Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
United States,China
China's position on Gun Control
20 September 2021
CNN
Last week, a 47-year-old man stormed into a law firm in China's Wuhan city and shot dead a lawyer who he had 'some disputes with,' according to Chinese state media. He then stuffed his gun, just under 20 inches (50 centimeters) long, into a tennis racket bag and left.
The fatal shooting shocked many in China, which has some of the world's strictest gun control laws -- so much so, that some people thought initial reports were about yet another American shooting.
'When... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CNN
40575
Laos,Myanmar,China
Chinese Arms Smuggled to Myanmar Armed Groups Via Laos
28 January 2020
Asia Times
In recent months, Asian intelligence officials and well-placed ethnic sources have confirmed to Asia Times that much of the Chinese weaponry purchased by the UWSA [United Wa State Army] since 2011 has been channeled through neighboring Laos.
Official end-user certificates (EUCs) issued to cover exports by state-run manufacturers such as North China Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO) and China National Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (responsible for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Asia Times
40432
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
40300
China
In China, Life Sentence or Even Death for Replica Firearms [ES]
2 November 2016
W Radio (Colombia), EFE News Agency
[Translated Summary: China's strict legislation on firearms can cause firearm replica owners to be accused of trafficking, and go to jail. Even a life sentence or the death penalty are possible in severe cases. The definition of a firearm includes any weapon that can shoot with a force of more than 1.8 joules per square centimetre. This prohibits many replicas.]
La estricta legislación china sobre armas de fuego puede provocar que los propietarios de réplicas sean... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: W Radio (Colombia), EFE News Agency
40127
Australia,Afghanistan,Russia,Central Asia,Pakistan,China,Turkey,Brazil
UN Rule of Thumb Suggests 600,000 Illegal Guns in Australia
21 October 2016
Age (Melbourne)
As many as 600,000 illegal guns could be circulating in the Australian underworld, but national efforts to control the spread is being hampered by inconsistencies between states, a firearms intelligence report has found.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report on guns - to be released on Friday, the same day as state and federal government representatives meet to thrash out a way to combat illegal firearms - also backs a national amnesty.
Chris Dawson,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Age (Melbourne)
40025
China,Eastern Europe,Saudi Arabia,Turkey,Syria,Iraq
'Almost Direct' Supply Chain Sells Guns from Europe to ISIS
11 September 2016
Huffington Post (UK)
Islamic State fighters are illegally using guns and other weapons made in Eastern European factories, in a newly-discovered supply chain that is "almost direct", a weapons expert has claimed.
James Bevan, the director of Conflict Armament Research (CAR), told The Huffington Post UK that investigations this summer have seen a rapid, frightening change in the source of weapons used by the so-called Islamic State to fight other groups and carry out massacres.
These... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Huffington Post (UK)
39834
China,Russia,France,Ukraine,United Kingdom,Saudi Arabia,Yemen,Israel,Bahrain,Belgium,Oman,Turkmenistan,United Arab Emirates
UK, Second Largest Gun Exporter, Arms the Middle East [FR]
5 September 2016
Sputnik News
[Translated summary: The United Kingdom is the second largest exporter of arms. Between 2010 and 2015, the UK has sold weapons worth 10 million pounds to Oman, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates, countries that are classified as "Non-free" by the Freedom House NGO. Other countries that buy from the UK are Saudi Arabia and Israel.]
Le Royaume-Uni est le deuxième plus grand exportateur d'armes du monde sur les 10 dernières années et devant des pays comme la... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sputnik News
39824
United States,China,Germany,United Kingdom,France,Russia,Spain,Italy,Israel,India,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates,Pakistan,Australia,Turkey,Singapore,South Korea,South Sudan,Ukraine
Killer Facts: The Scale of the Global Arms Trade, Gun Totals
22 August 2016
Amnesty International (London)
Transfers of heavy conventional weapons
The top 10 exporters of conventional arms (excluding small arms/ light weapons – SALW) 2010-15
USA: US$55.006 billion
Russia: US$42.404 billion
China: US$9.943 billion
Germany: US$ 9.467 billion
France: US$ 8.932 billion
UK: US$ 7.627 billion
Spain: US$ 5.310 billion
Italy: US$ 4.360 billion
Ukraine: US$ 4.156 billion
Israel: US$ 3.280 billion
The top 10 importers of conventional arms (excluding SALWs) 2010-15
India:... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Amnesty International (London)
39717
China
Yet Again, China Aims to Control, Punish Online Gun Traders
12 August 2016
China.org.cn, Xinhua
Chinese police have launched a nationwide campaign against the selling of guns online, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) announced Friday.
The MPS said police will strengthen the scrutiny of logistics companies that might be involved in gun delivery and crack down on illegal Internet websites, forums, and instant messaging services that facilitate the online gun trade.
Police have also taken resolute action against criminal offences such as manufacturing, selling... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China.org.cn, Xinhua
39689
China
China Reports Increasing Misuse and Seizure of Crime Guns
30 June 2016
China Christian Daily
The increasing prevalence of guns confiscated in China's drug cases has the government alarmed after a total of 500 firearms were impounded following multiple drug busts all over the country last year.
According to data from the China National Narcotics Control Commission, 257 drug cases have been cracked at the city police department levels in 2015, an increase of 52 percent from the previous year. In just those drug cases, 476 guns have been seized, an average of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Christian Daily
39533
Hong Kong,China
Man Arrested Smuggling Guns, Parts from Hong Kong to China
16 May 2016
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
A man has been arrested at the Lo Wu border checkpoint on suspicion of smuggling firearm parts from Hong Kong to the mainland.
Shenzhen police were alerted after a cleaner found a roll of copper wire containing gun parts next to a fence at a checkpoint exit, Guangdong provincial police said on their website.
Police later assembled four pistols from the parts.
Police soon identified a suspect and arrested him at the border crossing last week. He was carrying two gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
39287
Argentina,Canada,Mexico,Australia,United Kingdom,Russia,China,South Africa,United States,Israel,Norway,Finland,Germany,Switzerland
Three European Countries Lead US in Mass Shootings: WSJ
3 October 2015
Wall Street Journal
The latest U.S. shooting that ended in the deaths of 10 people at an Oregon college last week is reigniting calls for tighter gun laws and prompting comparisons to gun violence in other countries.
President Barack Obama asked why Americans can't follow the example of the U.K. and Australia. They crafted laws that "almost eliminate mass shootings," he said. "We know there are ways to prevent it."
Adam Lankford, an associate professor at the University of Alabama... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
39221
China
Five Injured at Chinese Kindergarten in Police Gun Safety Display
30 May 2014
Standard (Hong Kong)
A policeman's handgun went off accidentally when two officers held a safety demonstration at a kindergarten in China to mark International Children's Day, injuring one child and four parents, authorities said.
A gun discharged accidentally and a bullet hit the ground, sending shards of cement flying into the air, wounding five people, said police authorities in Zhengzhou, in the central province of Henan.
They had injuries to their arms and legs and were rushed to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Standard (Hong Kong)
38718
China,United States
China Claims Most Smuggled Guns Arrive in Courier Packs from US
27 May 2014
China Daily
Cooperation with other countries is being intensified to combat arms smuggling, according to an official at the General Administration of Customs.
Last year, Chinese customs officials investigated 50 cases of smuggling involving firearms and ammunition, an increase of 16.3 percent from the previous year.
Authorities confiscated 5,916 guns, 882 gun parts and 13,000 rounds of ammunition in these cases.
"The smuggling of drugs or firearms poses serious threats to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily
38715
China
Illicit Gun Trade Remains in Traditional Chinese Village Allowed Firearms
29 April 2014
Japan Times
BIASHA, China – A rifle shot tears the air of a mountain hamlet — met not with terror but cries of delight in China's only remaining village where authorities encourage gun ownership.
"We start carrying guns from about 15 years old," said Jia Xinshan, fingering a wooden rifle's trigger as tourists snapped pictures of him in a shiny black coat. "We're the last gun tribe in China."
The armaments in Biasha, a village tucked amid the wooded peaks of Guizhou province,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Japan Times
38611
China
Police in China Set to Receive Firearms Training
22 April 2014
Sunday Times (Sri Lanka), Agence France Presse
BEIJING - Police in China are set to receive firearms training as part of a nationwide plan to boost armed patrols, state media said Tuesday, after a string of high-profile violent incidents.
China announced last month that it plans to roll out armed patrols across the country following a spate of violence, including a knife attack in the southwestern city of Kunming on March 1 which left 33 people dead.
The country's stability-obsessed Communist leadership responds... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sunday Times (Sri Lanka), Agence France Presse
38576
China
China's No-Questions-Asked Gun-Surrender Drives Netted 150,000 Illegal Guns
14 April 2014
International Business Times (USA)
A raid in southern China resulted in the seizure of over 10,000 illegally owned guns, in addition to thousands of illegal knives. And besides being the largest haul of illegal firearms to date in China, the raid in the city of Guiyang, located in Guizhou province, has brought to the light once more China's evolving, underground gun culture.
China's weapons laws are among the world's strictest. The country bans all private gun ownership, with very few exceptions. This... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International Business Times (USA)
38809
China
15,000 Guns Taken From Gang in Record Illegal Gun Seizure in China
14 April 2014
Xinhua
GUIZHOU - Police in southwest China's Guizhou Province have seized a record number of illegal guns and knives in a cross-province raid that also captured 15 suspects, China Daily reported on Monday.
The police busted a gang involving in manufacturing and selling weapons and confiscated about 15,000 guns and 120,000 controlled knives.
It was the largest such seizure ever in China, the newspaper said.
The police found out after a four-month investigation that the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
38559
South Africa,China,Russia,United States,Mozambique
South African Gun Culture Shown in Art
11 April 2014
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
Best known as the director of the 2008 South African crime film Jerusalema and for his music video work with such top stars as Tony Braxton and Michael Jackson, Ralph Ziman's new art installation Ghosts is a powerful comment on the global arms trade and the worship of guns in South African society.
The work includes an extraordinary series of photographs showing men dressed in Day-Glo outfits toting wire-and-bead AK-47s, which are exhibited alongside the imitation... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
38555
China
China Launches Another National Campaign Against Guns, Explosives
28 March 2014
Xinhua
BEIJING - China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Friday launched a campaign against crimes involving guns and explosives.
In a videophone conference on Friday, the ministry said the situation of crimes involving guns and explosives in the country is still serious, urging police nationwide to check all leads so as to seize as many guns and explosives as possible.
