South Korea has suspended tear gas exports to Bahrain, citing the unstable political situation in the Gulf state.

South Korea has suspended tear gas exports to Bahrain, citing the unstable political situation in the Gulf state.

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, which oversees the country’s military trade, told two companies that sought approval to export to Bahrain in October and November to suspend shipments.

Lee Jung-geun, a spokesman for the defense agency, said the decision had been made because of the “unstable politics in the country [Bahrain], people’s death due to tear gas and complaints from human rights groups”.

The Bahraini government did not respond to requests for comment.

The move comes after months of campaigning by rights groups who say the Bahraini authorities’ misuse of tear gas has led to dozens of deaths among the peaceful protests against the government.

Bahrain’s interior ministry in June solicited bids for 1.6m tear gas projectiles, 90,000 tear gas grenades and 145,000 stun grenades, according to a tender document leaked to Bahrain Watch, an advocacy group.

The order would have been of a similar magnitude to the 2m tear gas projectiles that activists estimate were fired by the security forces since pro-democracy protests swept the strategic island in February 2011.

“This is also a clear message to any other countries considering supplying tear gas to Bahrain that profiting from repression is unacceptable,” Bahrain Watch said in a statement.

One of the companies seeking to export tear gas, DaeKwang Chemical, said it was “unlikely” to provide any material to Bahrain owing to increasing protests from human rights groups, said Kim Jong-bae, chief executive.

DaeKwang had been planning to sell 3m tear gas canisters for around Won30bn ($28m) but the deal will probably be cancelled, he added.

The authorities last month arrested Ali Salman, leader of al-Wefaq, the main opposition group. He has been released but banned from travel. He has denied charges of inciting “religious hatred”.

Tear gas and sound grenades are the most commonly used tactics to disperse protesters, who over the past couple of years have become increasingly violent, using homemade Molotov cocktails.

Tear gas projectiles, which are sometimes thrown into houses, have caused as many as 39 deaths, according to Physicians for Human Rights. The government has previously denied that these deaths can be attributed to the use of tear gas.