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Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Tasmania Police Deny Gun Registry Breach Claims After Thefts
17 May 2013
Mercury (Hobart)
An East Coast woman robbed of thousands of dollars worth of guns from her remote property soon after the weapons were registered is calling for answers from Police Commissioner Darren Hine.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, said she had written to Mr Hine calling for an investigation into long-held community suspicions that the state's firearm registry and associated databases have been breached.
Tasmania Police has repeatedly denied that the firearms database... (GunPolicy.org)
Unlicensed NZ Soldier in Court After Being Found Drunk with Loaded Gun
17 May 2013
Stuff (New Zealand)
A soldier has admitted having a loaded rifle when he was drunk at home the day after his discharge from the army.
Christchurch District Court Judge Alistair Garland said it was "unforgivable" that 38-year-old Samuel George Ottley had the rifle lying on his bed underneath a sleeping bag, with bullets in the magazine.
"You are army-trained. You should know better than to have a firearm with any bullets in it at all in your home," the judge said when Ottley pleaded... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 550 Kilos of Ammunition Surrendered in Australia for Destruction
8 May 2013
My Sunshine Coast (Australia), Media release
Queenslanders have surrendered more than 556 kilograms of sporting small arms ammunition during the first quarter of 2013.
Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps visited the Queensland Government explosives reserve at Helidon today to view the disposal of part of a large cache of unwanted ammunition handed in across the State.
"On average, approximately 500,000 rounds of sporting small arms ammunition is surrendered each year by the public as part of an... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Man Jailed After Flouting Lifetime Weapons Ban for Third Time
30 April 2013
Metro Canada
A Vancouver criminal who had already received two lifetime weapons bans was caught again with three illegal guns.
Police executed a search warrant on June 20 last year on a home where Victor Sharma lived with his late mother.
Police found a fairly large marijuana grow-op of 659 marijuana plants, worth an estimated $220,000, and a hydroelectric bypass.
Officers also found an illegal Ruger semi-automatic pistol with 13 live rounds loaded in a clip. The gun had its... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Easing Gun Rules Ignores the Pain of Those Grieving
26 April 2013
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
This Sunday marks the 17th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, where 35 people were killed and 18 wounded by a lone gunman brandishing high-powered longarms.
In response to the killings, Australia's gun laws were significantly tightened. The prime minister at the time, John Howard, was able to gain bipartisan support from all state governments for a 10-point plan to regulate firearms - known as the 1996 Nationwide Agreement on Firearms.
This agreement... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Oceania,Europe,Asia,United States,Americas
Study Shows Gun Ownership Doesn't Preserve Freedom, Democracy
25 April 2013
Atlantic (USA)
After League City, Texas, became the first city in the state to pass a resolution effectively nullifying federal gun regulations in February, Councilwoman Heidi Thiess, who speared the motion, shared a quote. "Gen. Isoroku Yamamoto, who was the commander of Japan's WWII Combined Fleet, was asked why he never bothered to invade the U.S. after Pearl Harbor," she remarked. "And you know what he said? 'You can't invade mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind... (GunPolicy.org)
Survey Shows Half NZ Region's Gun Users Unlicensed, Training Offered
23 April 2013
Radio New Zealand
More than 1000 people have had a firearms safety lecture and test - as part of a programme mostly designed for Maori.
The two-year-old scheme called Whakatupato is run by the Mountain Safety Council in rural areas.
It was set up after a 2005 survey showed about half of the gun users in Te Urewera didn't have a firearms licence, which means they weren't being told about the potential dangers.
Mountain Safety Council manager Tracy Wakeford said elders are helping them... (GunPolicy.org)
PNG Authorities Worried About Arms Smuggling
18 April 2013
Pacific Islands News Association (Fiji)
The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC), Australian Federal Police and PNG Customs are very concerned about the high number of illegal firearms entering the country.
Former senior police officer Chief Superintendent Donald Yamasombi made this comment following a joint Police and Customs bust of a huge quantity of firearms, gun powder and accessories late last year.
Yamasombi said despite the bust involving a large quantity of illegal firearms, prominent... (GunPolicy.org)
All Guns Recovered After Break-In at PNG Police Headquarters
18 April 2013
ABC News (Australia)
PORT MORESBY - Papua New Guinea police have recovered a number of weapons stolen from the force's national headquarters in Port Moresby.
Papua New Guinea police have recovered a number of weapons stolen from the force's national headquarters in Port Moresby.
A total of fifteen handguns or pistols, a .22 rifle shot gun and 150 rounds of ammunitions were stolen from the firearms registry office in the PNG Police Headquarters.
Police say most of the guns were recovered... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Police Investigate Criminals Stealing Guns from Farmers
12 April 2013
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
A police sting has uncovered a criminal network stealing guns from farmers.
The Herald Sun has been told Taskforce Griffin, set up in February, is probing a breakout in gun crime.
More than 100 firearms have been stolen in 41 burglaries, and there have been aggravated burglaries and two non-fatal shootings.
Detective Inspector Adrian Dalzotto, of the armed crime taskforce, said there were concerns the stolen guns, in particular the handguns, might have been sold on... (GunPolicy.org)
Printable Firearms a 'Grave Threat' to Australians
3 April 2013
News.com.au
Anti-gun activists are urging action to shutdown a controversial project to produce fully printable firearms and threat "to put a gun in the hands of every citizen".
Defense Distributed is behind the operation to manufacture the world's first fully printable, mostly plastic gun using basic three-dimensional printers which today cost as little as $1000.
The American company began testing its printed parts for a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle in December and have so far... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Controls a Political Template for US
3 April 2013
Reuters
Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard wore a bullet proof vest under his suit when he addressed an angry crowd of gun owners in 1996, telling them he was going to ban automatic and semi-automatic weapons for the safety of all Australians.
At other rallies, effigies of his deputy prime minister Tim Fischer were hanged by opponents of gun control.
The battle for gun control in Australia, after the country's worst massacre in which 35 people were shot dead, was... (GunPolicy.org)
Americas,Asia,Africa,Oceania,Europe
UN Approves Global Gun Trade Treaty: NRA, Iran, N Korea, Syria Oppose
3 April 2013
Washington Post
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to create the first treaty regulating the international arms trade, a landmark decision that imposes new constraints on the sale of conventional arms to governments and armed groups that commit war crimes, genocide and other mass atrocities.
