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Firearm violence, gun control and small arms

Kyrgyzstan Officials Consider Ban on Carrying Guns at Govt

26 March 2013

24 News Agency (Kyrgyzstan)

BISHKEK - At least 58 MPs have firearms in the amount of 164 units. Irina Karamushkina, member of SDPK faction stated today at a meeting of the Committee on Ethics and Regulations referring to the Interior Ministry's data. According to her, four of them are women. "These are honorary and hunting weapons. But I think we should ban carrying of guns in the Parliament building. This object is guarded by officers of the 9th detachment of the State Committee for National... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: 24 News Agency (Kyrgyzstan)

Tajikistan,Afghanistan,Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan Officials Alarmed by Small Arms Proliferation

15 June 2012

Eurasianet.org (EU/Asia)

A spokesman at Kyrgyzstan's Interior Ministry has acknowledged that only about half of the small arms that went missing during the country's 2010 political and ethnic violence have been accounted for. The "huge number" of weapons floating about is "enough to carry out another revolution in the country," believes the chairman of parliament's defense and security committee. Bishkek's 24.kg news agency reported this week that security forces lost about 1,200 small arms... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Eurasianet.org (EU/Asia)

Brazil,Turkey,China,Pakistan,Central Asia,Russia,Afghanistan

Where Do 20 Million Illegal Guns Come From? Afghanistan, Says Pakistan

17 May 2012

Express Tribune (Pakistan)

KARACHI - There are an estimated 20 million illegal arms in circulation in Pakistan. This includes serious firepower: law enforcement authorities are increasingly coming under attack from criminals and terrorists armed with heavy weapons such as grenades (including rocket-propelled ones), long-range sniper rifles and machine guns. The volatile situation in Lyari was a case in point, where despite the fact that police were equipped with tank-like armoured personnel... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Express Tribune (Pakistan)

Estonia,Dominican Republic,Ecuador,Ukraine,Kyrgyzstan,Moldova,Kazakhstan,Belize,Latvia,Venezuela,Belarus,Lithuania,Bahamas,Bolivia,Azerbaijan,Russia,Antigua & Barbuda,Guyana,South Africa,Jamaica,Honduras,Guatemala,El Salvador,South America,Colombia,Brazil,Central America,Caribbean

1/3 of Femicides Committed With Gun in Latin America and Caribbean [Espanol]

2 March 2012

RT-TV Novosti (Russia)

[Translated summary: Nearly a third of crimes against women are committed with a firearm and in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras this indicator is 60% - Small Arms Survey.] El mayor nivel de feminicidios se registra en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Catorce países latinoamericanos aparecen entre los 25 del mundo con la tasa más elevada de crímenes contra la mujer. El informe de la organización de investigaciones independientes Small Arms Survey,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: RT-TV Novosti (Russia)

Madagascar,Guinea,Ghana,Botswana,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Russia,Austria,Israel,Germany,Italy,United States,Yemen,Philippines,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,Tunisia,Brazil,Burkina Faso,Egypt,Côte d'Ivoire,Malawi,Mauritania,Morocco,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Congo (ROC),Senegal,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe,Argentina,Ecuador

Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [Portugues]

27 January 2012

Publica (Brazil)

[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Publica (Brazil)

Central Asia,United States,Afghanistan,India

US Gets India to Train 30,000 Afghan Soldiers, Give Them Assault Rifles

3 December 2011

National (Abu Dhabi)

NEW DELHI - India plans to fly 20,000 to 30,000 Afghan troops to training bases in India over the next three years and is expanding its presence in Afghanistan as US troops leave. The US is reportedly eager for more countries to take on part of the US$12 billion (Dh44bn) training bill for the Afghan security forces, and is also running out of time, having set 2014 as the deadline for transferring combat duties to local troops. With the Afghan government unwilling to... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: National (Abu Dhabi)

Kyrgyzstan,Czech Republic,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Central Asia,Russia,Uzbekistan,China,Kazakhstan,European Union,United States,Colombia,Iran