Under Chinese law, members of the public are banned from owning firearms and explosives. The police... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
38512
Libya,West Asia,Egypt,Syria,Mali,North Africa,Italy,France,United States,United Kingdom,Russia,Belarus,China,Algeria,Caribbean,South America,Niger,Chad,European Union,Tunisia
Post-Uprising Gun Proliferation is Destabilising the Middle East
20 February 2014
Fair Observer
In recent years, as order in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) eroded between uprisings and armed conflicts, the desire for arms amongst a wide range of actors became one more destabilizing factor in the complexities of each situation.
However, arms proliferation is nothing new to the MENA region. Whether it was through state actors or black market trading, weapons have circulated throughout the Middle East and North Africa for many years.
Today, arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Fair Observer
38403
United States,China,Australia
China Charges Former Mining Magnate with Murder, Gun-Running
20 February 2014
Reuters
China unveiled dramatic details of charges against a former mining magnate on Thursday, accusing him of crimes ranging from murder to gun-running and extortion as part of a "mafia-style" gang he led.
In an announcement carried by the official Xinhua news agency, prosecutors in central China said they had laid charges against the former chairman of Hanlong Mining, which had tried to take over Australia's Sundance Resources Ltd.
Police last year announced the detention... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
38392
China,Australia,United Kingdom,United States,Japan,Russia
Japan Set to Ratify Arms Trade Treaty Despite Proposal to Relax Gun Exports
16 February 2014
Japan Times
A bill to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty, the first international pact to regulating trade in conventional arms, is scheduled to be submitted to the Diet by the end of this month, government sources said.
The measure, coming less than a year after Japan signed the treaty adopted at the U.N. General Assembly last April, underscores Tokyo's eagerness to nudge others to join the framework, the sources said Saturday.
However, the move appears incongruous with the stance of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Japan Times
38377
China,Congo (DRC),Germany,United Kingdom,Myanmar,Israel,European Union,Italy,Spain,Egypt,France,Libya,Saudi Arabia
European Arms Sales to Middle East Reach Record Level, NGOs Concerned
1 February 2014
Ekklesia (UK)
European Union countries licensed arms exports in 2012 valued at €39.9 billion, according to newly released figures. This included a record €9.7 billion in sales to the Middle East – a 22 percent increase on sales in the previous year.
The statistics are revealed in the Fifteenth Annual Report on Control of Exports of Military Technology and Equipment.
The European Network Against the Arms Trade (ENAA) says that the figures show little change in arms export... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ekklesia (UK)
38328
China
Chinese Man Shoots, Kills Six in Revenge for Wife's Affairs
31 January 2014
Xinhua
KUNMING - A man shot six people dead and wounded three more as he took revenge against his wife's lovers in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Thursday afternoon, local police said on Friday.
The suspect, Shao Zongqi, 38, is now wanted by the police of Tengchong county.
Shao, who is from the village of Qingkou, is suspected of carrying out the killing with a semi-automatic rifle before escaping in a cross-country vehicle.
When Shao discovered that his wife had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
38330
China
Man Stands Trial in China Over Fatal Shooting of Five People
13 January 2014
Xinhua
SHANGHAI - A man stood trial in a court in east China's Shanghai on Monday for allegedly killing six and injuring four others with guns and an iron pipe in June last year.
The defendant, Fan Jieming, 63, was charged with murder, robbery, and forcible seizure, illegal purchase and possession of guns, according to the Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court.
The trial opened at around 9:30 a.m. and continued on Monday afternoon.
On June 22, Fan allegedly beat a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
38272
China,Egypt,United States,Turkey
Over 2,000 Rifles Seized At Egyptian Port
29 December 2013
Egypt State Information Service
Egyptian customs authorities on Saturday seized firearms and ammunition in containers coming from the United States, Turkey and China.
Two Beirut-bound containers were found at the Alexandria port carrying 2,400 rifles of different types, said the head of the Egyptian Customs Authority Mohamed el-Salhawy.
Another two shipments of fireworks arrived at Dekheila port. They were imported under a fake request of medical supplies. Meantime, four containers were seized at... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Egypt State Information Service
38224
China
Chinese Politician Jailed for Illegal Gun Possession, Bribery
20 December 2013
Xinhua
GUANGZHOU - A former political advisor of Shenzhen City was sentenced to 14 years behind bars for bribery and holding illegal weapons by a court in south China's Guangdong Province on Friday.
Huang Zhiguang, former vice chairman of the Shenzhen Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, took bribes in exchange for promotions, Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court ruled.
He also helped Zhan, president of a local company, with his business,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
38206
Morocco,China
Moroccan Authorities Seize Suspected Homicide Gun From Crime Gang
18 December 2013
Morocco World News
CASABLANCA - Last August, the police managed to arrest Chinese criminals who attempted to assassinate a Chinese citizen at Casablanca's Derb Omar. Recently, the police announced the dismantling of a mafia network, which is this time originally from Europe.
According to MAP, the National Team of Judicial Police managed, with the assistance of the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DST), to dismantle criminal networks active in the field of cross-border organized... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Morocco World News
38212
China,United States
Police Crack Down on China's Online Gun Sales
25 November 2013
Global Times (China)
Peng Di (pseudonym), an engineer from Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, did not expect to spend the rest of his life in prison or face the death penalty, for a hobby.
Despite the fact that China has many gun enthusiasts, the hobby has its risks. Peng went further than simply studying guns and decided to buy 1,300 air gun pellets online from a US vendor in 2011.
Peng was charged with smuggling ammunition after he bought over 1,000 non-military bullets from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
38112
China
Drunk Chinese Policeman Detained for Fatally Shooting Pregnant Woman
30 October 2013
Global Times (China)
A police officer was detained on Wednesday for fatally shooting a pregnant restaurant owner because she did not serve milk tea in Guigang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.
The police officer, 33, surnamed Hu, came to the victim's restaurant on Monday evening while intoxicated. Hu asked the owner if they had milk tea, and when told that they didn't, he shot her and her husband. The woman and her fetus died after being sent to hospital.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
38031
China
Chinese Police Destroy Thousands of Illegal Guns in National Campaign
15 October 2013
Xinhua
BEIJING - Chinese police in 164 cities have destroyed hundreds of thousands of confiscated guns, knives and detonators, a statement from the Ministry of Public Security said on Tuesday.
About 130,000 illegal shotguns and air guns, 670,000 replica guns, 460,000 forbidden knives and many illegally stored detonators have been destroyed as part of an annual nationwide campaign, the statement said.
Crimes related to guns and explosives continued to fall by 41.4 percent and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
37976
Oceania,China,Europe,Americas,Africa,Russia,United States,Asia
Arms Treaty Now Signed by Majority of UN Members
25 September 2013
New York Times
A pioneering United Nations treaty aimed at regulating the global trade in conventional weapons surpassed a symbolically important threshold on Wednesday when 18 countries, most notably the United States, officially signed the document, pushing the total number to more than half of the organization's member states.
Proponents of the treaty, which was adopted overwhelmingly by the 193-member General Assembly in April, but still required signing and ratification, said... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
37913
India,Myanmar,North Korea,Bangladesh,Nepal,China,Thailand
Arrest May Prove 'China Link' in Supply of Arms to India Insurgents
3 September 2013
Nagaland Post (India)
NEW DELHI - In a significant breakthrough that could provide the first evidence of alleged Chinese involvement in supply of arms to Indian insurgent outfits, Thailand on Saturday picked up a key middleman whose identity had been disclosed by arrested NSCN (I-M) operative Anthony Shimray.
Indian Express report stated that Willy Naruenartwanicha, referred to as Willy Narue by Shimray, is a Thai national and was picked up at India's request. According to Shimray, Willy... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nagaland Post (India)
37819
China
Chinese Police Destroy Over 300 Guns After Anti-Crime Campaign
16 July 2013
Global Times (China)
Police destroyed more than 300 confiscated firearms Tuesday outside a steel plant in Baoshan district.
The seized weapons were the fruit of a citywide campaign to reduce crimes with dangerous weapons, according to a press release from the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau. Police also confiscated about 13,000 bullets, 2,200 controlled knives and blades, and 340 pellet guns.
"We seized some of the guns at security inspection points, like the ones at train... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
37667
Nigeria,China,England & Wales
UK Judge Orders Almost 13,000 Guns Destroyed in Arms Dealer Case
2 July 2013
York Press
A judge has ordered the destruction of nearly 13,000 AK47 rifles associated with jailed York arms dealer Gary Hyde – after turning down a request for them to be deactivated for use in films.
Former special constable Hyde, 42, was jailed for seven years last December for overseeing an £800,000 consignment of rifles, 9mm pistols, rifles and bullets, from China to Nigeria in 2007.
The businessman, from Newton-on-Derwent, east of York, "put two fingers up" to strict... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: York Press
37622
China
Opinion: Tragic Deaths Demand Stricter Gun Control in China
27 June 2013
Global Times (China), Opinion
Shanghai witnessed an unlucky and uneasy week with a chemical plant explosion injuring six on Monday, the latest H7N9 bird flu death on Wednesday and a stampede at Tongji University when David Beckham paid a visit there last Thursday. But none of these incidents were as shocking as the Saturday night gun shooting spree in suburban Baoshan district, which claimed six lives in total.
Although we hear of shooting rampages in the US from time to time, where gun control is... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
37611
China
Firearms Control Presents a New Challenge for China After Mass Shooting
25 June 2013
Global Times (China)
A shooting spree in Shanghai on Saturday killed six people. This brutal killing once again prompted debates over gun control in China. One day later, the Ministry of Public Security held an urgent conference, vowing to crack down on firearm crimes. The ministry will launch a comprehensive campaign on firearm management and make efforts to solve this problem.
Guns are strictly controlled in China. According to related regulations, guns are allocated only to specific... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
37601
China
Suspect Arrested After Six Die in Chinese Shooting Spree
24 June 2013
Shanghaiist
A 62-year-old man is in custody for killing six people at a chemical plant in Shanghai's Baoshan District on Saturday evening. The man, surname Fan, shot and killed five of his victims, and beat one to death. According to Xinhua, the massacre was initiated by "a financial dispute" between Fan and coworker.
After beating the coworker to death,
He [Fan] then took a hunting rifle hidden in his dormitory and asked a driver to drive him to a different district. He gunned... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Shanghaiist
37599
United States,China
Gun Smuggler Sentenced to Death in China
6 June 2013
Global Times (China)
Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court sentenced a Zhejiang Province man to death with a reprieve Thursday for smuggling of firearms and ammunition from the US into China.
