police used excessive force at
demon-stations. In May, a student died
when shot by police during a demonstration in Arica. Three others were injured.
Two
protesters were killed on the 26 anniversary of Gen. Pinochet’s coup, at least
four had bullet wounds and a baby died, allegedly from tear gas, when police
dispersed the rally.
Past human rights violations
The Chilean authorities continued their efforts
to obtain the release of Pinochet. In October 1998, he was arrested in London,
UK, following a request for his extradition by the Spanish government in
connection with human rights violations committed under his government (1973 to
1990).
Human rights defenders
Death threats against relatives of victims of
past violations became a regular pattern.
Members of human rights groups were repeatedly subjected to anonymous
threats. There was no progress in
investigations into complaints about these threats.
Source: Amnesty International Report 2000.
<http://www.amnesty-usa.org/ailib/>
-----------------------------------
Labour Rights Violations (1999)
The bulk of Chile’s anti-union labour law still
dates from the Pinochet era, although some reforms were made between 1990 and
1994.
The
Senate voted down a reform bill in December 1999, already passed by the Chamber
of Deputies, which would have allowed millions of workers to bargain
collectively. The bill was
automatically postponed for one year.
It made bargaining at industry level the norm, and extended collective
bargaining rights to unions of temporary, part-time or provisional workers, who
make up a large part of the workforce in the agricultural and construction
sectors.
The
bill would also have stopped employers from replacing striking workers if they
did not accept an agreement within 15 days of the start of a strike. The CUT national union centre supported the
bill, which was first presented to congress in January 1995. The business sector strongly opposed
it.
Organising & bargaining rights
The labour code makes it difficult to
organise in many sectors, and the majority of workers are covered by individual
employment contracts. Collective
bargaining usually takes place at enterprise level. Industry-wide bargaining is rare and is at the discretion of the
company.
Workers
in agriculture, construction, mining, ports, fishing, entertainment and other
sectors are defined in the labour code as temporary workers. While they can form unions, their rights to
collective bargaining depend on their employers’ discretion and are seriously
restricted.
Employers
can include clauses in individual contracts barring some groups of employees
from collective bargaining, although this applies only to supervisory
personnel. Workers can appeal to the
Ministry of Labour against such clauses.
Ministerial approval is required for unions and their officials to be
legally registered.
Strike limitations
Workers at around 30 utility companies cannot
go on strike and arbitration is compulsory.
Employers can replace striking workers if they did not accept an
agreement within 15 days of the work stoppage.
Source: Annual Survey of Violations of Trade
Union Rights (2000), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
-----------------------------------
Child Labour Violations
* 185,930
aged 15-19 are economically active. (ILO, Yearbook of Labour Statistics, 1999)
* 14,914
age group of 12-14 are economically active. (ILO-IPEC, El trabajo infantil en
America Latina - CD-ROM, August 1999)
* UNICEF
says about 107,000 aged 12-19 are working. A Catholic Church study says about
50,000 under 15 are working. A Chilean
government study says 15,000 aged 6-11, and 32,000 aged 12-14 are working.
(U.S. Dept. of State, Human Rights Report, 1999)
Where Children Work
* Child
labour is predominant in agriculture and fishing (37%) and in commercial sector
and restaurants (24%). The majority, i.e. 65.5%, work as labourers or employed
dependants, 12.8% as self-employed and 10.8% as unpaid family workers.
(ILO-IPEC, El trabajo infantil en America Latina - CD-ROM, August 1999)
* Children
are engaged in sugar-cane, coal-mining, ceramics and fireworks. (IWGCL, Working
Children: Reconsidering the Debates, 1998)
Child Prostitution
* Studies
by UNICEF and National Service for Minors (1992), said there were 4,200 child
prostitutes, aged of 6-18. The Chilean
Ministry of Justice says there are now 10,000. (ILO-IPEC, El trabajo infantil
en America Latina - CD-ROM, August 1999)
Source: <http://www.globalmarch.org/worstformsreport/world/chile.html>
-----------------------------------
TAKE ACTION!
The Canadian Ecumenical Jubilee Initiative
(CEJI)
CEJI encourages Canadians to tell the their
government that the Export Development Act should be amended to ensure there
are legislative requirements to protect human rights and the environment when
Canadian corporations operate abroad with the assistance of Canada’s Export
Development Corporation (EDC), a public agency.
CEJI
is working with Probe International and Chilean groups that report that the EDC
has approved financing of US$17 million for the construction of another
controversial hydroelectric dam on the Biobio river in southern Chile. The dam
is being challenged in the courts by environmentalists and the indigenous
Pehuenche people who say it will flood the heart of Pehuenche territory,
displace some 700 people and destroy unique flora and fauna.
Contact: CEJI, P.O. Box 772, Station “F”,
Toronto ON, M4Y 2N6; Tel: 416.927.0234; Email: <mailto:jubilee@devp.org> Web: <http://www.ceji-iocj.org/English/land/Action.html>