Smuggling of Small Arms in Central Asia Is Endemic - British Expert

2 August 2011

Journal of Turkish Weekly (Turkey), Transcript

British intelligence analyst and journalist Richard M. Bennett says the Fergana Valley is extremely vulnerable to the covert smuggling of arms and drugs, despite the official reports of Central Asian governments denying its highlighted status. Mr. Bennett told JTW that Russia has been responsible for an overwhelming amount of illegal arms circulating in ex-Soviet Central Asia. In his view, Russia's military intelligence (GRU) is the mastermind of major trafficking... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Journal of Turkish Weekly (Turkey)

South America,South Asia,Central Asia,Eastern Europe,Africa,Egypt,France,Italy,Libya

Libya's Rebels: Where Are the Weapons From?

15 June 2011

The Interpreter - Lowy Institute for International Policy (Australia)

Libya's rebels appear to be armed in a fairly predictable way. The basis of their armoury seems to come from weapons taken from state stockpiles in battle and from defecting Libyan officers. The literature refers to these as 'battle-captures', or euphemistically, 'leakage'. In Libya's case, it's clearly a flood. Libya was one of the largest purchasers of conventional military equipment in the developing world in the 1970s and 80s. While the USSR was its main supplier,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: The Interpreter - Lowy Institute for International Policy (Australia)

Tajikistan,Afghanistan,Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan Still Awash with Firearms, Guns Feature in Political Struggles

9 June 2011

Eurasianet.org (European Union - Asia) / Eagle-Tribune (Massachusetts)

One year after ethnic violence rocked southern Kyrgyzstan, leaving over 400 dead, gunshot wounds have been established as the main cause of death. Activists believe the country is still awash with firearms, and security experts say weapons are likely to keep featuring in domestic political struggles, especially as officials seek support from gun-toting associates or even arm themselves. During the violent overthrow of Kurmanbek Bakiyev in April 2010, protestors seized... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Eurasianet.org (European Union - Asia) / Eagle-Tribune (Massachusetts)

North Korea,New Zealand,Thailand,Kazakhstan,Iran

Complex International Web Entangles Weapon Cargo Seized In Thailand

22 January 2010

Associated Press

SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan - The trail of the plane seized in Thailand last month for reportedly smuggling North Korean weapons to Iran leads back to a small air freight company housed near an old Soviet airfield on the edge of the Kazakh steppe. The aging Russian plane's odyssey took it through a web of companies, financiers and air cargo carriers with addresses stretching from New York through the Persian Gulf to New Zealand, an Associated Press investigation has... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Associated Press

North Korea,Kazakhstan,Serbia,Russia,Thailand,Ukraine,Belarus

Ex-Soviet Pilots, Aircraft Ship Weapons for Global Gun Running Networks

17 December 2009

Time (USA)

KIEV -- It was no ordinary smuggling bust. On Dec. 11, an old Russian plane landed in Thailand to refuel after taking off hours earlier from Pyongyang, North Korea. In its hull, police found 35 tons of explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and components for surface-to-air missiles, all being transported from North Korea in breach of U.N. sanctions. The captain and his crew were promptly arrested and charged with illegally transporting arms. But according to experts,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Time (USA)

Police Seize 186 Illegal Firearms Since January in Northern Tajikistan

12 September 2009

Asia-Plus Online (Dushanbe)

KHUJAND — A total of 186 firearms have been seized in (northern) Sughd Region since the beginning of this year. The regional interior department told the Asia-Plus news agency that 180 pieces of firearms were seized during the same period of the last year. The source said that the weapons were seized from illegal circulation by police officers and voluntarily handed over by the residents of northern Tajikistan. "The seized weapons include two assault rifles, one... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Asia-Plus Online (Dushanbe)

Armenia,Belarus,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Russia,Tajikistan,Uzbekistan

Belarus Ratifies CIS Accord on Illegal Gun, Ammunition Trade

30 May 2009

BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Belapan (Minsk), Transcript