The primary defendant, Wang Ting, 33, was one of 17 people sentenced Thursday for smuggling or illegally possessing firearms. The other defendants received prison sentences ranging from 15 years to 19 months.
By giving Wang a death sentence with a reprieve, the court will postpone his execution... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
37538
China
Gang Shoots Onlookers in Chinese Village Land Dispute
16 May 2013
Global Times (China)
Local police in Lufeng, Guangdong Province have detained a number of gun-wielding thugs involved in a gang fight in Songzhu village Sunday, in which more than 10 villagers were injured, including a 14-year-old boy.
Four villagers, including Songzhu village chief Liu Changmao, are in criminal detention.
Local residents were unhappy with the distribution of compensation from a land acquisition deal, believing that Liu and his younger brothers had schemed to take more... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
37463
Canada,China,Germany
Canadian Govt Budgets to Seize Rifles Easily Converted to Automatic
1 May 2013
Global News (Canada)
Six years after approving German-made rifles that can be converted to machine guns "in minutes" – guns that by law should have been prohibited to begin with – the federal government will spend up to $260,000 buying them from their owners.
In February 2007, the RCMP classified the SSD BD38, a semi-automatic replica of a German Second World War-era sub-machine gun, as a 'restricted' firearm, meaning that it had the same legal status as a handgun. That classification... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global News (Canada)
37400
China
Chinese Shooter Jailed for Injuring Man with Illegal Homemade Gun
24 April 2013
Shanghai Daily (China)
A drug user who shot a man in the leg with a homemade gun after a quarrel was sentenced to 33 months in prison, a local court ruled yesterday.
The shooter, Chen Rongbin, 34, was convicted of three crimes including intentional injury, illegal possession of firearms and illegal possession of drugs, Hongkou District People's Court officials said.
Prosecutors said Chen was playing a game on a machine in a game room at 710 Tangshan Road at 8pm on December 16. He had a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Shanghai Daily (China)
37385
Poland,Ukraine,Israel,Côte d'Ivoire,Bulgaria,Belarus,China,Angola,Russia
Guns Easily Available in Côte D'Ivoire Despite Embargo
16 April 2013
IRIN (UN News)
ABIDJAN - Côte d'Ivoire's recent turbulence - including the ouster of president Henri Konan Bédié in 1999, a long-running insurgency and deadly poll unrest in 2011 - has left the country awash in arms, which have contributed to human rights abuses, widespread crime and persistent insecurity.
Two years after coming to power in 2000, Laurent Gbagbo's administration faced an army mutiny, which morphed into a full-scale rebellion. In response, the government underwent a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
37347
India,Egypt,Russia,China
China Says UN Arms Treaty Lacks Consensus
3 April 2013
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
There is no consensus on an international arms trade treaty, major weapons exporter China said on Wednesday, after it abstained as the UN General Assembly passed the measure by 154 votes to three.
The only votes against the first treaty on the conventional arms trade were from Syria, North Korea and Iran.
The 23 countries abstaining included Russia and China, ranked respectively as the number two and five weapons exporters by the Stockholm International Peace Research... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
37276
India,Pakistan,China
India to Reject Arms Trade Treaty, Alleges Bias Against Arms Importers
28 March 2013
Times of India
NEW DELHI - New Delhi is set to reject a global arms trade treaty (ATT) since the agreement is heavily loaded against weapons-importing countries like India, and let exporting nations like the US and China call the shots. The treaty, meant to regulate all transfers of conventional arms around the world, is likely to be passed by the UN General Assembly next week. India's inability to establish an indigenous defence production industry may now become a strategic... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
37251
Romania,Burkina Faso,Poland,Russia,Latvia,Tunisia,Guinea,Senegal,Bulgaria,China,Africa,Europe,Côte d'Ivoire
Arms Proliferation and Abuse Shatter Communities in Côte d'Ivoire - AI
20 March 2013
Amnesty International (London)
Reckless and illegal arms supplies from Europe, Africa and China to the warring parties in Côte d'Ivoire over the past decade continue to fuel grave human rights abuses and violent crime in the country, Amnesty International said in a detailed report launched at the United Nations (UN) headquarters.
The 33-page report, Communities shattered by arms proliferation and abuse in Côte d'Ivoire, documents how a handful of states and a network of multinational arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Amnesty International (London)
37206
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)
Read More: New Zealand Herald, Associated Press
37202
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)
Read More: Washington Post
37191
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)
Read More: Amnesty International (London)
37175
China,Africa,Côte d'Ivoire,Somalia,Angola,South Africa,Sudan,Zimbabwe,Kenya
Unknown Quantities of Chinese Arms in Africa a Concern
21 February 2013
Star (Kenya), Opinion
Much is being written and said in the media and academic circles about China's increasing engagement with Africa on many economic and other fronts.
Some see this as benefiting Africa; others as detrimental to the real needs of African countries and peoples. Some critics have used phrases like "the second scramble for Africa" and "re-colonization of Africa" to describe the new development. The debate goes on.
Yet, there is one subject that has not received the serious... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Star (Kenya)
37098
Czech Republic,Hungary,Côte d'Ivoire,Iran,Guinea,Niger,Russia,South Sudan,China,Uganda,Afghanistan,Nigeria,Kenya,Iraq,Congo (DRC)
Trail of Bullet Casings Leads from Africa's Wars Back to Iran
11 January 2013
New York Times
The first clues appeared in Kenya, Uganda and what is now South Sudan. A British arms researcher surveying ammunition used by government forces and civilian militias in 2006 found Kalashnikov rifle cartridges he had not seen before. The ammunition bore no factory code, suggesting that its manufacturer hoped to avoid detection.
Within two years other researchers were finding identical cartridges circulating through the ethnic violence in Darfur. Similar ammunition then... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
36931
United States,Russia,China,Mexico
Mexico's Gun Problems Go Beyond Drug Wars
11 January 2013
Inter Press Service News Agency
MEXICO CITY - A lot of attention goes to the U.S.-made weapons in the hands of criminal groups in this Latin American country. But there is little talk of another problem: the large number of light weapons in the hands of civilians.
The Mexican Constitution establishes the people's right to "own guns in their homes for their safety and self-defence", with the exception of high caliber weapons, while the 1972 Federal Law on Firearms and Explosives stipulates the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
36928
China
Restricted Guns Easily Available Online in China
5 January 2013
Olympian (Washington)
Want to buy illegal drugs in China? No problem – just go to the wild and woolly Internet here and order a $50 or $100 package of methamphetamines, ecstasy or cocaine. It'll be delivered to your door within hours!
"Our company has delivery stations in every part of China," boasts one Chinese-language website, with photos of illegal narcotics it sells. "We offer 24-hour delivery service to your door, and we have long-term and consistent supplies. If you just make one... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Olympian (Washington)
36908
China,United States,Australia,England & Wales
Opinion: The Solution to US Gun Violence is Clear
20 December 2012
Washington Post, Opinion
Announcing Wednesday that he would send proposals on reducing gun violence in America to Congress, President Obama mentioned a number of sensible gun-control measures. But he also paid homage to the Washington conventional wisdom about the many and varied causes of this calamity — from mental health issues to school safety. His spokesman, Jay Carney, had said earlier that this is "a complex problem that will require a complex solution." Gun control, Carney added, is... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post
37787
China,United States
Gun Smuggling Suspects on Trial in China
29 November 2012
East Day (China) / Shanghai Daily (China)
Seventeen suspects involved in cross-border weapons smuggling went on trial yesterday at the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court.
The defendants were charged with part or all of three crimes: illegal smuggling, possession and trade of weapons and ammunition.
The suspects were arrested in June after a Sino-US joint law enforcement operation cracked the arms smuggling network.
Most of the defendants are gun enthusiasts and shooting fans, authorities said. They... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: East Day (China) / Shanghai Daily (China)
36781
Somalia,South Africa,Côte d'Ivoire,Sudan,Zimbabwe,United States,China
China 'Aggressively' Supplying Africa With Guns, Military Equipment
28 November 2012
Global Post (Boston)
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — China's aggressive new strategy to sell weapons in Africa was on clear display at a recent defense exposition here.
The pavilion for Chinese manufacturers was among the three largest at the Africa Aerospace and Defense exhibition in September, surpassed only by host South Africa and the United States, the world's largest weapons maker by far.
Many of the made-in-China weapons touted by firms such as Norinco and Poly Technologies were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Post (Boston)
36790
China,England & Wales,Nigeria
UK Man Jailed for Smuggling Weapons, Ammo to Nigeria
27 October 2012
Daily Trust (Abuja)
LONDON — A London court yesterday convicted a British arms dealer of organising a big illegal shipment of weapons to Nigeria.
Gary Hyde, a 43-year-old retired British volunteer police constable, was found guilty of helping to organise illegal shipment of 40,000 AK47 assault rifles, 30,000 rifles, 10,000 pistols and 32 million rounds of ammunition from China to Nigeria.
He was convicted by a jury and will be sentenced on 23 November at the Southwark Crown Court, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Trust (Abuja)
36690
China
Chinese Police Bust Gun-Dealing Syndicate, Seize Over 6,000 Weapons
25 October 2012
Shenzhen Daily (China)
Police in Huai'an City of Jiangsu Province busted a gun-dealing ring and seized seven suspects and more than 6,000 guns from two underground workshops and two warehouses, Xinhua reported yesterday.
Police received a tip-off in March that an online dealer was selling model guns, and discovered that the guns were lethal and banned by China's gun-control laws.
The dealer, surnamed Chen, was caught March 26 in Shenyang, the capital of northeastern China's Liaoning... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Shenzhen Daily (China)
36683
China,Taiwan,Indonesia
Indonesian Men Arrested for Alleged Unlicenced Replica Gun Selling
22 October 2012
Jakarta Globe
Jakarta Police arrested two men accused of selling unlicensed airsoft guns on social networking sites last week.
The men, identified only as "D" and "A.G.," were stood next to a table of realistic-looking airsoft guns in a press conference on Monday.
Police seized 187 airsoft guns, including replicas of pistols and assault rifles, in the raid.
"They sold the guns at fairly low prices, from Rp 3 million ($312) to Rp 6 million for the [assault rifles]," Jakarta... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Jakarta Globe
36670
China
Online Gun-Selling Network Busted in China, Seize Over 1,000 Guns
19 October 2012
People's Daily Online (China)
BEIJING - Chinese police have busted a serious online gun and ammunition-selling network, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Thursday.