The vote was hailed by arms-control advocates and scores of governments, including the United States, as a major step in the global effort to put in place... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Mexico,United Kingdom,Ghana,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Arms Trade Treaty Talks Enter Stormy Final Round
26 March 2013
Rappler / Agence France Presse
More than 100 countries complained Monday that talks on a conventional arms trade treaty had gone "backwards" from a vow to conclude a strong accord on the $80 billion a year trade.
The major western powers, who expressed confidence that an accord could be reached, face tough criticism over the treaty as talks at the UN headquarters entered the final straight.
A group representing 103 countries blasted the latest text as a step "backwards."
A statement by the 103,... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Asia,Europe,Africa,Americas,United States
NGOs Slam New Arms Trade Treaty Draft, Blame US for Changes
25 March 2013
Reuters
Human rights groups on Monday sharply criticized the latest draft of what could become the first international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global conventional arms trade, accusing the United States and others of pushing to dilute it.
Several Western delegations, however, played down the complaints of groups like Oxfam, Amnesty International, the World Council of Churches and Control Arms, saying the latest draft showed progress, though improvements were clearly... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Data Shows Spike in Illegal Gun Use in South Australia
24 March 2013
Advertiser (Adelaide)
Gun-toting criminals are more likely to use their gun to threaten someone now than they were five years ago, statistics show.
SA Police figures reveal there were 33 acts likely to endanger life involving a gun in 2011-12, compared with nine in 2007-08.
An act likely to endanger life with a firearm involves the firing of the gun in most cases, but the offence may also apply if a loaded gun is pointed at someone.
The Advertiser requested statistics from police for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Africa,Asia,Americas
Conflicts of Interest Plague Arms Trade Treaty Talks
22 March 2013
Inter Press Service News Agency
The U.N. organ tasked with maintaining international peace and security harbours a serious conflict at its core.
The Security Council's five permanent members (P5) – United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France – along with Germany, are the world's six leading arms exporters, often shipping weapons used to perpetuate violence across the globe.
Meanwhile, over 150 member states have gathered at U.N. headquarters, from Mar. 18-28, to negotiate an Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 3500 Guns Collected, 700 Destroyed in Australian Amnesty
22 March 2013
Gladstone Observer (Australia)
More than 3500 firearms have been handed in as Queensland's gun amnesty reached the half-way mark.
Almost 700 have been surrendered for destruction with the remaining firearms registered.
The three-month amnesty, which ends on April 30, began as the government introduced new firearm laws involving mandatory jail terms, even a year for possessing an illegal firearm in a public place.
Police Minister Jack Dempsey is urging Queenslanders to take advantage of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines,South East Asia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Arms Trade Treaty or What? - Opinion
21 March 2013
Philippine Star, Opinion
In the next week or so, the members of the United Nations have an opportunity to agree an historic Treaty that would make a lasting difference to people across the world. It's not front-page news most of the time, but the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is within our grasp — and, with it, comes a chance to make a major contribution to the security of humankind. It will help to ensure that the uncontrolled movement of arms no longer threatens the security and prosperity of... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,United Kingdom,France,Mexico,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,China,Russia,United States
Armed Violence Kills 66,000 Women and Girls Each Year
20 March 2013
New Zealand Herald, Associated Press
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has urged the world's nations to agree on a strong UN treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade in the next two weeks, saying it will save lives and make it more difficult for warlords, organised criminals and terrorists to obtain weapons.
Hopes of reaching agreement on what would be a landmark treaty were dashed last July when the United States said it needed more time to consider the proposed accord - a... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Is a Global Arms Trade Treaty possible? - Video
19 March 2013
Inside Story, al Jazeera, Video
Human Rights groups say one person is killed every minute because of armed violence, through conflict and crime, but no globally agreed standards exist to regulate the international trade in arms, a trade in dangerous and deadly products, designed to kill and... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,United States,Russia,Italy,Germany,Brazil,Switzerland,Israel,Austria,South Korea,Belgium,Spain,Turkey,Norway,Canada,United Kingdom,Australia,France,Pakistan,Yemen,Honduras,El Salvador,Jamaica
Fact and Figures: Global Trade in Small Arms
18 March 2013
al Jazeera
Diplomats from around the world have gathered at the UN for talks on an international arms trade treaty, in an effort to stop the sale of illegal conventional arms.
Similar talks held last July failed, mainly due to the objections of the US and Russia, the world's two largest arms exporters.
Al Jazeera has compiled a list of facts related to the global production and trading of small arms.
1. Authorised international transfers of small arms, light weapons, their... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Russia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
UN Revives Effort on Pact to Regulate Arms Trade
17 March 2013
New York Times
In the shadow of the re-energized gun-control debate in the United States, negotiators at the United Nations will reconvene this week to try to reach a final agreement on a treaty to regulate the global trade in conventional weapons, a lucrative business that rights groups call the main source of illicit arms fueling deadly conflicts around the world.
"I am confident that member states will overcome their differences and muster the political will needed to agree on... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
US Gun Lobby Stepping Up Its Opposition to UN Arms Trade Treaty
17 March 2013
Guardian (UK)
The National Rifle Association is stepping up its opposition to a UN treaty aimed at halting the illicit trade of guns into conflict zones, after months of silence on the issue believed to be due to its focus on domestic gun control.
Human rights campaigners said that the resurgence of the NRA's campaign was designed to "stir up anti-UN panic" ahead of the UN conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, which opens on Monday in New York. The Obama administration indicated in a... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia,China,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
NRA Opposes UN Arms Trade Treaty
16 March 2013
Washington Post
The National Rifle Association, which is battling a raft of gun control measures on Capitol Hill, also has an international fight on its hand as it gears up to oppose a U.N. treaty designed to restrict the flow of arms to conflict zones.
Negotiations open Monday in New York on the Arms Trade Treaty, which would require countries to determine whether weapons they sell would be used to commit serious human rights violations, terrorism or transnational organized... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Global Gun Grabbers Team with UN to Prep African Countries for Arms Trade Treaty
15 March 2013
Fox News (USA)
A week before it opens a treaty conference to impose worldwide limitations on arms sales, the United Nations co-hosted and paid for a series of meetings involving 48 African nations and an anti-gun group that espouses much greater national and international control of firearms, including registration of small arms and ammunition.