MINSK — Belarusian MPs have agreed to ratify the agreement on cooperation between the CIS member-states in counteracting illegal production and sales of firearms, ammunition, explosive substances and devices. Belarusian Deputy Interior Minister Syarhey Hureyew said that the agreement was signed on 14 November 2008 in Chisinau by Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to ensure effective joint struggle against crime, including... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Belapan (Minsk)

Inspection of Licensed Kazakh Gun Owners Yields 747 Illegal Weapons

7 April 2009

BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Interfax (Kazakhstan)

During the Karu (Weapon) operation, the police seized 747 weapons kept illegally by people in Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Interior Ministry's press service has said. In particular, the police seized 49 rifled weapons, including 39 rifles and 4 pistols, as well as 547 smooth-bore weapons, including 98 "sawn-off shotguns", says a report issued by the press service today. A total of 40 gas-spray guns, 60 traumatic weapons, 23 home-made weapons and six converted gas-spray guns... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Interfax (Kazakhstan)

60 Guns Seized, 600 Violations Found Among 6,000 Kazakh Gun Owners

12 September 2008

BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Kazakhstan Today, Transcript

A total of 60 pieces of illegal firearms have been seized in Almaty during the preventive operation "Karu", Kazakhstan Today news agency reports, with reference to the press service of the Almaty internal affairs department. According to the press service, during preventive operations codenamed "Karu", the police check all those who posses registered guns, as well as specialized shops and security firms. The so called criminal elements and registered contingent, who... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Kazakhstan Today

Afghanistan,Tajikistan

Central Asia's Guns-for-drugs Trade Helps Arm Insurgents Worldwide

7 July 2008

Rome News-Tribune (Georgia) / McClatchy-Tribune News Service

BADAKHSHAN, Afghanistan — The bazaar sits on a small island in the middle of the Panj River, the shallow waterway that serves as the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. On either side loom the Pamir Mountains, a range of high peaks that cuts the region off from the rest of the world. When the bazaar first opened five years ago, people on both sides of the border cheered the opportunity for commerce to flourish between the two countries. And flourish it has:... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Rome News-Tribune (Georgia) / McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Unregistered Rifles, Pistols Collected in North Kazakhstan Gun Buyback

11 May 2008

BBC Worldwide Monitoring (Astana) / Kazinform, Transcript

During a campaign to voluntarily hand in unregistered rifles, pistols and explosives to police in [Kazakhstan's northern] Pavlodar Region, people brought 611 weapons, a Kazinform [news agency] correspondent has reported. Police valued the arsenal at 3.79m tenge [over 30,000 dollars], Maskhat Yeshmuratov, deputy head of the public security directorate of the [regional] interior affairs department, said. The explosives, which were brought [to police], included a mine... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: BBC Worldwide Monitoring (Astana) / Kazinform

Armenia,Azerbaijan,Belarus,Georgia,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Moldova,Russia,Tajikistan,Ukraine,Uzbekistan

Former Soviet States Plan Database of Gun Runners, Illicit Arms Dealers

11 April 2008

BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Interfax, Transcript

A joint CIS database of transnational criminal groups involved in illegal arms trafficking will be created, the press service of the Minsk-based CIS Executive Committee has told Interfax. "This is stipulated by a draft agreement on cooperation in combating the illegal manufacturing and sale of firearms, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices, which has been discussed by the committee's expert group," the press service said. Chief of the committee's anti-crime... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Interfax

Kazakhstan Legislates for Gun, Ammunition Amnesty, Buyback, Destruction

15 January 2008

BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Interfax, Transcript

The law on buying firearms, ammunition and explosives that are in illegal possession of population, if people voluntarily hand over these weapons, comes into force as of 1 January 2008, the head of the Kazakh Interior Ministry's press service, Bagdat Kozhakhmetov has said. "With the aim of ensuring public safety and preventing crimes committed with the use of firearms, the law stipulating buying firearms, ammunition and explosives in illegal possession of the... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Interfax