Under the direct command of the MPS, 29 provincial police departments recently conducted joint operations in the case, arresting over 530 suspects and confiscating more than 1,000 guns, over 10,000 bullets and a large quantity of accessories, the MPS said.
China enforces an extremely strict policy... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: People's Daily Online (China)
36723
China
China Police Shoot Drug Addict Hostage Taker, Gun Availability Rising
15 October 2012
Global Times (China)
A drug addict armed with a pistol held a woman hostage in Southwest China's Sichuan Province and opened fire on passersby, in a rare outburst of gun violence that shocked the nation.
Police shot the drug-crazed gunman dead on a highway in Guangyuan, northern Sichuan on Sunday after a 12-hour standoff, local police said.
One of the passersby was slightly wounded in the abdomen. The hostage was frightened but suffered no injuries, Luo Hong, a publicity official with... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
36640
China,India,Nepal
Army Allege Over 100 Chinese-Made Guns Seized on Kashmir Border
27 September 2012
Hindu (Chennai)
Army on Thursday said it has found over 100 assorted weapons of Chinese make near the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of Kashmir.
"More than 100 weapons, including 98 pistols, have been seized near the Line of Control in Keran Sector of Kupwara district," an army spokesman said.
He said the recoveries included 10 AK rifles and two assault rifles of other makes.
"The weapons are of Chinese make and the packing material like newspapers are also Chinese," the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hindu (Chennai)
36609
China,United States
Former American Soldier Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Guns to China
6 September 2012
New York Times / Reuters
NEW YORK - A former member of the U.S. National Guard on Thursday pleaded guilty to smuggling shipments of firearms from New York City to China, federal prosecutors said.
Joseph Debose, 30, formerly a staff sergeant with a unit of the U.S. Special Forces National Guard, was arrested in May in a sting operation by federal agents in North Carolina, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn. At the time of his arrest, he was carrying a .45 caliber pistol and 12... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times / Reuters
36534
Africa,China
Arms Exports from China Flood Sub-Saharan Africa
26 August 2012
Washington Post
UNITED NATIONS — China's arms exports have surged over the past decade, flooding sub-Saharan Africa with a new source of cheap assault rifles and ammunition and exposing Beijing to international scrutiny as its lethal wares wind up in conflict zones in violation of U.N. sanctions.
Weapons from China have surfaced in a string of U.N. investigations in war zones stretching from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Ivory Coast, Somalia and Sudan. China is by no means... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post
36505
China,Russia,United States
US Gun Lobby Wins One, Beats Back UN Treaty to Slow World Gun Trade
29 July 2012
San Francisco Chronicle
When a global treaty to limit shady weapons sales gets swept up in the gun-control debate, it's clear that this country has a problem. A bloc of U.S. senators, chiefly Republicans with a sprinkling of Democrats, has managed to derail a U.N. treaty to restrict weapons sales between countries.
The reasoning is spurious and shameful, a political play on distrust of the United Nations and unfounded fears about a loss of domestic gun rights. But the threat was enough to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: San Francisco Chronicle
36409
China
Deaths Show Guns Remain Available Despite Chinese Police Crack Down
11 July 2012
Global Times (China)
Early on July 1, a 48-year-old factory boss surnamed Nan was shot through the head while on the way to do his morning exercise in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. He later died in hospital. Police later announced that they found the murderer surnamed Lin who was found dead with a gun beside his body. The two were involved in a dispute over money that resulted in the murder.
The case sparked fresh concerns on gun use in China, coming so shortly after the country launched an... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
36342
South Africa,United States,Russia,United Kingdom,China,France,Germany,Liberia,South Sudan,Algeria,Egypt,Iran,Venezuela,West Africa,Africa,Angola
For Africa, Ammunition Control Deserves Global Gun Trade Treaty Focus
9 July 2012
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG — For a couple of hundred dollars or less an arms dealer can illegally source a blank end user certificate with the required signatures and stamps - needed to transfer weapons across international borders - and "if no one checks its authenticity (often the case) he can ship his wares to the world's hotspots with minimal risk, for maximum profit," a report by the Small Arms Survey (SAS) said in 2008.
Since then "not much has changed" Glenn McDonald, based... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
36317
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States,Pakistan,Cuba,Iran,China,Russia
Arms Trade Treaty Should Cover Broad Range of Arms and Ammunition
8 July 2012
New York Times, Editorial
The world is awash in conventional weapons, like tanks, firearms and aircraft, with the market valued at $40 billion to $60 billion a year. Far too many of these arms are fueling conflicts and atrocities in Syria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond. They have been used to kill countless innocent civilians, and they will be used against countless more if the international community does not find a way to keep them out of the hands of unscrupulous regimes,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
36316
Russia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States,Syria,Egypt,China,United Kingdom
UK to Push for Ammunition Control in Arms Trade Treaty
28 June 2012
Independent (UK) / Press Association (UK)
Britain is to push for ammunition sales to be covered by new international arms trade controls despite strong resistance from the US.
The UK sees the inclusion of ammunition as an essential element of the proposed Arms Trade Treaty and will negotiate hard for it when a month-long conference opens at the United Nations in New York next week.
But the British delegation faces opposition from a number of countries including China, Egypt and Syria but also its traditional... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (UK) / Press Association (UK)
36286
United Kingdom,Germany,Ukraine,Sudan,China,South Sudan
Amnesty Accuses Sudan, China, Ukraine of Fueling Conflict in South Sudan
27 June 2012
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — Amnesty International on Thursday accused China, Sudan and Ukraine of allegedly supplying military weapons to both South Sudanese Armed Forces (SPLA) and opposition groups, triggering scores of indiscriminate attacks in parts of South Sudan.
The organization, in its latest report, entitled South Sudan: Arms supplies fueling violations in forgotten conflict, examines the impact of responsible supplies and misuse of weapons, munitions and armaments that resulted... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
36281
Syria,Russia,Africa,China,India,Pakistan,European Union,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,Congo (DRC),Sudan,Chad,Colombia
NGOs Set Minimum Specifications for Arms Trade Treaty [FR]
27 June 2012
Le Monde (France), Opinion
[Translated summary: Associations, NGOs and hundreds of members of the global coalition "Control Arms" have set minimum specifications for the future Arms Trade Treaty. It will have to control all types of conventional arms and ammunition used by military as well as by law enforcement, since they can be used for serious human rights violations. ATT will include exports but also imports, transit and all types of transfers and all actors, such as arms brokers, like Viktor... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Monde (France)
36280
China,Pakistan
Booming Sales of Pistols and Other Small Arms in Karachi, Pakistan
16 June 2012
Pakistan Today
KARACHI - The legal and illegal sale of the light weapons in the violence-hit metropolis is skyrocketing as the target killers appear to have an inclination for using the arms that are lethal but handy. These small-sized deadly arms are: 9MM, 30 bore and .22 pistol.
According to police sources, in over 90 percent incidents of targeted killings in the city the killers had used small-size but highly sophisticated weapons during the last five months.
The sources said the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pakistan Today
36252
China
China Intensifies Effort to Eliminate Illegal Firearms
13 June 2012
International Business Times (USA)
In China, gun ownership as a percentage of the total population is very low, and urban shootings are rarely ever heard of. But authorities there are making efforts to combat illegal firearm ownership. That reveals a concern about the flow of weapons and arms to criminal organizations largely unknown to the country in the 1980s and 1990s.
Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts to combat organized crime, illicit trade, drug trafficking and border-area lawlessness... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International Business Times (USA)
36239
United States,China
More Than 100,000 Illegal Guns Destroyed in 150 Chinese Cities
13 June 2012
China Daily
Police in 150 Chinese cities destroyed more than 100,000 illegal guns on Tuesday, as part of an ongoing crackdown that officials say is dramatically reducing gun-related crime across the country.
As Ministry of Public Security officials also prepared to dispose of a further 250 tons of illegal explosives in the next few days, Vice-Minister of Public Security Huang Ming said the incidence of both crimes has been declining rapidly.
Gun-related crime has fallen 46... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily
36234
United States,China
China Announces 23 Arrests in Joint US-China Gun Smuggling Scheme
12 June 2012
CBS News (USA)
BEIJING — Chinese police on Tuesday announced the arrests of 23 people as part of a joint U.S.-Chinese investigation into a gun trafficking ring that smuggled dozens of firearms into the country.
The arrests announced by the Ministry of Public Security follow the detention of three men in the United States last month in connection with the scheme. They included Joseph Debose of North Carolina, a staff sergeant in a U.S. National Guard special forces unit, along with... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CBS News (USA)
36232
United States,United Kingdom,Russia,Germany,France,China,Africa
The 'Big Six' Arms Exporters - Amnesty International
11 June 2012
Amnesty International (London)
DOCUMENT
1. China
There are few official statistics on the Chinese arms trade but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that accounts for around 3 per cent of the global trade in conventional arms.
Countries supplied
Recipient countries over the past decade have tended to be developing countries with poor human rights records including Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, DRC, Guinea, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Myanmar,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Amnesty International (London)
36235
Sierra Leone,Yemen,Syria,Algeria,Iran,Somalia,China,Belarus,Italy,Germany,Bulgaria,Austria,Russia,Tunisia,United Kingdom,United States,Qatar,Sudan,Africa,Libya,Egypt,France
An Arms Buyback for Libya? – Analysis
9 June 2012
Eurasia Review (EU/Asia)
The Libyan civil war of early 2011 was one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history, with an estimated 30,000 killed and 50,000 injured. While Muammar Gaddafi's death marked a watershed moment in Libyan history, the months of frenzied violence that preceded it saw a massive buildup of arms and munitions in the country. In the months leading up to and after his fall, Gaddafi's arms warehouses all across the country became unsecured; such was the level of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Eurasia Review (EU/Asia)
36228
United States,France,United Kingdom,China,Pakistan,Venezuela,Cuba,Iran,Algeria,Egypt,Russia,Syria,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
New Global Arms Treaty Must Set Tough, Legally Binding Rules - Oxfam
29 May 2012
Chicago Tribune / Reuters
LONDON - States must set legally binding global rules on weapon and ammunition sales, aid agency Oxfam said on Tuesday, ahead of a United Nations summit to agree an arms treaty to prevent arms reaching human rights violators.