The co-host of the gathering in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa was a multinational "civil society" network known as IANSA, which calls... (GunPolicy.org)
India,Egypt,Syria,Russia,United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Urgent Call for Tighter Rules on International Arms Trade - Oxfam
12 March 2013
Oxfam International (Oxford), Media release
Draft Arms Trade Treaty text littered with loopholes which need fixing urgently to save lives
More than 325,000 people are estimated to have lost their lives through armed violence since negotiations for a treaty to regulate the global arms trade for the first time ground to a halt in July last year, say Oxfam and Saferworld, part of the Control Arms Coalition.
The Control Arms Coalition calls on world leaders to urgently adopt robust rules on international transfers... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-Related Deaths: How Australia Stepped Off "The American Path"
12 March 2013
American College of Physicians - Annals of Internal Medicine
Australia and the United States share many characteristics. Both are English-speaking democracies of multicultural immigrants. The 2 nations have been allies for nearly a century. Australians and Americans consume similar diets of movies, video games, popular music, recreational drugs, and alcohol. Both have vast interiors, early histories of armed European settlers mistreating native populations, plenty of feral pests to shoot, and many firearm enthusiasts. Yet the 2... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: American College of Physicians - Annals of Internal Medicine
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Nepal
Nepal Decides to Endorse UN Small Arms Treaty
9 March 2013
Xinhua
KATHMANDU - With the objective of controlling the illegal trade of small arms like pistol, Nepal has decided to endorse the UN small arms convention which is being discussed among the UN members at present.
"Nepal supports the bid to regulate and control the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons," the Kathmandu Post quoted a government official, as saying, on Saturday.
"It is of prime importance that the small arms do not reach the non-state actors, who may... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
US Gun Lobby's Silence on UN Arms Treaty Surprises Gun Control Campaigners
9 March 2013
Guardian (UK)
The National Rifle Association is so tied up fighting new gun restrictions in the wake of the Newtown shooting that it has failed so far to mount its expected lobbying blitz against a new international arms control control treaty.
With just a few weeks to go until the world's first Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is put to a final vote at a UN conference in New York campaigners have voiced surprise at the NRA's relative silence on the issue. Until the Newtown tragedy, in which... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Asia,Oceania,Europe,Canada,Americas
Canadian Gun-Control Groups Question Inclusion of Gun Advocate in Arms-Trade Talks
9 March 2013
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
OTTAWA — Gun-control advocates and opposition parties want to know why the Harper government has consistently included a prominent firearms advocate in Canadian delegations at international arms-control talks in recent years.
They believe Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA) president Steve Torino's presence alongside Canadian diplomats is tied to what they say are Canadian efforts to weaken a new Arms Trade Treaty being negotiated at the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,China,Asia,Americas,Oceania,Kenya,Cuba,Côte d'Ivoire,Africa,Central America,Russia,United States
Women Explain Why an Arms Trade Treaty Can Save Many Lives
7 March 2013
Amnesty International (London), Media release
It is estimated at least half a million people are killed with guns every year and on average a further 200,000 men, women and children die as an indirect result of armed conflicts and violence that are frequently fuelled by the uncontrolled flow of small arms.
And for every person that is killed in an armed conflict, many more are injured and tortured, raped, abused, forcibly disappeared, taken hostage or displaced. Even more have their access to food, water, shelter,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Shooters Caught Drunk, On Drugs While Hunting
6 March 2013
Sydney Morning Herald
Licensed shooters have been caught with prohibited firearms, using drugs and alcohol, and trespassing on restricted land, official reports reveal, as the NSW government prepares to expand amateur hunting of feral animals into national parks.
Documents released under freedom of information laws describe almost a dozen examples of serious transgressions last year that were considered by the Game Council NSW, which is responsible for issuing hunting licences.
In one case... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Man Threatens Friends with Loaded, Unregistered Gun
28 February 2013
Geelong Advertiser
What began as a Norlane man's tantrum over his girlfriend's drinking ended yesterday in a six-month jail sentence on firearms offences.
Matthew McNamara, 36, of Moran Place, pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates' Court to charges of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and the insecure storage of both.
Police Prosecutor Leading Sen-Constable David Vanderpol said that, about 10pm on November 16, 2012, McNamara and his partner were at a... (GunPolicy.org)
New Australian Data Shows Most Gun, Knife Victims Know Killer
22 February 2013
Age (Melbourne)
Slain Victorians are four times more likely to have been killed as a result of domestic violence or by an acquaintance than under other circumstances, research from the Australian Institute of Criminology has revealed.
Knives and other sharp objects are the most often used weapons, with most offenders in domestic homicides being men who have killed female partners.
The findings have renewed calls for the Baillieu government to reinstate the $250,000 funding needed for... (GunPolicy.org)
Australians Offered Rewards for Gun Info After Shootings, Amnesty
21 February 2013
Advertiser (Adelaide)
Rewards of up to $10,000 will be offered for people who give South Australian police information that leads to major gun busts.
Premier Jay Weatherill announced the measure today in response to a spate of recent shootings - 17 since December 31.
He said the state could have confidence most of the shootings were not random but conceded more needed to be done to address the problem.
The gun bounty follows a recent amnesty encouraging people to hand in illegal guns.
Mr... (GunPolicy.org)
Japanese Turn 'Gun Ho' in Guam but Prefer Own Gun Culture
17 February 2013
Japan Times
TAMUNING, Guam – Their well-equipped arsenals offer everything from tiny revolvers for ladies to Berettas, Glocks, semiautomatic pistols and M16 military assault rifles. If kids can see over the counter, they're welcome too.
Forget the white sandy beaches, coral reefs and laid-back island culture. For many Japanese tourists, the biggest thrill on Guam is the chance to shoot a gun at one of its ubiquitous ranges, dozens of which are tucked between upscale shopping... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Norway,Australia
Former Australian PM on Gun Suicide Prevention, Mass Shootings
17 February 2013
CNN / Global Public Square, Transcript
Fareed Zakaria: On April 28, 1996, in Port Arthur, Australia, a man named Martin Bryant went on a killing rampage. In the first 15 seconds of his spree, Bryant killed 12 people and injured another 10, all with an AR-15 assault rifle. In the end, 35 people lie dead, men, women and children.
