1. East Asia Inaction On Arms reviews the East Asian country reports on the implementation of the UNPoA four years after its adoption. Of the 12 countries considered for this study, only eight states have submitted one report each, while the other six governments have chosen to ignore the call of the UN to present to the international community what they have done to curb illicit trade in SALW. While some of the countries did try to come up with honest assessments on their situation and give an account of the measures they have come up with or plan to do in support of the PoA, the reports show obvious gaps in reporting, a tendency to focus on existing measures, and a seeming lack of enthusiasm to go into new initiatives to control arms and the destruction it causes in people's lives.
This study also looks beyond the country report and asks:
- Are these efforts enough? Does the UN PoA process-because it basically stems from a political agreement and not legally binding-allow for complacency?
- Do we need a stronger accord?
- Is East Asia in action or is there inaction on the problem of arms in the region?
2. Missing the Target: Firearm Policy and Practice in Thai Society By Tassanee Tanakornsombut, Chutimas Suksai, Chayanit Poonyarat and Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan. (Bangkok: Nonviolence International Southeast Asia) 2005.
This report is based on newspaper reporting, and has recorded 529 stories on firearm violence from the two national newspapers with the broadest circulation, Daily News and Khao Sot, over a 2 year period. The findings challenge common beliefs about firearms in Thai society and propose policy changes regarding possession of firearms.
The report challenges the assumption that only illegal firearms are used in crimes. It also defies assumptions that firearm-related violence is committed mostly, if not only, by criminals and between strangers. It also talks about how society believes that possessing a firearm will increase personal security or a person's ability to defend himself and his property.
Re-examining these beliefs and myths, this report argues that far from making people safer, firearms are a root cause of violence in society.
In Thailand, law allows a citizen to apply for a license for private possession of firearms where the purpose is 'defense of person or property'. This emphasis on private protection is a result of the state's failure to provide security to society. When arms acquisitions are driven by popular perception of security sector failure - losing faith in the police to provide them with the protection they need - a privatization of the state's security responsibility begins to take place.
Thailand has some of the most permissive laws for firearm possession in Southeast Asia. It also has the highest homicide rate in the region according to police statistics registered with the international police agency, Interpol. Analysis of Thai news reports on firearm violence reveals that guns are used mostly for dispute resolution, not for security, nor for self-defense.
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