Tajikistan Reports Over 200 Guns Seized in Tajik North in First Half of 2007

22 July 2007

BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Asia Plus News, Transcript

Internal affairs officers in [northern] Sughd Region have confiscated 205 firearms from local residents in the first half of this year. A source in the regional internal affairs directorate told Asia-Plus that the figure was less by 10 compared to the same period of 2006 (215). The source said that among 205 firearms there were three assault rifles, six pistols, nine rifled-barrel guns and 187 smooth-bore guns. "Furthermore, six hand grenades and 2,015 various... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: BBC Worldwide Monitoring / Asia Plus News

Small Arms in Kyrgyzstan: Post-revolutionary Gun Trade and Proliferation

20 March 2007

ReliefWeb / Small Arms Survey, Web Page

The ousting of President Askar Akaev from power in March 2005 has resulted in a deteriorating security situation and an increase in the demand for and use of small arms in Kyrgyzstan. The Small Arms Survey study published in 2004 (MacFarlane and Torjesen, 2004) found that small arms were less of a problem in Kyrgyzstan than commonly assumed: few families owned arms; demand was limited; and trafficking was modest. While the proliferation of small arms may pose a... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: ReliefWeb / Small Arms Survey

Kyrgyz Lawmakers Pass Bill Allowing Themselves to Carry Guns

14 December 2006

Itar-Tass (Russia)

BISHKEK — Kyrgyz lawmakers on Thursday approved a law allowing them to possess firearms. Most of the deputies believe that they need arms for self-defense. Opposition lawmakers repeatedly stated that they had been often threatened by unidentified persons. The law provides for lawmakers' keeping firearms after quitting office. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev refused to sign the bill several days ago, but the parliamentarians overcame his veto on Thursday. The issue... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Itar-Tass (Russia)

Kyrgyzstan Loosens Gun Law, Allows Shooting to Protect Private Property

16 November 2006

Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Businessmen in Kyrgyzstan have welcomed a new law making it legal for them to use weapons to defend their property. However, there are a number of grey areas in the law which NBCentralAsia commentators say need to be defined more clearly — including what actually constitutes property, and what the police and courts should do when a violent incident takes place. On November 14, the Kyrgyz parliament passed a bill amending current criminal and civil legislation to... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Somalia,Kazakhstan

Somali Leader Orders Surrender of 'Every Single Gun' as More Arrive by Air

1 August 2006

Associated Press

BAIDOA, Somalia — Somalia's president told residents of the only town his government controls Tuesday that they have a week to give up their weapons or "every single gun" would be seized by force. President Abdullahi Yusuf said his government would pay people for any arms surrendered and that details of the disarmament plan would be released Wednesday. He did not say why his government decided on the measure, but two lawmakers have been shot in Baidoa, 155 miles... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Associated Press

Somalia,Kazakhstan

Somalis Watch Helplessly as Kazakhstan Cargo Plane Flies in More Guns

26 July 2006

Associated Press

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia's virtually powerless government said a cargo plane that landed at the capital's airport Wednesday morning was carrying weapons for Islamic militants who have seized control of much of southern Somalia. The Ilyushin-76 was only the second aircraft to land at Mogadishu International Airport in more than a decade of anarchy here, demonstrating the Islamic militia's total control of the capital. A spokesman for the country's official... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Associated Press

Small Arms Race in Kyrgyzstan is a Growing Concern for Authorities

8 June 2006

IRIN (UN News)

OSH, Kyrgyzstan — The spread of small arms in Kyrgyzstan has become a growing concern for government officials and law enforcement agencies responsible for combating rising crime in the Central Asian state. "The problem is clear: illegal proliferation of small arms has a tendency to grow. This becomes a threat to public order and results in the growth of criminal incidents and assassinations," said Col. Ravshan Abdukarimov, deputy chief of staff at the Kyrgyz... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: IRIN (UN News)

Hunting Guns: A Country Awash With Guns?