If his weapon of choice sounds familiar, it should. That's what Adam Lanza is believed to have used in the Newtown, Connecticut, massacre of 20 school children and six educators.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
Story of Last Australian Gun Massacre, Gun Control Now a Free E-book
14 February 2013
Sydney University Press, Book review
Over Our Dead Bodies: Port Arthur and Australia's fight for gun control
By Simon Chapman
Sydney University Press
The Port Arthur massacre on 28 April 1996, when 35 people were shot dead by Martin Bryant, transformed Australia's gun control debate. Public outrage drove politicians from all sides of politics to embrace gun control. Non-violent 'people power' galvanised government resolve to outlaw semi-automatic weapons, register all guns and tighten gun ownership... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 300 Guns Surrendered in Australian Amnesty
13 February 2013
Australian (Sydney)
More than 300 guns have been handed in since a firearms amnesty began in Queensland two weeks ago.
When the three month amnesty ends in May, anyone caught with illegal weapons will face the toughest gun laws in Australia.
Queensland Police Minister Jack Dempsey says so far 310 illegally owned guns have been handed in to be surrendered or registered.
He expects that number to surge as the amnesty nears its end.
"The message is simple - please obey the amnesty or... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Minister Confident of Arms Trade Treaty
8 February 2013
News.com.au / Australian Associated Press
Foreign Minister Bob Carr says he's confident Australia's seat on the UN Security Council will help push through a global arms trade treaty.
Speaking after giving the British High Commission's annual Magna Carta lecture in Sydney, Senator Carr said a push for the arms treaty at the UN would "come to a head next month".
"On the back of our credibility built up over the decades on cluster munitions I think that (an arms trade treaty) will be a discerning note in our... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Crime Data Misused by US Pro-Gun Groups
5 February 2013
CNN / Global Public Square, Blog
I had a stark introduction to gun violence when I moved from Australia to Tucson, Arizona 12 years ago.
As I walked to my hotel room one evening, I passed some young people apparently holding a party in another room. They seemed mostly harmless, and I acknowledged them with a "g'day." A short time later, I heard a car pull up, followed by the sound of gunfire and screaming. The next morning I saw police tape and markers in the car park. There were bullet holes in a... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Enacts New Gun Trafficking Penalty, Plans National Register
5 February 2013
Ministry of Home Affairs (Australia), Media release
The House of Representatives today passed legislation to create a new aggravated offence for trafficking firearms which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and to strengthen laws that target the unexplained wealth of criminals.
This is part of an important reform package that targets two key enablers of serious and organised crime – the money they make and the firearms they use.
"These laws will make the maximum penalty for trafficking in firearms the... (GunPolicy.org)
Criminal Groups May Be Targeting Australian Gun Dealers
1 February 2013
Geelong Advertiser
Armed Crime Taskforce detectives are appealing for help from anyone with information about an aggravated burglary at a licensed firearms dealer in Corio on New Year's Day.
Police said yesterday two armed men wearing balaclavas knocked on the door of the Matthews Rd property about 1.30am before forcing their way in and striking a 58-year-old man on the head.
The offenders dragged the man to a garage, from which they stole up to 20 firearms found in a safe.
The men... (GunPolicy.org)
Expert Clears Up 'Misrepresentations' of Australian Gun Data
31 January 2013
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
With the debate raging in the US over firearms laws, several misperceptions are being aired in their media about guns and their relationship to crime in Australia.
Some misrepresentations are linked to reports and statistics published by the Australian Institute of Criminology.
Older data and findings from the early-2000s are being used to argue that the Howard government gun reforms had little effect on violent crime in Australia.
Australia is often cited in the US... (GunPolicy.org)
US Author: Australian Gun Deaths Fall After Ban, Buybacks
31 January 2013
PolitiFact
Author Stephen King once asked his publisher to pull one of his novels off the shelves.
Six people had died — in real life.
Four boys in 10 years brought guns to school. One killed a teacher and two students. Another shot five members of a prayer group, killing three. All four teenagers had read Rage, a book King wrote when he was a teen himself and published under another name.
King, in a blunt, impassioned essay, wrote that when he learned of the copycat crimes,... (GunPolicy.org)
Fijian in Court on Charges of Neglecting Gun Safety After Death
30 January 2013
Fiji Times
Pilot Mohammed Rizwan Khan has been refused bail by the Lautoka Magistrates Court for offences relating to the death of six-year old Mohammed Khubayb Salman Khan last weekend.
Appearing before Magistrate Sujeewa Nishanka, Mr Khan was charged with one count of failure to maintain arms in a safe and secure custody and one count of manslaughter by negligence or breach of duty.
While ruling on Mr Khan's bail application by his lawyer Vishal Pillay, Magistrate Nishanka... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Winemaker Pulls Out of US Gun Lobby Wine Club
25 January 2013
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Leading wine company Yalumba has quickly distanced itself from the controversial US National Rifle Association after it was revealed it was one of 20 Australian producers sold on the group's wine club.
The privately owned Barossa Valley company will begin moves immediately to track how four of its wines made it onto the NRA's profit-making club, boss Robert Hill Smith said.
He did not want Yalumba associated with the the powerful pro-gun political lobby, even though... (GunPolicy.org)
PNG Government Buys 32 'High-Powered' Guns, for Guards
25 January 2013
Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
Papua New Guinea's acting Clerk of Parliament Simon Ila has purchased 32 high-powered guns and about 10,000 ammunition for Parliament security guards at a cost of K556,000.
This is on top of side-arms for some Ministers and Members of Parliament who also have armed personnel from the Special VIP protection Unit.
Among the purchase was a very high-powered weapon only issued to the military and for special forces – the HK MP7 A1 which cost K38,500 for one, with its 30... (GunPolicy.org)
PNG Parliament Denies Buying Guns After Alleged Security Threat
25 January 2013
Business Spectator / Australian Associated Press
Papua New Guinea's parliamentary speaker has denied reports the acting clerk has bought $A250,000 of machine guns for parliamentary security.
The Post-Courier on Friday carried a front-page story citing a letter by acting clerk Simon Ila to police officials advising of the purchase despite the objections of police commissioner Tom Kulunga.
PNG's parliamentary speaker, whose office denied knowledge of the purchase on Thursday night according to the paper, cancelled a... (GunPolicy.org)
US Author Attacks 'Propaganda-Savvy Gun-Pimps', Gun Culture
25 January 2013
Guardian (UK)
Stephen King has entranced millions with tales of dread but his latest volume will read like a horror only to the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights advocates. The best-selling author made an unexpected charge into the national debate on gun violence on Friday with a passionate, angry essay pleading for reform.
