<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/18/saab-missile-south-australia-indigenous-heritage-area>
"The weapons manufacturer Saab was “directly linked” to a human rights
violation when a missile it produced was found in an Indigenous heritage area,
an investigation for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
has found.
The four-year investigation could lead to more companies being held accountable
for how their weapons are used by clients, according to human rights lawyers
involved in the case.
The 1.3-metre Saab RBS-70 anti-aircraft missile was discovered in January 2021
by traditional owners Andrew and Robert Starkey near Lake Hart, in remote South
Australia. It was found in a section of the heritage site that overlaps with
the defence force’s missile testing range near Woomera, which is one of the
largest in the world. An exclusion zone for the range covers 122,000 sq km,
roughly the size of England.
The location of the missile was also in close proximity to several culturally
significant artefacts for the Kokatha people, including rock art.
The Starkey brothers told Defence about the missile in May 2021. When it had
not been removed by September, they contacted Saab and lodged a complaint with
the OECD, which can investigate whether multinational companies have breached
human rights obligations.
Saab immediately contacted Defence but the missile remained uncleared until
January 2022 – a year after it was discovered. It may have been sold to
Australia between the mid-1980s and early 1990s, the investigation suggested.
The complaint, investigated by the Australian National Contact Point for the
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (AusNCP), alleged that Saab did
not undertake adequate due diligence that could have prevented its weapon being
used in a human rights violation.
It also alleged that Saab failed to respect their right to protect and preserve
the land.
A final ruling by the AusNCP, published on Friday, found the brothers feared
for their safety, with the missile preventing them from accessing their land
and continuing their cultural practices."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
