Amnesty TV - Booming Business: British Banks and Cluster Bombs

Film maker Chris Atkins blows the lid on UK Banks' investment in cluster bombs.

98% of cluster bomb victims are civilians and 30% are children.

Despite the UK being signed up to an international treaty banning cluster bombs, last year alone the Royal Bank of Scotland provided over $80million in funding to companies involved in their production. We want that to stop.

Donate to our hard hitting ad campaign to shame RBS at www.amnesty.org.uk/clusterbomb

The full responses from RBS, HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds that are quoted in this report are available on our blog at http://amn.st/nP8PNH

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[PaddyLevermore]

The co-op bank all the way, thankyou for spreading the knowledge of what is going on!

[censored6x]

why not go after the manufactures of cluster bombs directly?

textron-providence, rhode island

lockheed-bethesda, maryland

these cluster bomb makers r probably mainly in the usa since the usa makes most of the world's weapons.

how can ANYONE have pride in a country that kills, maims, & sickens so many innocent people around the world? it is laughable when the usa lists any org as terrorist. the blindness & ignorance of americans is beyond comprehension. pot calls kettle black

[cactustactics]

@blamethemilkman Even if what you're saying were true, at least forcing financial instutions to hide their investments makes it harder and riskier for them. This lazy 'why bother' attitude is what enables reprehensible things to continue unchecked, and encourages political apathy in general

It's pretty simple, if you're aware your bank is operating unethically then don't support them. Even if you eventually discover your new bank does the same, at least you weren't knowingly supporting it.

[maciejlondyn]

'Over the past 16 years, the U.S. has contributed on average $3.1M per year for UXO

clearance in Laos; the U.S. spent $17M per day (in 2010 dollars) for nine years bombing Laos.' DISGRACE

[blamethemilkman]

And for all you suggesting that people switch their bank accounts - LOL. All banks are basically the same. Even the supposedly "ethical" ones have subsidiaries that do their "dirty work" in terms of less-than-ethical investments. That is the world we live in.

[blamethemilkman]

Seems a bit ridiculous to walk up to employees and ask them a question that they're most likely not going to be able to argue with. The point is, I doubt anyone likes the idea of cluster munitions, however companies such as Lockheed Martin are conglomerates that make a massive variety of products, for a massively diverse market.

As such there is nothing illegal for any bank to be providing investment (or investing) in such companies.

[afa86]

awful

[el2279]

I've already moved my banking to Smile, due to unethical investment of my money with Barclays (thanks to repeal of Glass-Steagall act).

With regards to bomblets in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam etc, why can't we get the weapon manufacturers to clear them up? Unexploded bomblets are faulty munitions IMO... :-/

[ozzyb83]

08:13 - and UK Govt gave Lockheed Martin £150 million to carry out the census here