King, who owns three handguns, aimed the expletive-peppered polemic at fellow gun-owners, calling on them to support a ban on automatic and... (GunPolicy.org)
'Alarmingly Easy Access' to Guns Online Fuelling Australian Crime
23 January 2013
ABC News (Australia), Video
A former senior federal police officer has warned more needs to be done to combat the online trade of firearms as authorities in Sydney deal with a spate of shootings and street violence.
In the past three months alone there have been 25 separate shooting incidents in Sydney - last night, two shootings were reported in the city's south-west.
The style and purpose of the shootings are not confined to traditional turf warfare over drugs or ongoing reprisals between... (GunPolicy.org)
How the American Gun Lobby Abuses Australian Gun Crime Data
21 January 2013
Conversation (Australia)
The Sandy Hook massacre and President Obama's response to it has refocused attention on impact of regulation on American gun crime. Crime statistics before and after the implementation of gun laws provide a quantifiable measure of their impact. As a consequence, Australia's gun laws and their impact have become part of the American gun debate.
In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre and Monash University shootings, the conservative government of John Howard introduced... (GunPolicy.org)
Only 1% of Illegal Guns in Australia are Smuggled, says PM
19 January 2013
Sydney Morning Herald
The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has hit back at claims by the Liberal Party that her government has failed at protecting Australia's borders from illegal gun imports, saying that only 1 per cent of those guns in Australia come from overseas.
Speaking to 2UE at its new studio in The Sydney Morning Herald office on Friday morning, Ms Gillard said that her government had 'more than doubled' the number of interceptions of illegal packages - that includes drugs and... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Australian PM on Passing Tough Gun Controls - NYT Op-Ed
16 January 2013
New York Times, Opinion
SYDNEY, Australia - It is for Americans and their elected representatives to determine the right response to President Obama's proposals on gun control. I wouldn't presume to lecture Americans on the subject. I can, however, describe what I, as prime minister of Australia, did to curb gun violence following a horrific massacre 17 years ago in the hope that it will contribute constructively to the debate in the United States.
I was elected prime minister in early 1996,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Death Rate Falls After Gun Buyback, Law Change Says MP
15 January 2013
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Since the 1997 gun buyback, your chance of being a victim of gun violence has more than halved. Yet as Monday's Herald pointed out, the number of guns in Australia has increased by nearly one-fifth over the same period. What's going on?
The simplest answer is that the population is a fifth larger than it was in 1997. In reality, Australia has about as many guns per person as we did after the gun buyback. The only way to conclude the gun buyback has been undone is to... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Gun Rate Up But Australian Police Say Problem is Illegal Guns
15 January 2013
Sydney Morning Herald
Police figures have revealed there are almost 790,000 registered firearms in NSW, but an average of five weapons are held by each licensed owner.
A University of Sydney study revealed this week that Australians now own as many guns as they did at the time of the Port Arthur massacre, despite more than 1 million firearms being handed in and destroyed nationally.
Philip Alpers, an adjunct associate professor at the university's school of public health, said the nation... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,France,United States,England & Wales,Switzerland,Australia
Editorial: Three Million Guns In Australia is More Than Enough
15 January 2013
Sydney Morning Herald, Editorial
It should be troubling to Australian governments that since 1988, after more than 1 million guns have been destroyed as a result of government buyback programs, numerous amnesties, voluntary returns, the banning of semi-automatic weapons and the tightening of gun import controls, the number of guns in private hands in Australia is as large as it has ever been.
It's not hard to see why. Since 1988, while governments have been running
a variety of gun control programs,... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Teen Dies in Airgun Shooting, Lobby Says No Law Change Needed
14 January 2013
Radio New Zealand
A post-mortem has revealed an 18-year-old killed in an airgun accident in Auckland was shot through the heart.
Shaun Townsley was fatally shot while he and a group of friends were drinking and firing air rifles and air pistols at cans at his home in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa on Saturday evening.
Police say the shooting appeared to be accidental but an investigation is looking at whether charges relating to careless or dangerous use of a firearm should be... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Re-Stocks Private Arsenal to Pre-Buyback Gun Numbers
13 January 2013
Sydney Morning Herald
Australians own as many guns now as they did at the time of the Port Arthur massacre, despite more than 1 million firearms being handed in and destroyed, new research reveals.
A University of Sydney study has shown there has been a steady increase in guns imported into the country over the past decade, with the number of privately owned guns now at the same level as 1996.
Estimates suggest there were 3.2 million firearms in Australia at the time of the Tasmanian... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,El Salvador,Venezuela,United States,Australia,Jamaica,Russia,Colombia
NRA 'Good Guys With Guns' Theory Already Disproved in Latin America
5 January 2013
New York Times
In the wake of the tragic shooting deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last month, the National Rifle Association proposed that the best way to protect schoolchildren was to place a guard — a "good guy with a gun" — in every school, part of a so-called National School Shield Emergency Response Program.
Indeed, the N.R.A.'s solution to the expansion of gun violence in America has been generally to advocate for the more widespread deployment and... (GunPolicy.org)
US School Shooting a Watershed: Think Pearl Harbour, 9/11 – Wintemute
4 January 2013
Sacramento Bee (California)
Gun violence has not been far from our collective minds since the nation was shocked Dec. 14 by the shooting of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Conn. Now a New Year's Eve shootout in Old Sacramento has left two people dead and three wounded in our own community, bringing the issue of public violence closer to home.
Perhaps no one in the Sacramento region is better known for his research on gun violence than Dr. Garen Wintemute, who as director of the UC Davis Violence... (GunPolicy.org)
Experts Suggest US Can Learn From Australia's Post-Port Arthur Laws
30 December 2012
Sky News (UK)
When Martin Bryant massacred 35 people with semi-automatic weapons at a tourist spot in Tasmania in 1996, then-Australian prime minister John Howard reacted swiftly by pushing for tough new national gun laws.
Just 12 days after the shootings at Port Arthur, legislation was agreed which banned most people from owning rapid fire rifles and shotguns.
In a government buyback scheme more than 600,000 weapons were handed in and destroyed.
There have been no mass killings... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,United States,Americas,Oceania,Europe,Asia
US Gun Lobby Accused of Lying to Public About UN Arms Trade Treaty
28 December 2012
Reuters
The leading U.S. pro-gun group, the National Rifle Association, has vowed to fight a draft international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global arms trade and dismissed suggestions that a recent U.S. school shooting bolstered the case for such a pact.