9 March 2004

Transitions Online

It is commonly believed that Central Asia is awash with arms and that gun possession and trading is linked to other security problems in the region: trafficking in drugs and people, the criminalization of the police and security forces, religious fundamentalism, and ethnic rivalries. One influential report, published in 2002 by the UN's Institute for Disarmament Research, suggested that "the existence of a considerable infrastructure for illicit small-arms trafficking... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Transitions Online

New Report Shoots Down Assumptions About Gun Proliferation

1 March 2004

Times of Central Asia

KYRGYZSTAN — A new report counters preconceptions that Central Asia is a "hotbed of gun proliferation and misuse." The study uses Kyrgyzstan as a case study and finds that, despite suffering from socio-economic problems and ethnic tensions, there is little evidence that this has led to increasing violence and gun proliferation. Neil MacFarlane is a professor of international relations at Oxford University in Britain and the co-author of the report, titled "Kyrgyzstan:... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Times of Central Asia

Central Asia,Kyrgyzstan,Afghanistan,Uzbekistan,Kazakhstan,Tajikistan

New Report Shoots Down Assumptions About Arms Proliferation

27 February 2004

Radio Free Europe (Czech Republic)

PRAGUE — A new report counters preconceptions that Central Asia is a "hotbed of gun proliferation and misuse." The study uses Kyrgyzstan as a case study and finds that, despite suffering from socio-economic problems and ethnic tensions, there is little evidence that this has led to increasing violence and gun proliferation. "Some states are better than others at controlling small arms. But they are nonetheless vulnerable in key issues such as border control. The... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Radio Free Europe (Czech Republic)

Gun Ownership Less Serious Than Previously Believed

19 February 2004

Eurasia Net

A new survey on gun ownership in Kyrgyzstan raises questions about widely held assumptions concerning Central Asian security conditions. The study found that guns are less prevalent in Kyrgyz society than previously believed. The findings suggest that Kyrgyzstan should not be lumped together with "its friction-prone neighbors" when considering the potential for conflict in the region. "Small arms are less of a problem in Kyrgyzstan than commonly assumed; few families... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Eurasia Net

Study Finds Less Small Arms in Kyrgyzstan Than Previously Thought

19 February 2004

News Central Asia

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — A report released yesterday by Small Arms Survey, a Geneva based study group, shows that small arms are less prevalent in Kyrgyzstan than in neighboring countries, countering the conventional wisdom that the entire Central Asian region is a hotbed of gun proliferation and misuse. According to "Kyrgyzstan: A Small Arms Anomaly in Central Asia?", Kyrgyzstan experiences low levels of civilian gun violence, has no major weapons smuggling, and small... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: News Central Asia

United Nations,United States,Russia,Europe,China,Central Asia,South Asia,South East Asia

World's Trigger-Happy Population Keeps Growing

29 July 2003

Asia Times (Hong Kong)

The international stockpile of small arms continues to grow, according to the latest edition of an annual yearbook, the Small Arms Survey group, based in Geneva. About 7 million mostly civilian small arms are produced annually, far exceeding the amount of arms removed from the weapons supply. The survey said its estimate of the global value of small-arms production remains unchanged at about US$7.4 billion — with the United States and Russia accounting for more than... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Asia Times (Hong Kong)

Central Asia,South Asia,United Nations

Dealing With the Problem of Small Arms

31 July 2001

Dawn (Karachi)

The UN conference on the problem of proliferation of small arms and light weapons held in New York from July 9-20 ended with the UN member states finally agreeing to a political rather than a legally binding document to deal with the scourge and the impact of the spread of such weapons. This was a conference at which civil society organizations and activists were allowed to lobby. The hope of the non-governmental organizations and individuals was to have a legally... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Dawn (Karachi)

Kazakhstan Says There is No Inventory of Country's Weapons

15 June 2000

Baltimore Sun

ASTANA, Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan, hit by an arms export scandal last year involving MiG-21 jet fighters sold to North Korea, said yesterday it did not know exactly what weapons it owned. "Unfortunately, up to now we do not have a full inventory and do not know how many arms we own, not to mention what condition they are in," Defense Minister Sat Tokpakbayev told reporters. His comments were likely to add to Western concerns that Kazakhstan's arms, consisting largely... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Baltimore Sun

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