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| Global Week of Action Against Small Arms 2005 |
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Asia
Bangladesh | Cambodia | India | Jordan | Nepal | Pakistan | Palestine | Sri Lanka | Syria | Thailand | Yemen |
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| Bangladesh (i) |
| The Bangladesh Development Partnership Centre (BDPC) and the Bangladesh Action Network on Small Arms (BANSA) held a press conference which received wide coverage in 18 daily newspapers and has been on the front page of 6 of these. The Daily Khabarpatra, a Bangla newspaper published an editorial on the campaign. A human chain and rally demanding the implementation of the UN PoA received media coverage in 6 national Bangla newspapers. Click here for media reports.
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| Bangladesh (ii) |
| The National Small Arms Forum and South Asia Partnership – Bangladesh organised a massive rally in Dhaka and in 21 districts in Bangladesh followed by the submission of a Memorandum to the Prime Minister. The rally was reported in two national dailies and the Voice of America hosted a discussion on their Radio Bengali programme. Click here for reports and photos. |
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| Cambodia (i) |
| 450 self-portrait cards were collected for the Million Faces Petition by the Working Group for Weapons Destruction (WGWR). A press release by WGWR called on the government to ratify the UN Firearms Protocol, develop and strengthen efforts at regional level to control arms and to support the Arms Trade Treaty. |
| Cambodia (ii) |
| The EU-Assistance on curbing Small Arms and Light Weapons in Cambodia (EU-ASAC) gifted 26 computer to Gendermerie to register small arms possession, which was reported in two leading Khmer daily newspapers – Koh Santapheap and Rasmei Kampuchea. Click here for reports and photos. |
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| India (i) |
A series of puppet shows were held in an entertainment park in Nagpur in Central India by Medicovet Rural Welfare Society. The show was reported in two daily newspapers – the Lokmat Times and the Hitavada. Click here for reports and photos.
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| India (ii) |
Street dramas, photo exhibitions and six seminars were organised by the Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament & Environment Protection (IIPDEP) in five states spread out in Jammu & Kashmir, Central India and North East India, which are most affected by SALW. Click here for reports and photos.
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| India (iii) |
| A seminar by Citizens Collective held at the Guwahati University in Assam received media coverage in The Times of India, the Assam Tribune among the English language newspapers and in the Amar Asom, Dainik Agradoot, Janasadharan and the Pratidin in the vernacular press. |
| India (iv) |
| The Control Arms Foundation in India launched an online, monthly newsletter, ‘control Arms India Update’ and published a series of articles on Control Arms. |
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| Jordan (i) |
| Two articles written by the Amman Centre for Human Rights were published in the Al Dustour and the Al-Ghad newspapers. |
| Jordan (ii) |
| Amnesty International – Jordan organised a school concert in the northern city of Irbid to encourage communities in the area against the use of SALW during weddings and parties. The concert was held at the Al-Eman early Learning School, where students performed a play presenting the dangers of small arms-firing during wedding celebrations. Students also used a poster during the concert with the slogan: ‘No to Small Arms’. Click here for photos. |
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| Nepal (i) |
South Asia Small Arms Network (SASA Net) – Nepal submitted a memorandum (in Nepali) to the Minister of Home, Law and Justice and Parliament Dan Bahadur Shahi followed by a press conference which was reported in the Annapurna Post. A press release was also issued. The Minister had promised to follow up on the recommendations in the Memorandum. |
| Nepal (ii) |
| IHRICON held a Forum on the Second Biennial Meeting on Small arms and Light Weapons and the Government’s report on the UN PoA. |
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| Pakistan (i) |
| A joint press conference in Peshawar by Community Appraisal & Motivation Programme (CAMP) and Sustainable Peace And Development Organisation (SPADO) was reported in several Urdu and English newspapers. IANSA members were also interviewed for BBC Radio (Urdu and Pashto) and for Geo TV. The press conference discussed the problem of gun violence in Pakistan and urged the government to fulfill its obligations under the Programme of Action (PoA). Click here for media reports. |
| Pakistan (ii) |
| The Pakistan Pediatric Association held a seminar for medical students under the theme, ‘Young people and gun violence’. The seminar addressed the issue of gun violence in the context of the Pushtoon culture, where carrying a gun is a social norm. People celebrate weddings, birth and other events with gun fire which often results in stray bullets hitting innocent people. The presentations were followed by lively discussions focusing on the role of youth in combating the gun culture. |
| Pakistan (iii) |
| STEP, an IANSA member, held a seminar at Jauharabad on Gun Violence and distributed posters. |
| Pakistan (iv) |
| Blue Veins organised a seminar on gun violence and a candlelight memorial for victims of gun violence. A month long campaign on violence against women was also launched. |
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| Palestine (i) |
| The Ramallah Centre for Human Rights stepped up its activities during the Week of Action to include workshops, regional meetings, seminars and letters of condemnation addressing the chaotic use of arms in Palestine. The Centre also issued a press release highlighting the use of arms in West Bank cities and Gaza. The release stated that arms were used during and before elections and when political issues are debated among factions. |
| Palestine (ii) |
| The Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights issued a press release (in English), (in Arabic) calling members of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to stop providing protection to security personnel and to hold them legally accountable for improper use of weapons. The Centre condemned the escalation of internal violence and the increasing use of SALW in clashes between Palestinian security forces and armed groups and individuals. |
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| Sri Lanka (i) |
| South Asia Small Arms Network (SASA Net) – Sri Lanka organised media activities, poster and photo exhibitions, awareness programs and collaborated events with Samasevaya to encourage children to burn toy guns. SASA Net members were interviewed by Swadeshiya Sewaya, a Sinhala language programme of the national radio station, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Cooperation. Click here for reports and photos. |
| Sri Lanka (ii) |
| The Rajarata Sevaya, a programme by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in the north central province broadcast a discussion by Samasevaya (an IANSA member) on the impact of guns on women. Vimansa, another local radio programme broadcast a discussion on the small arms issue in general. The north central province borders the conflict zones which have been a major contributory factor for easy availability of arms. |
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| Syria |
| Ghassan Sharour of Yarmouk was interviewed by Al-Thawra newspaper on violence against women. The press release issued during the Week of Action was published in the Al-Baath newspaper. Yarmouk also had a meeting with General Haider Salma, the national focal point on SALW to review the Syrian National Report on Small Arms for the BMS in July. |
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| Thailand |
| Two publications were launched by the South East Forum on Armed Violence and Nonviolence International. ‘East Asia Inaction on Arms: Assessing Regional Compliance to the UN PoA on SALW reviews the implementation of the PoA. The second report, ‘Missing the Target: Firearm Policy and Practice in Thai Society’ is based on reports in two national newspapers. Click here for reports and photos. |
| Yemen |
| The Human Rights Information & Training Centre (HRITC) organised a wide range of activities including awareness and media campaigns, seminars, workshops and exhibitions. Articles were published in local newspapers on the small arms problem in Yemen supported by statistical data. HRITC also lobbied with the President of Yemen to demand that the government review existing legislation and introduce stricter laws. Click here for report. |
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