The U.N. General Assembly voted on Monday to restart negotiations in mid-March on the first international treaty to regulate conventional arms trade after a drafting conference in July collapsed because the U.S. and... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Finland,Colombia,Mexico,Western Europe,Australia,Yemen,Canada,New Zealand,United States
On Guns and Gun Law, America an Outlier Among Developed Nations
20 December 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
How freely do guns flow in the United States compared with the world's other industrialized countries?
According to GunPolicy.org, run by Philip Alpers, a firearms analyst at The University of Sydney, the United States is unusual with what Alpers described as the "two pillars" of gun control: licensing gun owners and registering weapons.
"You are basically the only country in the developed world that doesn't license gun owners across the board and you are almost alone... (GunPolicy.org)
Govt Gun Advisory Body Stacked with Shooters, Other Views Excluded
20 December 2012
Sydney Morning Herald
The state government allowed a little-known committee stacked with representatives of the shooting and hunting fraternities to reject tighter gun controls proposed by police.
The Police Minister, Mike Gallacher, is using the 15-member Firearms Consultative Committee to steer the overhaul of the 2006 Firearms Act.
It includes the Shooters and Fishers MP Robert Borsak, who replaced colleague Robert Brown, and members of the NSW Shooting Association and the pro-shooting... (GunPolicy.org)
Without the Fear of Guns, Other Countries More Free than America
19 December 2012
ABC News (USA)
If there is one country that best represents the possibility of cutting gun crime by increasing gun control, it is Australia.
In 1996, 28-year-old Martin Bryant finished his lunch in a café in the seaside resort of Port Arthur and pulled out a semi-automatic rifle. In the first 15 seconds of his attack, he killed 12 and wounded 10. In all, he shot more than 50 people in six locations, killing 35. The worst mass shooting in Australia's history capped a violent decade... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Norway,Switzerland,Canada,Germany,Spain,Finland,United States,United Kingdom,Australia
Homicides Down after Tougher Gun Laws Adopted Abroad
19 December 2012
Los Angeles Times
Twelve days after the worst mass murder in Australian history, when 35 people were shot to death at Tasmania state's Port Arthur tourist mecca in 1996, the government issued sweeping reforms of the country's gun laws. There hasn't been a mass shooting since, and suicides, deaths by firearms and robberies at gunpoint have plummeted.
The results of toughened gun rules in Britain after the massacre in the Scottish town of Dunblane that same year weren't so immediate or... (GunPolicy.org)
Norway,Switzerland,Finland,Germany,Canada,Australia,United Kingdom,United States
Around the World, Gun Massacres Spurred Gun Control, Public Safety
18 December 2012
ABC News (USA) / AP
If there's anywhere that understands the pain of Newtown, it's Dunblane, the town whose grief became a catalyst for changes to Britain's gun laws.
In March 1996, a 43-year-old man named Thomas Hamilton walked into a primary school in this central Scotland town of 8,000 people and shot to death 16 kindergarten-age children and their teacher with four legally held handguns. In the weeks that followed, people in the town formed the Snowdrop campaign — named for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Scotland,United States,United Kingdom,Australia,Japan
Several Countries Curbed Guns, Saw Public Safety Improve [Espanol]
18 December 2012
BBC News
[Translated summary: Three industrialised nations - Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom have dramatically reduced gun deaths after applying strict firearm laws.]
Tres naciones industrializadas -Japón, Australia y Escocia- han logrado reducir dramáticamente las muertes por armas de fuego tras aplicar estrictas leyes que regulan el porte y comercio de armas que podría servir de modelo en Estados Unidos cuando ese pueblo trata de reponerse de la matanza de niños y... (GunPolicy.org)
Expert Says NZ Gun Laws Not Tight Enough, Registry Needed
18 December 2012
3 News (New Zealand)
Despite New Zealand's reputation for tight gun regulation, one anti-gun lobbyist says we are still leaving ourselves exposed.
Professor Kevin Clements, director of the National Centre of Peace and Conflict Studies at Otago University, says current laws around gun registration are loose and leave room for abuse.
"The registered arms owners [might have] a large amount of weapons but we don't know how many, where they are, what sort they are and whether they might fall... (GunPolicy.org)
Japan,Scotland,Australia,United States
In Other Countries than the US, Laws Are Strict and Work
17 December 2012
New York Times, Editorial
Like other shootings before it, the Newtown, Conn., tragedy has reawakened America to its national fixation with firearms. No country in the world has more guns per capita, with some 300 million civilian firearms now in circulation, or nearly one for every adult.
Experts from the Harvard School of Public Health, using data from 26 developed countries, have shown that wherever there are more firearms, there are more homicides. In the case of the United States,... (GunPolicy.org)
One Leader of a Democracy Reversed His Nation's Gun Laws in 12 Days
17 December 2012
CNN, Opinion
Editor's note: Philip Alpers is Adjunct Associate Professor at the Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney. A policy analyst in the public health effects of gun violence and small arms proliferation, his web site GunPolicy.org compares armed violence and gun laws, country by country.
SYDNEY, Australia - Could the leader of a democracy reverse his nation's slide toward the ever more permissive use of firearms and mandate stringent new gun control laws in... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Ownership Rate Rising Despite Shootings, Law Reform
17 December 2012
Sydney Morning Herald
Thirteen years after John Howard's historic gun reforms, a woman with a history of chronic paranoid schizophrenia walked out of the Sydney Pistol Club with one of its weapons, a .22 calibre Ruger semi-automatic pistol. Shamin Fernando, a probationary club member, used it to pump bullets into the head of her 70-year-old father, Vincent Lalin Fernando, in August 2010. He was her only target.
But gun control campaigners worry that there is nothing to stop a mass killer... (GunPolicy.org)
Thousands of Weapons, Guns Handed to Australia Police in State Amnesty
13 December 2012
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Thousands of weapons including handguns, high-powered rifles and double-edged knives are off the streets after a two-month "no questions asked" statewide police amnesty.
A total of 2450 firearms and other weapons were handed in by the public without fear of legal reprisals. Bendigo topped the list of places with the most weapons handed in with 164, followed by Warrnambool with 87.
