Members applaud at the launch of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (PNG).
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (PNG) was launched on 30 April 2007, in response to the rising tide of gun violence and the disappointing lack of any substantial action to counter this trend. Despite a government-held National Gun Summit in July 2005, out of which emerged specific policy recommendations, gun violence within Papua New Guinea continues unabated.
The Coaltion to Stop Gun Violence (PNG) seeks to:
Reduce the availability of guns and ammunition through the enforcement of existing formal and informal laws.
Reduce demand for guns and ammunition in communities affected by gun violence by addressing the causes of insecurity and increasing the availability of essential services
Assist survivors to recover from the physical and mental trauma of gun violence.
Factory-made firearms have become a weapon of choice for PNG criminals, tribal fighters, corrupt officials, human rights abusers, and other perpetrators of violence, according to researchers. Gun violence exacerbates poverty by undermining economic and social development. In the Southern Highlands Province, basic education and healthcare services have been absent for years, in part because of instability brought on by gun violence. Researchers have shown that very few of the misused guns were smuggled into the country; rather they found their way into illegal possession from existing police, military and civilian stocks.
