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Guns in Melanesia

Of all the island groups in the South West Pacific, Melanesia has been, and still is the most afflicted by armed violence. Across Oceania in recent years, ongoing and organised gun violence and armed conflict have flared, then subsided only in the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and to a lesser extent Vanuatu. In Papua New Guinea, small arms are used on an almost daily basis to threaten, to maim and to kill. Although the Pacific has so far escaped the 'AK-47 plague' which so damages other regions, the island nations of Melanesia demonstrate the disproportionate social and economic disruption made possible by even a small number of small arms, misused in small communities.1 2 3

Estimates of civilian-held firearms in Melanesia range from a high of 8.5 guns per 100 people in New Caledonia, to a low of 0.2 per 100 (one gun per 600 people) in the Solomon Islands.4 Papua New Guinea, despite a low overall rate of possession, has the highest number of civilian-held firearms with estimates nearing 72,000.5 Efforts to reduce both private and state-owned firearm stockpiles through amnesty, collection and destruction programmes in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have shown a range of results, from failure to success.6 7 8 9

Across the region, gun laws range from highly restrictive to permissive.10 11 Firearm licences have been suspended in the Solomon Islands since the end of hostilities in 1999, and in Fiji since 2000,12 while only small-calibre rifles and shotguns are permitted in Vanuatu.13 Registered handguns are permitted for self defence only in New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea.14 15 16

Arms manufacture is explicitly prohibited in New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea,17 18 and effectively prevented elsewhere in Melanesia, where manufacturing licences are required, but never issued.19 20 21 Crude, illegal single-shot home-made guns are crafted in quantity in Papua New Guinea, as they have been in Fiji and the Solomon Islands.22 23 24

In the legal trade, Melanesia is not a major market for small arms transfers. Of all declared small arms and ammunition imports destined for the island nations of Oceania, New Caledonia receives 86 percent.25 26 Unsubstantiated rumours of arms smuggling abound, particularly along the Indonesia/West Papua border. Yet there is scant evidence of any more than occasional, opportunistic cross-border movements of one or two firearms at a time.27 28 29

UN members Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have each been minor participants in the United Nations small arms Programme of Action (UNPoA), while Vanuatu has been inactive.30 31

For more detailed figures and gun control laws in each Melanesian country, search Find Gun Policy Facts in the left hand column.
Last Updated on 3 June 2010

Short References

1.

Alpers, Philip.2005.‘The Human Cost of Armed Violence: Development and Aid.’ Gun-running in Papua New Guinea: From arrows to assault weapons in the Southern Highlands.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,1 July. (Q651)Full Citation

2.

Alpers, Philip.2005.‘Access to Basic Services: Health.’ Gun-running in Papua New Guinea: From arrows to assault weapons in the Southern Highlands.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,1 July. (Q652)Full Citation

3.

Mary-Louise O'Callaghan. 2001. ‘Hell in the Pacific.’ Weekend Australian. 1 December. (N54) Full Citation

4.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Civilian Firearm Ownership in Pacific Nations, 2002.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q1920)Full Citation

5.

Karp, Aaron.2007.‘Completing the Count: Civilian firearms.’ Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,27 August. (Q5)Full Citation

6.

Fiji.2004.‘Collection and Disposal.’ National Report of Fiji on its Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA).New York:Permanent Mission of Fiji to the United Nations,1 July. (Q455)Full Citation

7.

Alpers, Philip (in: Aaron Karp, ed.).2009.‘Papua New Guinea: Small numbers, big fuss, real results.’ The Politics of Destroying Surplus Small Arms: Inconspicuous Disarmament.London:Routledge / Small Arms Survey,1 August. (Q703)Full Citation

8.

Oseah Philemon. 2006. ‘Army to Destroy 3400 Weapons.’ Post-Courier (Port Moresby). 23 June. (N70) Full Citation

9.

Nelson, Carol and Robert Muggah.2004.‘Solomon Islands: Evaluating the Weapons Free Village Campaign.’ Small Arms Survey Working Paper.Geneva:Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,1 November. (Q501)Full Citation

10.

Newton, George D and Franklin E Zimring.1969.‘Firearm Licensing: Permissive v Restrictive.’ Firearms & Violence in American Life: A Staff Report submitted to the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence.Washington, DC:US Government Printing Office,1 January. (Q22)Full Citation

11.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Pacific Small Arms Legislation: Firearm laws in the Pacific.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q149)Full Citation

12.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Pacific Small Arms Legislation: Domestic and regional issues.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q502)Full Citation

13.

Vanuatu.1988.‘Notice of Ports and Places of Import.’ Firearms (Statutory Orders) 1988 [Cap 198].Port Vila:Parliament of Vanuatu,27 June. (Q873)Full Citation

14.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Pacific Small Arms Legislation: Domestic and regional issues.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q281)Full Citation

15.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Pacific Small Arms Legislation: Domestic and Regional Issues.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q142)Full Citation

16.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Pacific Small Arms Legislation: Domestic and regional issues.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q311)Full Citation

17.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Pacific Small Arms Legislation: Domestic and regional issues.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q302)Full Citation

18.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Pacific Small Arms Legislation: Domestic and regional issues.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q288)Full Citation

19.

Fiji.2003.‘Prohibition on the Manufacture of Arms and Ammunition.’ Arms and Ammunition Act (2003).Suva:Parliament of Fiji Islands,1 January. (Q446)Full Citation

20.

Fiji.2004.‘Manufacture.’ National Report of Fiji on its Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA).New York:Permanent Mission of Fiji to the United Nations,1 July. (Q447)Full Citation

21.

Solomon Islands.1996.‘Restrictions on the Manufacture of Firearms and Ammunition.’ Firearms and Ammunition Act (1967).Honiara:National Parliament,1 January. (Q549)Full Citation

22.

United Nations.1999.‘Analysis of Country Responses.’ United Nations International Study on Firearm Regulation.Vienna:UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division,30 August. (Q1)Full Citation

23.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Stockpiles and Trafficking in the Pacific.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q690)Full Citation

24.

Solomon Islands.2001.‘Complete Disarmament.’ National Report of the Solomon Islands on its Implementation of the United Nations Program of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons In All Its Aspects (UNPoA).New York:Permanent Mission of the Solomon Islands to the United Nations,10 July. (Q572)Full Citation

25.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘US Small Arms and Ammunition Export License Approvals, Pacific, 1998-2000.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q303)Full Citation

26.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Declared Small Arms and Ammunition Imports, Pacific Countries, 2000.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q631)Full Citation

27.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Papua New Guinea: Importation routes: Papua New Guinea / West Papua.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q695)Full Citation

28.

Alpers, Philip.2005.‘Cross-border Smuggling: Myth or Reality? — West Papua.’ Gun-running in Papua New Guinea: From arrows to assault weapons in the Southern Highlands.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,1 July. (Q696)Full Citation

29.

Alpers, Philip and Conor Twyford.2003.‘Papua New Guinea: Importation routes.’ Small Arms in the Pacific.Geneva:Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,31 March. (Q697)Full Citation

30.

Cattaneo, Silvia and Sarah Parker.2008.‘Reporting, NPCs and NCAs, 2002 to 2008.’ Implementing the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons: Analysis of the National Reports submitted by States from 2002 to 2008.Geneva:United Nations Development Programme,1 November. (Q20)Full Citation

31.

Cattaneo, Silvia and Sarah Parker.2008.‘States That Have Never Reported.’ Implementing the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons: Analysis of the National Reports submitted by States from 2002 to 2008.Geneva:United Nations Development Programme,1 November. (Q21)Full Citation