Citing the example of Syria, which has continued to receive arms shipments even as it is accused of killing more than 9,000 civilians in a crackdown on a popular uprising, Oxfam said it is vital that regulations on weapons sales are... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Chicago Tribune / Reuters
36186
Russia,France,China,Oceania,United Kingdom,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Germany,United States
Arms Trade Treaty: Will World Waste an Extraordinary Opportunity?
24 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
I often write a reflective piece to accompany the publication of the Amnesty International annual report on the state of the world's human rights, and as a result I have an archive of reflective pieces which read as a chronology of progress and problems charted over the last decade. We shall see whether the 2012 report will be the one that came just months before the world secured a binding, bulletproof arms trade treaty in the negotiations due to take place in July, or... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
36180
China,United States
US Agents Break Up Gun Smuggling Ring to China - Voice of America
24 May 2012
Voice of America
A U.S. federal court Thursday formally charged a Chinese national with taking part in a gun smuggling ring between the United States and China.
The court ordered Zhifu Lin to remain in jail until his next court appearance. Another Chinese national, Lilan Li, was arraigned earlier this month.
Federal agents also arrested a sergeant in the U.S. National Guard, Joseph Debose, for allegedly supplying the weapons.
The three are suspected of altered the serial numbers on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
36169
Russia,China,United States,United Kingdom,Congo (DRC),Myanmar,Iran
UK Minister Calls for International Support on Arms Trade Treaty
17 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
The international arms trade has become the greatest threat to development and has to be controlled by a tough treaty to regulate weapons and munitions sales, a government minister warns.
In a speech to the Institute for Strategic Studies thinktank, Alan Duncan, the minister for international development, will urge allies such as the US to set aside their concerns and sign up to the comprehensive arms trade treaty (ATT), which will be hammered out during a month-long... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
36143
Vietnam,China
Black Market Handguns Advertised Openly in Remote Regions of China
17 May 2012
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Black market explosives and pistols are advertised openly in the remote, mountainous Yunnan county where a mysterious suicide bomber killed three people and injured 16 last week, the South China Morning Post can reveal.
Most advertisers claim they can arrange delivery by car within an hour in central Kunming , the provincial capital, with guns handed over outside supermarkets and post offices.
Some advertisers also said they had delivery networks in remote counties.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
36133
Russia,China,United States
US Marines Stole, Sold Nearly $2 Million in Guns to Gangs, China, Russia
15 May 2012
International Business Times (US)
U.S. Marines at Camp Lejeune, N.C., stole and sold approximately $2 million in guns and combat equipment to streets gangs and to China and Russia, military officials confirmed. The stolen guns and combat gear included assault rifles, night-vision goggles and flashlights.
More than 60 people have been implicated in the incident, the Daily News in Jacksonville, N.C., reported. 47 service members and 21 civilians have been charged so far. Several of them have already... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International Business Times (US)
36134
United States,France,China,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Sweden
Pakistan a 'Very Gun-friendly Society,' 9 in 10 Owners Unlicensed
30 April 2012
Dawn (Karachi)
On January 25 this year, 32-year-old Waqas, a garment factory employee was hit by a bullet in New Karachi and he died. The bullet was not fired from the gun of a target killer, but by friends of a bridegroom amidst late-night wedding celebrations.
Two children aged 10 and 12, died in Sialkot in a similar incident on February 20, when the jubilant brother of a bridegroom unleashed a burst of bullets.
Such accidents, almost an every-day affair in Pakistan, never make it... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Dawn (Karachi)
36091
Macao,Hong Kong,China
700 Guns, 20,000 Replica Guns, 500,000 Bullets Seized in Guangdong
25 April 2012
Shenzhen Daily (China)
GuangdongG police seized more than 700 guns, 20,000 replica weapons, 500,000 bullets and 6,000 knives in a campaign which took place from March 1 to April 15 targeting gun-related crimes.
Police also confiscated more than 300 kilograms of explosives, 200 meters of fuse and 600 detonators during the campaign, according to Zhang Yongqiang, deputy director general of Guangdong Provincial Department of Public Security.
"Most of the guns and replica weapons that have been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Shenzhen Daily (China)
36075
China,Sweden
Swedish Minister 'Ignorant' of UN Gun Export Embargo on China
23 April 2012
Local (Sweden)
Sweden's enterprise minster Annie Lööf has come in for heavy criticism following a blunder about Sweden's arms exports.
In an interview broadcast on Saturday on Sveriges Radio (SR), Lööf didn't rule out exporting arms to China – despite an arms embargo having been imposed on the country since 1989.
"If we don't export weapons to China, as far as pesticides or other equipment for instance, what consequences would that have," said Lööf on the air.
When asked... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Local (Sweden)
36070
Qatar,East Africa,Russia,North Korea,China,West Asia,North Africa,Syria,Mali,Libya,Belgium,West Africa
Small Arms Manufactured in Belgium Proliferate in Libya, Mali [FR]
11 April 2012
L'Express (France) / AFP
[Translated summary: Notwithstanding risks of proliferation, small arms manufactured in Belgium circulate in Libya, Mali, and maybe tomorrow in Syria? Belgium is the biggest european exporter of small arms: in 2010, 32% of european exports of small arms to Middle East and North Africa came from this country.]
Malgré les mises en garde à Bruxelles sur les risques de prolifération, les armes légères fabriquées en Belgique circulent de la Libye au Mali. Et demain,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: L'Express (France) / AFP
36014
United States,China
Number of Gun-related Crimes Is Dropping Rapidly in China - Police
5 April 2012
China Daily
The number of gun-related crimes is dropping rapidly nationwide, despite a recent spate of armed robberies, police say.
In 2000, police dealt with about 5,000 gun-related crimes across the country. The number dropped to about 500 in 2011, down 46 percent from 2010, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Public Security.
The decrease is mainly due to China's strict policy on gun control and tougher policing measures, said Yan Zhengbin, deputy director of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily
35983
Europe,Asia,South East Asia,China,United States
Gun Runners 'Using Internet and Express Delivery' in China – Police
5 April 2012
China Daily
Police success at border checkpoints forces arms traffickers to change
Gun smugglers are using the Internet and express delivery networks for trafficking arms into China, a police officer said.
Police broke up 69 gun-smuggling rings nationally last year, and smashed 20 gangs, Yan Zhengbin, deputy director at the public security management bureau under the Ministry of Public Security, told China Daily.
Nineteen cases involved fully assembled guns, while the remainder... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily
35982
China
China Makes War on Illegal Guns, Gun Crime, Seeks 'Social Stability'
27 March 2012
China Daily / Xinhua
BEIJING - Police across China have been ordered to step up their war on crimes involving guns and explosives to safeguard social stability and public security.
Addressing a national conference on Monday, Huang Ming, deputy minister of public security, said police agencies at all levels must fully bear in mind the extreme importance of fighting gun and explosive-related crimes.
Huang urged coordinated efforts involving police in different sectors and regions to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily / Xinhua
35954
China,Sudan
Guns Used by South Sudanese Ethnic Militia Came from Army and Rebels
23 March 2012
Pretoria News (South Africa) / AFP
Guns and ammunition used by a South Sudanese ethnic militia that massacred a rival group earlier this year came from both the army and a rebel group, a report said on Thursday.
Beginning late December a marauding column of some 8 000 armed youths from the Lou Nuer people marched on the remote town of Pibor, home to the rival Murle, whom they blame for cattle raiding and have vowed to exterminate.
Analysis by the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based research group,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pretoria News (South Africa) / AFP
35946
Sudan,Syria,Russia,China,Papua New Guinea,Fiji,Oceania
Pacific Nations Push for Global Arms Trade Treaty to Curb Gun Trade
19 March 2012
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
Every year illicit trade in small arms results in thousands of deaths. Most of them in developing countries, including the Pacific, where the impact of gun violence has been devastating.
Now the international community is to meet at the United Nations to finalise the first ever global arms trade treaty.
HELEN HAKENA, WOMEN'S RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER: I was seven months pregnant when gunmen came into our village terrorising the entire village community. My house was burnt to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ABC News (Australia)
35944
Timor-Leste,Thailand,Sri Lanka,Myanmar,Indonesia,South Asia,South East Asia,Israel,Iran,Cuba,United States,Japan,China,Brunei,Philippines,Pakistan,India,Asia
UN Urges Asian Nations to Help Curb Global Trade in Illegal Guns
6 March 2012
Jakarta Post
The United Nations is urging all nations in the Asia region to implement concrete solutions to stop illegal trading in small arms and light weapons.
"Over the past decades, trade has made this region grow so phenomenally. If you are a region where international trade is what makes you tick, you better also make sure that you are seen as doing trade in the right way," UN disarmament affairs official Daniel Prins told reporters on the sidelines of opening the Asian... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Jakarta Post
35886
Nepal,Myanmar,Sri Lanka,Bangladesh,Mauritius,Libya,Morocco,Saudi Arabia,Iran,Turkey,Thailand,Indonesia,Malaysia,France,China,United States,Pakistan
Pakistan Has Achieved Self Sufficiency in Small Arms and Ammunition
5 March 2012
Indian Defence Review
After partition, Pakistan did not inherit any military production facilities. In 1951, the Pakistan Ordnance Factory was established at Wah cantonment to produce small arms, ammunition and explosives. After 1965, Pakistan, apart from shifting its overwhelming arms supplies reliance from the US to China and other western countries like France; also began to concentrate on expanding its defence production facilities. In this, it received effusive assistance from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Indian Defence Review
35895
Philippines,Trinidad & Tobago,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (DRC),Pakistan,Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Madagascar,Côte d'Ivoire,Burkina Faso,Botswana,Egypt,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Ghana,China,United States,Austria,Russia,Israel,Bahrain,Asia,Africa,Brazil
Brazil Arms Exports: Country Preaches Peace, Sells Tons of Arms
28 February 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
A small, scratched metal can thrown on the ground created Brazil's first diplomatic embarrassment of 2012. The canister of tear gas had been collected by pro-democracy activists in Bahrain. Stamped across the can in blue was a Brazilian flag and the words 'MADE IN BRAZIL.'
One year had passed since Bahrain became the stage for pro-democracy protests by the majority Shiites against the Sunni monarchy commanded by king Hamad bin-Isa Khalifa. The protesters had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Huffington Post (USA)
35870
Southern Africa,South Africa,Swaziland,Angola,Congo (DRC),Mozambique,Namibia,Zimbabwe,Central America,South America,Caribbean,Central Africa,Europe,Asia,Africa,Americas,Oceania,Botswana,China,Czech Republic,Germany,Russia,United States,Philippines,Italy
High Gun Death Risk for Young African Men, Women at Home - UN Study
19 February 2012
Southern Times (Southern Africa)
WINDHOEK - Young men in Southern Africa are at the greatest risk of cold-blooded murder, while women in the region are more likely than others from around the world to be killed in domestic violence, a UN agency says.