Licensing and Regulation Division Superintendent Russell Barrett said he was pleased 128... (GunPolicy.org)
Marijuana Found at Airport, PNG Police Suggest Gun Running Plot
5 December 2012
Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
PORT MORESBY – In Papua New Guinea, a major drugs-for-guns trade syndicate operating between Tari in the new Hela province and Daru in the Western province involving the use of light aircrafts was uncovered last Tuesday in Tari, Hela province.
Third level airliner Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) workers in Tari become suspicious when two youths fronted up in the morning with their bags to travel to Balimo in Western province.
Tari MAF port manager Mr. David... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Drew Glock on Australian Police, Had Failed Pistol Licence Inspection
4 December 2012
Australian (Sydney)
A man shot dead by police last year after allegedly pointing a Glock pistol at two men failed a firearm inspection on the same weapon just months earlier.
Under the Firearms Act, officers must seize weapons that haven't been stored properly, an inquest has been told.
Rodney Elkass, 37, allegedly pointed the pistol during a confrontation with two men in Castle Hill in northwestern Sydney on September 29 last year.
Minutes later, three plainclothed officers who spotted... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Authorities Suspect Navy Arms Thief had Inside Knowledge
30 November 2012
Age (Melbourne)
An armed intruder who breached national security, assaulted a sailor and stole weapons from a Darwin naval base appears to have an intimate knowledge of defence procedures, police say.
Fourteen weapons were stolen early on Friday morning when the assailant, wearing a balaclava and military clothing, boarded the Armidale-class patrol boat Bathurst, which was moored at HMAS Coonawarra near the city centre.
They overpowered a duty sailor before tying him up with cable... (GunPolicy.org)
Military Weapons Cache Stolen from Australian Navy Vessel
30 November 2012
Radio Netherlands
An intruder robbed an Australian navy vessel of a cache of weapons after overpowering military personnel on guard, the defence department said, in an unprecedented security breach.
The Australian Department of Defence said the infiltrator "overwhelmed a duty member onboard a patrol boat" which was moored at HMAS Coonawarra, a naval base in the northern city of Darwin.
"The intruder overpowered the duty member, accessed the vessel's armoury and removed a number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Plans New Gun Laws, Hotline to Combat Illegal Gun Availability
25 November 2012
Sunday Telegraph (Sydney)
A new national campaign targeting gun-toting criminals will be launched encouraging people to phone-in anonymous tip-offs about illegal guns.
The initiative, run by Crime Stoppers, will start next year. It is hoped the move will encourage people, who may be reluctant to speak to police, to come forward with information. The Australian Crime Commission has confirmed there are at least 250,000 illegal guns on the black market.
It's suspected most have been stolen from... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Govt Changes Gun Laws to Address Trafficking, Illegal Weapons
23 November 2012
Australian (Sydney)
The federal government is pressing ahead with plans to create new aggravated offences for trafficking firearms or gun parts across state and national borders.
Justice Minister Jason Clare on Friday announced he would introduce the legislation into federal parliament next week - the last sitting days of the year.
"These new offences will carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment," Mr Clare said in a statement.
"This will make the maximum penalty for trafficking in... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Support 'More Distinctive' Fake Guns After Toy Causes Seige
22 November 2012
Stuff (New Zealand)
One can kill while the other is a toy, but police are finding it increasingly difficult to tell the difference as fake firearms become more realistic.
Armed police raided a house in the Wellington suburb of Johnsonville on Tuesday after a member of the public reported seeing a gun being pointed through a window.
It turned out the gun was a toy given as a 10th birthday present. A man, 21, has been charged with possession of an imitation firearm.
Last year, film-makers... (GunPolicy.org)
Lack of Gun Registration Puts Police at Risk in New Zealand
12 November 2012
Herald (New Zealand), Editorial
Police can only guess the number of firearms - legal and illegal - in the country.
This country has been spared a criminal fraternity that wields firearms as a matter of course. Indeed, according to police statistics, guns are involved in just 1 per cent of violent crime. Yet any comfort to be derived from this statistic must be tempered by data released recently to the Herald under the Official Information Act. This showed 325 illegal firearms were seized in police... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Seizures Rising in NZ But Police Lack Data on Owners, Thefts
6 November 2012
New Zealand Herald
Hundreds of illegal firearms are being seized each year in police raids - but there is no record of how many guns are stolen to fuel the black market.
New figures show 325 firearms were seized in the financial year to June, the lowest number in the past five years and down from a peak of 1146 the previous year.
Most of the illegal firearms are stolen in residential burglaries or from collectors by organised criminal groups, police documents released under the Official... (GunPolicy.org)
South Australia Firearm Amnesty Nets Over 2700 Guns
1 November 2012
West Australian (Perth)
More than 2700 illegal and unwanted weapons have been handed in during South Australia's most successful gun amnesty.
The government's three-month general firearms amnesty ended at midnight on Wednesday.
By the end of the amnesty, 168 handguns, 2420 Class A or B firearms and 105 Class C or D guns were taken to police stations across the state.
More than 77 weapons are yet to be identified and 13 fit into the prescribed category.
Attorney-General John Rau said 2783... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia, US Sign Trade Deal to Ease Weapons Transfers
30 October 2012
Yahoo! 7 News (Australia), Video
Australia and America will be able to exchange weapons and defence technology more easily after Australia passed new trade legislation. The changes apply to licences for arms exports and will facilitate weapons upgrades for the Australian Defence Force.
Link to video:... (GunPolicy.org)
8-Year-Old Samoan Boy Accidentally Shoots, Kills 5-Year-Old Cousin
29 October 2012
Stuff (New Zealand)
The Kiwi father of a 5-year-old boy shot dead by his 8-year-old cousin has flown to Samoa to be with the child's body.
James May was visiting the village of Samamea, 44km from the capital Apia, with his family when he, his cousin and uncle went into the woods to shoot pigeons and collect coconuts on Wednesday, Samoa's Weekend Observer reported.
James was shot in the face and killed.
The shooting happened when the uncle reportedly put the loaded gun down briefly while... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Small Arms Factory Celebrates 100 Years on Gun Manufacture
26 October 2012
Defence Professionals (Bonn)
The Minister for Defence Materiel, The Hon. Jason Clare MP, has officially marked 100 years of Australian small arms manufacturing during a ceremony at the Thales Australia facility in Lithgow, NSW.
The Minister took the time to meet Thales employees, and also received a detailed briefing on the company's latest offering – the new F90 weapon.