The statistics from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) come as the region battles to contain the proliferation of gun-related crimes.
Experts have said gun-related crime is a major problem in South Africa and Swaziland, and is on the rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southern Times (Southern Africa)
35844
Egypt,Mexico,Iran,United States,Syria,Russia,China,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Collapse of UN Arms Trade Treaty Talks Narrowly Averted - Reuters
17 February 2012
Reuters
UNITED NATIONS - Negotiators on Friday narrowly averted the collapse of talks on a world arms trade treaty to regulate the $55 billion global weapons market, agreeing on ground rules for negotiations after days of procedural wrangling.
Delegates and advocates for tougher oversight of global arms sales said the agreement set the stage for a monthlong conference in July to draft the treaty.
Arms control campaigners say one person every minute dies as a result of armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35841
Sudan,China,Egypt,Bahrain,Libya,Germany,United Kingdom,Russia,United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
At Last, the World Acts to Control Global Arms Trade, UN Talks Begin this Week
12 February 2012
Independent (Dublin)
The global arms trade, which produces two bullets for every person on the planet every year and the weapons that kill 1,500 people each day, is facing the first worldwide effort to control it. An unprecedented treaty that would attempt to restrict arms sales is expected to be drawn up at talks in the United Nations this week.
A campaign for such an agreement, begun six years ago by Nobel laureates, faces attempts by the United States and Russia to water the treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (Dublin)
35825
China
Alarmed by Spate of Gun Crime, China Vows to Clamp Down on Firearms
10 February 2012
China Daily
BEIJING - The government is to crack down on the illegal possession of guns and explosives following a recent spate of armed robberies nationwide.
"We will concentrate on tackling crimes involving serious violence and other prominent criminal activities in order to strengthen security in cities and maintain social order and overall stability," said Huang Ming, deputy minister of public security, announcing the campaign against gun crime.
There has been a series of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily
35815
Syria,Russia,China,Sudan
Russia, China Provide Guns to Violate Human Rights in Darfur - Amnesty
9 February 2012
Reuters
LONDON - Russian and Chinese arms are being used to violate human rights in Darfur region in breach of an "ineffectual" United Nations embargo, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
Amnesty said Russia and China are supplying weapons to Sudan's government despite evidence they are being used against civilians in Darfur, where the U.N. estimates as many as 300,000 people have died since 2003 from violence, hunger or disease.
"China and Russia are selling arms to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35812
Germany,United Kingdom,China,Nigeria
British and German Arms Dealers Involved in Arms Shipment to Nigeria
8 February 2012
Daily Trust (Abuja)
British prosecutors recently vowed to pursue a legal case involving the shipment of large cache of weapons, allegedly from China and destined for Nigeria, after a London judge threw it out.
Those involved in the trade are said to be British and German arms dealers. Mr Gary Hyde, a 42-year old retired British volunteer police officer, is accused of conspiring with his German business partner Karl Kleber for the illegal shipment of 40,000 Ak47 assault rifles, 30,000... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Trust (Abuja)
35808
China,United States,Ghana,Nigeria
Nigerian Civilians Hold 2 Million Guns, Security Forces 600,000
30 January 2012
Nation (Nigeria)
Members of the dreaded insurgent group, Boko Haram, armed robbers and hired assassins have done great havoc with guns acquired illegally. Where are they coming from? OLUKAYODE THOMAS and JOKE KUJENYA examine the sources of illegal arms into the country.
The ruins are still visible on the police zonal headquatres in Kano. The offices of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) testify to the Boko Haram bombing and armed assaults of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nation (Nigeria)
35782
China,Europe,United States,Thailand
Firearms Only for the Rich: Bangkok Guns 'Like a Louis Vuitton for Guys'
2 January 2012
CNN
If you have an itchy trigger finger while visiting Thailand it may be difficult to purchase a gun, but wealthy foreigners and Thais who live here can now enjoy their weapon of choice thanks to the recent lifting of a ban imposed in Bangkok last year.
Tourists can, however, buy custom-made leather holsters and other accessories at the estimated 80 weapons stores along Burapha Road, just east of the Sala Chalerm Krung Royal Theatre, where the vast majority of Bangkok's... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CNN
35698
China
China Arrests Illegal Arms Makers: Guangdong Gun Crime Up 32% per Year
22 November 2011
China Radio International / Xinhua
Police in south China's Guangdong province have dismantled two gun-making dens in the city of Shanwei, local authorities said Tuesday.
Officials with the Guangdong Public Security Department said the raid led to the arrests of six people as well as seizures of seven guns, 107 bullets, a batch of gun parts and gun-making equipment.
Gun-related crime has surged in Guangdong this year, as 1,909 suspects in gun-related crimes were arrested during the first 10 months of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Radio International / Xinhua
35565
China
Thousands of Illegal Guns and Replicas Seized, 84 Arrested in China
17 November 2011
Shanghai Daily (China)
Police in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, have smashed an illegal firearms production and trafficking ring, detaining 84 people and seizing 6,990 guns.
In late March, the discovery of three imitation guns during a routine check at a train station in Kunming put police on the trail of the gun-trading network.
Within four months they had confiscated 1,612 guns capable of firing live ammunition and 5,378 replicas.
On April 21, police found a man... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Shanghai Daily (China)
35549
India,United States,China,Germany
Increasing Availability and Seizures of Illicit Guns in Pune, India
17 November 2011
Express India
PUNE - Failure in identifying and cracking down on criminals involved in manufacturing and selling of illegal firearms is the major reason behind unchecked illegal trade of firearms in the city, police said. And investigation of some of the cases revealed that the quality of illegal firearms has improved, availability has increased while cost has gone down, police said.
According to the figures obtained by The Indian Express under the Right to Information Act (RTI)... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Express India
35548
Libya,United States,Europe,France,Niger,Mali,Chad,Ukraine,China,North Africa
Hundreds of Thousands of Libyan Assault Rifles Looking for New Owners?
15 November 2011
Time (USA)
More than three weeks after Libya's rebels killed Muammar Gaddafi, arms experts say the task of finding and securing the mountain of weaponry abandoned by Gaddafi's forces in their final rout has been complicated by a lack of international funding and coordination, as well as conflicting priorities among Western and African governments about which weapons pose the biggest threat.
While U.S. and European officials have sounded the alarm about the threat posted to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Time (USA)
35547
China,Zimbabwe
China Delivers 20,000 Assault Rifles to Zimbabwe Ahead of Election
14 November 2011
Defence Web (South Africa)
Zimbabwe has taken delivery of 20 000 AK-47 assault rifles from China as the country re-equips its army ahead of upcoming elections.
The Southern Africa Report, which focuses on political and economic intelligence issues in Africa, reports that the Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF) has taken delivery of "the first of several consignments of Chinese small arms and equipment," including AK-47 assault rifles, uniforms, a dozen trucks and 21 000 pairs of handcuffs.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Defence Web (South Africa)
35560
China,Sudan
South Sudan Rebels Have New Chinese Assault Rifles, Says Swiss Group
26 October 2011
Sudan Tribune (France)
KHARTOUM – Relatively new Chinese weapons have been seized from rebel groups in South Sudan, according to the Small Arms Survey research organisation.
Arms captured from rebel fighters loyal to both Peter Gadet and George Athor included Chinese Type-56-1 assault rifles. South Sudan has repeatedly accused Khartoum of backing southern rebels in an attempt to destabilise the oil-rich nation, which became independent in July.
Khartoum denies that it arms rebels in South... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35468
China,Canada
Airguns Allowed into Canada Easily Converted into Real AK-47, Police Say
20 October 2011
CBC News (Canada)
The RCMP are racing to track down and seize hundreds of replica AK-47 BB guns imported from China that investigators fear can be easily reconfigured into deadly prohibited weapons.
The Mounties launched raids and seizures last week on a number of gun stores in B.C., Ontario, and Quebec. Investigators believe the toys — assembled with authentic parts from the Chinese Type-56 version of the AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle — can be transformed into weapons with a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: CBC News (Canada)
35441
Myanmar,China
China Arrests Myanmar Gun-Runners to Tibetan Regions
19 October 2011
Reuters
BEIJING - Chinese police have arrested 17 people for running guns into ethnically Tibetan parts of the country from northern Myanmar, and have seized a small number of guns and bullets, state media said on Wednesday.
China has long expressed concern that instability in Myanmar could spill over into its border provinces and regions. While the two countries have close economic and political ties, relations have been strained of late after Myanmar suspended the building... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35438
European Union,China,Germany,South Korea,Switzerland,Serbia,France,United Kingdom,Syria,Yemen,Bulgaria,Belgium,Libya,Italy,Bahrain,Egypt,United States,Russia,West Asia,North Africa,Finland,Austria,Sudan,North Korea,Spain
Tracing the Middle East Weapons Flow
19 October 2011
al Jazeera
Earlier this year, as mass popular uprisings spread through the Middle East and audiences across the world sat transfixed by images of unarmed citizens confronting iron-fisted security forces in the streets of Arab capitals, powerful governments from Russia to the United States were forced to begin accounting for the weapons they had for decades sold to the very rulers they now found themselves abandoning.
In Egypt and Bahrain, protesters held up tear gas canisters... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35436
Philippines,Indonesia,China
3 Men Charged with Production and Selling of Imitation Guns in China
15 August 2011
China Daily
XIAMEN, Fujian - Three men in East China's Fujian province have been charged with producing and selling imitation guns following a raid on a toy gun factory in Jinjiang city in July.
You Zhixian, a publicity officer with Jinjiang public security bureau, said the three suspects surnamed Huang, Ge and Chen had been arrested on suspicion of producing and selling imitation guns that could cause injury.
"More than 10,000 imitation firearms were discovered in the factory,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily
35189
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)
35152
Nepal,India,France,Germany,United Kingdom,United States,China,South Asia,Pakistan
Global Gun Trade Treaty the Only Way to Control 'Arms Bazaar'
25 July 2011
República (Kathmandu), Opinion
In 2009, I recall visiting a militant camp in India's North East a day before they would surrender. The deputy commander who was in charge and allegedly responsible for the death of at least 200 people brandished his M16 assault rifle and flaunted his bodyguard who was following him with a rocket launcher. He was calm but shifty-eyed and admitted having a personal saving of a few billion INR in his account. Barely 24 hours after his formal surrender, he was in seen in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: República (Kathmandu)
35116
Israel,United Kingdom,Russia,France,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,China,United States
Productive Negotiations at the UN on Arms Trade Treaty [Fr]
18 July 2011
Courrier du Vietnam / AFP
[Translated summary: Member States of the UN "made significant progress" during the week of negotiations in New York for the adoption in July 2012 of the Arms Trade Treaty, said on July 15 Eric Danon, representative of France in the negotiations.]
Les États membres de l'ONU ont "beaucoup progressé" pendant une semaine de négociations à New York en vue de l'adoption en juillet 2012 d'un traité sur le commerce des armes, a déclaré le 15 juillet Eric Danon,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Courrier du Vietnam / AFP
35078
Western Europe,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States,China,India,Guatemala
Private Security Guards Now Outnumber Police Worldwide - New Survey
6 July 2011
Sunday Times (UK) / AFP
GENEVA - Private security companies employ up to 25.5 million people across the world, exceeding the number of police officers, and hold up to 3.7 million firearms, a survey said Wednesday.
"The global trend towards downsizing government, including public security institutions, has contributed to the growth of the private security sector," said the Geneva Graduate Institute's small arms survey.
"In prisons, at airports, along borders and on the street, security... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sunday Times (UK) / AFP
35024
United Kingdom,United States,Europe,India,China,Russia,Libya,France
France Air-dropped Guns to Libyan Civilians: In Breach of Arms Embargo?
30 June 2011
Le Point (France) / Reuters
[Translated summary: France acknowledged that it airlifted small arms to Libyan civilians fighting Moammar Gadhafi's forces in a besieged mountain region south of Tripoli. Critics say that this is against the UN arms embargo].
NEW YORK, PARIS - La France a défendu sa décision de parachuter des armes aux insurgés libyens, une opération à laquelle l'Otan n'a pas été associée et qui suscite jeudi une controverse, les Nations unies ayant imposé en février un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Point (France) / Reuters
35000
Germany,China,Nepal,Italy,India,United States
High Incidence of Small Arms Violence in Nepal: India Border, Armed Women
16 June 2011
MSN News / Indo-Asian News Service
KATHMANDU -- As over 70 countries in the world Thursday begin observing the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, peace activists rue that even five years after the end of an armed insurrection, Nepal is still wracked by gunfire, thanks to the 1,800-km open border with India.
'There have been 1,013 incidents of violence caused by small arms in the last 17 months,' says Subodh Pyakurel, chief of Informal Sector Service Center (Insec), Nepal's largest NGO that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: MSN News / Indo-Asian News Service
34975
China
Rare Shooting of Chinese Police Officers Earns Execution for Multiple Killer
26 April 2011
Associated Press
BEIJING, China - A Chinese state news agency says a man who killed four policemen in a shootout in eastern China has been executed. It was a rare case of gun violence in a country where private firearms ownership is illegal.
The official Xinhua News Agency says 51-year-old Liu Jianjun was put to death Tuesday. The Intermediate People's Court of Tai'an city in Shandong handed him the death penalty in March for murder and illegal possession of guns and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
34718
Germany,United Kingdom,Portugal,China,United States,Europe
Gun Runner Turns on Licensed Dealers in UK/US/Europe Trafficking Case
10 February 2011
Associated Press
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A sudden plea agreement in a federal prosecution of a trio of international weapons dealers has heightened momentum in a case that could shed light on the illicit global arms trade, including irregularities in U.S.-backed shipments of assault rifles to Iraq.
Gun dealer Karl Kleber, a German national who had been living in Portugal, pleaded guilty Wednesday in a U.S. district courtroom, admitting to violating federal arms laws in a scheme to import... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
34372
United Kingdom,Israel,Germany,China,Canada,United States,New Zealand,Australia
World Media Reacts to Arizona Shooting: America's Gun Laws Are Nuts
11 January 2011
Wrap (California)
While the shootings in Tucson continue to inflame the debate over violent rhetoric in American politics, the international media's reaction to the tragedy is largely focused on alleged killer Jared Lee Loughner's weapon of choice: a gun.
In doing so, it's gotten to the debate over gun laws faster than a U.S. media hung up on the politics.
"This guy was a nutjob. What he did was sick and evil," a Tucson gunshop owner told Agence France-Presse in a piece entitled,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wrap (California)
34029
United Kingdom,Switzerland,Russia,Norway,Mexico,Japan,Italy,Germany,Austria,Czech Republic,India,China,Canada,Brazil,Australia,United States
How Gun Control Laws Vary in 16 Countries Around the World
10 January 2011
Guardian (UK)
Australia
Ownership is strictly prohibited unless there are "genuine reasons" such as licensed sport, animal control or employment requirements.
Brazil
If you are over 25 and have registered a weapon, you are free to keep it indoors. The country has the second-highest gun-related death rate after the US.
Canada
Significantly stricter than the neighbouring US. To acquire a licence, applicants must undertake a safety course, pass a criminal records check and be... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
34020
China
Murder Suspects Shoot, Kill 6, Injure 5 in Rare Beijing Police Shootout
5 January 2011
New York Times
BEIJING — Two men wielding a shotgun and a homemade pistol fatally shot three police officers and an assistant and staged a series of carjackings in a city in northeastern China, state news media reported Wednesday, a rare example of gun violence in a nation where average citizens are largely barred from owning firearms.
The episode in Tai'an, a city in Shandong Province, left five others wounded after officers and assistants of the city public security bureau... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
33964
China
Murder Suspects Shoot, Kill 3 Police, Wound Six in Rare Beijing Shootout
4 January 2011
Associated Press
BEIJING - A pair of murder suspects killed three police officers in a shootout after going on a carjacking spree in eastern China, a news report said Wednesday, a rare case of gun violence in a country where private firearms ownership is illegal.
Two civilians and four police officers were also wounded in the shootout in Tai'an city in the eastern coastal province of Shandong.
The suspects hijacked four cars in a row, shooting two of the drivers, before they were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
33960
China
Police Charge Man with Making, Selling Shotguns on the Web in China
24 December 2010
Xinhua
Chinese police have cracked a serious case of Internet-enabled gun selling and said they are monitoring the new crime method. The Ministry of Public Security revealed Thursday that police began their investigation of the case in May.
They said the owner of the Internet gun shop, Zhou Zhaoping, and four other suspects were arrested on June 8 in Wuxi City in east China's Jiangsu Province.
Zhou, a 31-year-old man from Yixing City, Jiangsu, had produced and sold shotguns,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
33895
China,India,Nepal
Gun Runner Tells of Frequent Handgun Smuggling from India to Nepal
27 November 2010
Kantipur (Nepal)
KATHMANDU - Laxman Shah's (name changed) life seemed routine to his neighbours, until the day the police arrested him. His wife and children were shocked, as they were kept in the dark about his real profession. Shah has been a dealer of firearms for the past decade — an arms mule who regularly procured small arms from the Indian towns of Sitamarhi, Sursand, Basopatti, and Ladniya to send them to the Capital.
Shah was released a few months ago from Jaleshwor Jail,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Kantipur (Nepal)
33717
China
Beijing Police Close Web Sites Said Trafficking Illegal Guns, Ammunition
20 October 2010
People's Daily (China)
The Beijing police force has closed six illegal websites to concentrate on cleaning up 3 million pieces of harmful information and cracking down on dangerous firearm goods since the launch of a special action to strike illegal online trafficking in firearms and ammunition in March of this year.
Tan Quan, a senior official from the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, said that the police force has discovered harmful information involving firearms, ammunition,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: People's Daily (China)
33508
Nepal,China,India
Illegal Arms Trade, Gun Trafficking Said to Flourish in Nepal Tourist Area
2 July 2010
BBC News
The central Kathmandu tourist district of Thamel has become a centre for illegal trade in guns and small arms.
Kathmandu's police chief said the area was becoming increasingly violent because of its popularity with the city's drug dealers and criminals.
With cheap restaurants, backpacker hostels and shops, Thamel has long been the tourist capital of Nepal.
Most tourists spend at least a day here before heading out into the country to go trekking or rafting.
But in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
32948
China
Armed Violence Feared Rising in China Despite Strict Gun Control Laws
23 June 2010
Inter Press Service News Agency
BEIJING - China and guns have a long history.
The country invented gun power and developed one of the world's first guns, known as the "fire spear." Rifles played a major role in China's modern history, from the fight against the Japanese army to the Communist's victory over the Nationalists. In 1938, Mao Zedong famously said that "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
That comment perhaps foreshadowed the gun control laws later implemented by Mao and the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
32861
China
Man Shoots 6 Judges, Kills 3 in Chinese Court Following Domestic Dispute
1 June 2010
Xinhua
YONGZHOU, Hunan - A man killed himself after shooting three judges dead and injuring another three judges in a local court office Tuesday in central China's Hunan Province, said local authorities.
The incident happened at about 10:05 a.m. at Lingling District People's Court in Yongzhou City, said the city's public security department.
The gunman, Zhu Jun, barged into an office on the fourth floor of the court building. He shot the judges in the office before killing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
32762
China
Police May Use Guns to Stop School Attacks, Say Chinese Authorities
14 May 2010
San Francisco Chronicle
Chinese police may use firearms to prevent more attacks on schoolchildren, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing a government spokesman, after a series of assaults left more than a dozen students dead.
"If offenders dare to attempt such crimes again, the police will enforce the law firmly without hesitation, in line with the Criminal Law and police code of using guns and other weapons," Wu Heping, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security, was cited as... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: San Francisco Chronicle
32677
China,Nepal,India
Police to Focus on Nepal-India Smuggling of Chinese Guns and Ammo
14 January 2010
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
Alarmed by the continuous seizure of huge quantities of arms and explosives, the Bihar police has decided to approach neighbouring state agencies to unravel the inter-state network of arms and ammunition peddlers and crime syndicate active on the Indo-Nepal border. "A meeting chaired by Director General of Police Anand Shankar decided to approach neighbouring state agencies to eliminate the inter-state network of peddlers of arms, ammunition and explosive materials,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hindustan Times (Delhi)
31841
India,China,South Asia
Chinese 'Big Smugglers' of Illegal Guns, Claims Indian Home Secretary
9 November 2009
Times of India / TNN
NEW DELHI — The government on Sunday indicated that China might be a source of small arms for naxalites who may be procuring them through smugglers.