Since 1912, .303, SLR and Austeyr rifles made at Lithgow have supported Australia's soldiers on countless operations around... (GunPolicy.org)
PNG Govt to Address Illegal Gun Issue, Assault Weapon Ban Considered
24 October 2012
Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has assured the people of Papua New Guinea that the government will act on recommendations of a public inquiry to outlaw firearms in the country.
Mr O'Neill said this when responding to questions during Question Time in Parliament yesterday by Enga Governor Peter Ipatas about law and order problems and the use of illegal firearms.
Governor Ipatas said law and order had become a serious problem in the country and asked why Parliament should... (GunPolicy.org)
Authorities Close Down US - Australia Smuggling Route
19 October 2012
Sky News (Australia)
An illegal gun supply route between Nashville, Tennessee and Sydney has been shut down in a joint operation by Australian and US law enforcement officers.
Three men have been arrested in Nashville and more arrests were expected in Sydney, NSW Police and Australian Customs and Border Protection said on Friday.
Officers from the two services have been working with the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the US Drug Enforcement Administration for several... (GunPolicy.org)
Samoa Considers Gun Amnesty After Recent Shooting Deaths
15 October 2012
Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
Samoa's Ministry of Police is considering calling a gun amnesty following concerns over the increasing number of unlicensed and illegal firearms in the community.
The assistant police commissioner, Leaupepe Fatu Pula, says it's not only the public who are worried but police officers have also raised their concerns.
He says guns were found at a recent police drug raid, and a gun was used recently to kill a local taxi driver.
He also says police are investigating the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Expert Says Legal Loophole Allowed Guns onto Black Market
15 October 2012
Australian (Sydney) / Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
A legal loophole in Queensland has allowed thousands of handguns to flood the black market, according to a leading criminologist.
Australian Institute of Criminology researcher Dr Samantha Bricknell also says theft, corrupt gun dealers, a grey market of missing weapons and the lack of a national firearms database have contributed to an estimated 260,000 guns circulating illegally in Australia.
In a report released earlier this year, Dr Bricknell said a loophole in... (GunPolicy.org)
Tonga MPs Decide Not to Reduce Legal Penalties for Gun Offences
14 October 2012
Matangi Tonga / Pacific Islands Report
NUKUALOFA, Tonga – Tonga's government is once again trying to drastically reduce penalties for the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, by reintroducing a controversial amendment bill, despite the fact that the late King George Tupou V withheld his consent in 2011 because it was considered to be "inimical to the welfare, well-being and safety of His subjects."
A bill that was presented by government last week to amend the Arms and Ammunition Act by reducing... (GunPolicy.org)
Solomons Man Arrested After Threats with Modified 'High Powered' Gun
4 October 2012
Solomon Times Online (Solomon Islands)
A recent firearm incident in the Province of Makira, Solomon Islands had left police seriously concerned about the country's security.
Deputy Police Commissioner, Walter Kola yesterday had announced the arrest of a person in Arosi in the possession of a 3-0-3 high powered weapon.
Mr Kola says that the weapon also seem modified by homemade means.
Police became aware of the matter when villagers reported the man to police, following an incident over a brawl over which... (GunPolicy.org)
Papua New Guinea Finds Success with Restorative Justice After War
28 September 2012
Science Magazine
Papua New Guinea has a fearsome reputation for violent conflict. Between 1991 and 2010, about 500 clan wars killed about 1% of the Enga, the nation's largest linguistic group. But on page 1651 of this issue, researchers document an astonishing turn toward peace among the Enga. Starting around 2005, the people began to rely on compensation in village courts to resolve offenses that once might have triggered war, and by 2011, few Enga waged war. "Now people don't want... (GunPolicy.org)
Asia,Americas,Africa,Oceania,Europe
World's First Online Firearms 'Mall' Opens, Allows 24 Hour Gun Sales
19 September 2012
Discovery (America)
"In theory, this doesn't appear to change anything. Gun sales are still processed through dealers who conduct Brady background checks," says Daniel Vice, an attorney for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence in response to the news that the National Firearms Dealer Network has just teamed up with gun manufactures and distributors to create the world's first online firearms "shopping mall," providing instant, 24-7 access to 50,000 firearms and a total of $300 million... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Scotland,England & Wales,New Zealand,United Kingdom
British Police Reject Idea of More Guns Despite Deaths
19 September 2012
BBC News, Opinion
The deaths of two female police constables have brought into focus the unarmed status of most British police. Why does Britain hold firm against issuing guns to officers on the beat?
It's the single most obvious feature that sets the British bobby apart from their counterparts overseas.
Tourists and visitors regularly express surprise at the absence of firearms from the waists of officers patrolling the streets.
But to most inhabitants of the UK - with the notable... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 1200 Illegal Guns Handed in to South Australia Amnesty
17 September 2012
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
More than 1200 illegal and unwanted firearms have been surrendered to the state as part of SA's gun amnesty.
So far, 60 handguns, 1091 Class A or B firearms and 43 Class C or D guns have been delivered to various police stations across South Australia since the amnesty started on August 1.
More than 70 imitation weapons and seven prescribed firearms - including sawn-off rifles have also been handed in.
Attorney-General John Rau said the response had been overwhelming... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Police Admit Losing Three Handguns, Taser
15 September 2012
TVNZ (New Zealand)
Three police-issued Glock pistols, gun parts and a Taser have been lost or stolen - and police have no idea where any of them might be.
They have also damaged a further 33 weapons in the past five years, including two rifles that were run over, information obtained by The Dominion Post has revealed.
Superintendent Barry Taylor said that, though any weapon going missing was "not acceptable", the number lost was small.
Two of the Glocks "went missing while in transit... (GunPolicy.org)
Singapore,Indonesia,Australia,Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea Police Arrest Man Over Alleged Gun Smuggling
14 September 2012
Pacific Islands News Association (Fiji) / Post Courier
A substantial amount of gun powder, live bullets, firearms and accessories were seized by the National Criminal Intelligence Unit (NCIU) of Lae police and Border Security officers in Lae recently.
The weapons and gun powder were confiscated following a police intelligence report of alleged gun smuggling into the country, and especially through the Lae port.
On Tuesday this week, police arrested an Indonesian man and charged him with four counts of unlawfully dealings... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pacific Islands News Association (Fiji) / Post Courier