"Chinese are big smugglers… suppliers of small arms. I am sure that the Maoists also get them," home secretary G K Pillai said when asked if the naxals had links with China.
He, however, made it clear that the government had no information that the Maoists had any links with China except getting arms. "I do not... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India / TNN
31435
India,United Nations,Russia,China
UN Gun Trade Treaty 'Likely Very Weak' as India, Russia, China Abstain
2 November 2009
Times of India / TNN
NEW DELHI — Even as the crucial global arms trade and transfers (ATT) treaty, which seeks to regulate the $55 billion arms trade and promote democracy, found overwhelming support from 153 member countries at the UN on Friday, India was among the 19 who abstained from the meet.
These 153 countries — including top arms suppliers like US, Britain, Germany and France — supported a UN disarmament committee resolution which will lead into negotiations for the treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India / TNN
31433
Germany,United Nations,Russia,China
Germany Backs Global Arms Trade Treaty, China and Russia Abstain
31 October 2009
Deutsche Welle
Germany, along with other key United Nations members, has backed talks on a global treaty to regulate the global trade of weapons. Two major arms suppliers, Russia and China, refused to support the measure.
The United Nations resolution calls for talks aimed at agreeing a treaty to police the world's $55-billion (37-billion-euro) arms trade.
The UN General Assembly's first committee on disarmament and peace passed the resolution calling for a treaty by 153 votes to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Deutsche Welle
31432
Russia,China
Russia, China Near Copyright Deal to Licence Kalashnikov Production
22 October 2009
RIA Novosti (Russia)
KLIMOVSK — Russia is working to reach an agreement with China on copyright protection of Kalashnikov assault rifles, the head of Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Thursday.
"We have received China's national patent for Kalashnikov products. The documents have been handed to the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation to prepare and conclude an intergovernmental agreement in the field," Anatoly Isaikin told journalists.
Isaikin said the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: RIA Novosti (Russia)
31358
China
Chinese Civilians Voluntarily Surrender 60% of 53,000 Guns Seized
17 September 2009
China Daily / Xinhua
BEIJING — Chinese police have confiscated close to 53,000 guns by the end of August in a nationwide crackdown started in March this year, and 9,849 suspects involved in gun-related crimes were punished, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said Thursday.
The ministry started the special crackdown on explosives and gun-related crimes in March, and said it would continue till China's October 1 National Day celebration.
The crackdown is part of the ministry's campaign... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily / Xinhua
30997
United Arab Emirates,India,China
Indian Army Grounds UAE Air Force Plane Carrying Guns to China
8 September 2009
Times of India
KOLKATA — After trying to fob off Indian officials and investigators all of Sunday night, one of the pilots of the United Arab Emirates air force aircraft detained at Kolkata airport since Sunday finally admitted to the plane carrying a consignment of weapons.
The C-130 Hercules among the biggest transport aircraft in the world was on its way to Xiangyang, China, from UAEAF's Western Air Command base in Abu Dhabi. Although the UAE government had the necessary... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
30893
China
China Seizes 19,000 Guns, 39,000 Imitation Guns in 'Stability Drive'
20 July 2009
Xinhua
BEIJING — Chinese police have confiscated 19,000 guns and close to 500 tonnes of explosives in a crackdown on explosive and gun-related crimes in the last four months, the Ministry of Public Security announced here Monday.
More than 5,200 people in connection with illegal production and sales of explosives and gun-related crimes were arrested during the campaign, which started in March and ends on Oct. 31, the ministry said on its Website.
The crackdown on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
30591
Ethiopia,China,Eastern Europe
Ethiopia to Boost Arms Production: PM
14 April 2009
Agence France Presse
ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia will boost arms production to cut weapons imports and save its dwindling foreign exchange, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said.
"Our main objective is to reduce our defence expenditure and its pressure on availability of foreign exchange," Meles told reporters late Monday, without giving details.
"In order to do that, we have to reduce our imports and improve our exports. The objective is to take care of our defence requirements, primarily in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
35009
China
Public Security: China Begins Gun Crackdown to Ensure Social Stability
24 March 2009
Xinhua
China has launched a crackdown on gun crimes to ensure social stability, the Ministry of Public Security said Tuesday in an online statement.
The campaign, which started March 20 and will end Oct. 31, includes confiscating illegal weapons, preventing gun crimes and supervising the use of guns.
The ministry urged public security departments to confiscate illegally traded guns "and seize groups or individuals illegally making guns."
The statement said the ministry... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
29617
China
China Mobile Phone Death Now Blamed on Homemade Cellphone Gun
10 February 2009
Information Week (USA)
Huang Heping, the Chinese man reported to have been killed Jan. 30 when his cell phone exploded, now appears to have been done in by a gun of his own making.
Initial police reports, as conveyed by the Chinese press, attributed the man's death to severe arterial bleeding following the explosion of his mobile phone in an electronics store.
But last week, Richard Spencer, reporting from Beijing for The Telegraph, said police have concluded that the man died as a result... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Information Week (USA)
29195
Russia,Africa,China
Russia's 'Illegal' Gun Sales Arm Smugglers, Gangs - Accra Think Tank
29 January 2009
Inter Press Service News Agency
MOSCOW — Russia's state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, plans to grow the volume of Russian armament and military equipment to Africa over the next four to five years. This comes on top of allegations that Russia is selling arms to smuggling and contraband rings, thereby contributing to conflict on the war-torn continent.
"We have revived our contacts with all African countries that used to be traditional buyers of Soviet weaponry," Rosoboronexport general director... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
29104
United States,Afghanistan,China
US Govt Refunds Millions to Ammunition Dealer Charged with Fraud
26 January 2009
Miami Herald
A Miami Beach munitions dealer accused of defrauding the federal government is $4.2 million richer.
Actually, the money already belonged to 23-year-old Efraim Diveroli. But the government froze it after Diveroli, his business, AEY Inc., and three co-workers were indicted last summer on charges of selling banned Chinese-made machine-gun rounds to the U.S. Army to supply allied forces in Afghanistan.
Prosecutors recently agreed to unfreeze the money — as well as... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Miami Herald
29074
China
Gun Raids Yield 470 Suspects, 183 Firearms in Chongqing Province
15 January 2009
China Daily
Chongqing has become a passageway for illegal firearms trafficking through which guns can spread throughout the southwest or even the entire country unless action is taken, a senior police officer said.
Deputy director of the Chongqing criminal police squad Wu Lixun told the Chongqing Times yesterday his team had learned online and inter-provincial gun trading were on the rise.
The weapons included standard, knockoff and homemade firearms, Wu said. Wu was site... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: China Daily
29075
Myanmar,China
Ethnic Army, Drug Traffickers 'Manufacturing AK-47s' in Myanmar
17 December 2008
Irrawaddy (Thailand)
The United Wa State Army (UWSA), an armed ethnic ceasefire group based in Shan State, northern Burma, is manufacturing arms and ammunition for use by its own battalions and to sell to other armed groups in the region, according to sources close to armed groups in Shan State.
Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, Sai Sheng Murng, the deputy spokesman of the rival Shan State Army-South (SSA) said, "For more than one year now, the UWSA has been manufacturing AK-47 rifles... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Irrawaddy (Thailand)
28838
China
Airgun Dealers 'Dealt Heavy Blow,' 1,000 Web Sites Shut Down in China
19 November 2008
Chinadaily.com.cn
A total of 381 people have been arrested and more than 1,000 websites have been shut down for advertising guns for sale on the black market, the Ministry of Public Security said yesterday.
Also, about 120,000 related Web pages have been deleted, following a crackdown between August and October, it said on its website.
Chinese law forbids any organization or citizen to purchase or trade in guns and ammunition. Such weapons, under license, are permitted only in areas... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Chinadaily.com.cn
28661
Pakistan,Iraq,China
Tens of Thousands More AK-47s Given to Tribal Fighters in Pakistan, Iraq
24 October 2008
Australian (Sydney)
Anti-Taliban tribal fighters in Pakistan's border region will be given tens of thousands of AK-47 assault rifles bought from China in a bid to replicate the success of the "Sunni Awakening" movement in Iraq.
The deal to buy the weapons and other small arms was negotiated by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari when he was in Beijing this month, reports said yesterday.
The Washington Post said the weapons would go to the so-called tribal lashkars (armies) that are... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Australian (Sydney)
28490
China
Gun Culture, Gun Crime on the Rise, But Still Officially Hidden in China
13 October 2008
Wall Street Journal
SHANGHAI — China's weapons laws are among the world's toughest. Its blanket ban on private ownership of rifles, pistols and even gun replicas is a core tenet of social policy. Still, a gun culture is taking hold.
China may be freer from gun crime than many nations, and official statistics show overall crime on a continuous down trend. Yet, these days, reports about gun crimes turn up as often as several times a week even in the tightly controlled state-run media. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
28417
China
Weapons Trail: A Timeline of Major Events Involving Guns in China
13 October 2008
Wall Street Journal
China boasts one of the world's strictest gun-control regimes. But the restrictions are increasingly being undermined by criminals, hobbyists, hunters and enthusiasts (See related article.)
Timeline:
10th-12th century: Among world's first guns are Chinese-made "fire spears," an armament that employs gunpowder, an earlier Chinese invention.
19th century: Guns become more prevalent as China goes through decades of warfare and revolution.
1938: Mao Zedong declares... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
28416
United States,Afghanistan,China,Albania
Miami Gun Dealer, 21, Caught in US$300 Million Pentagon Ammo Scam
16 August 2008
New Zealand Herald
When historians assess the Bush Administration's scandals, there is one that — even by the era's exacting standards — will amaze with its sheer chutzpah. The figure in the spotlight is Efraim Diveroli, 22. His Miami-Dade Police Department mug shot depicts a rather dazed, tussle-haired youth who looks like he might have spent a night clubbing.
Instead, as the beneficiary of a US$298 million ($426 million) United States Army contract, Diveroli, president of Miami... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Zealand Herald
27990
United Nations,China,Sudan,Zimbabwe,Myanmar
World's Human Rights Abusers Rely on China as Key Arms Supplier
6 August 2008
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS — As China tries to boost its international image, playing host to a summer Olympic games, the government in Beijing is being singled out as a key arms supplier to some of the world's worst human rights abusers, according to a new study released here.
Although China controls only 2 percent of the global arms market, Beijing's impact "is measured less by the value of its sales than by the character of its clients," says William D. Hartung, director of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
27925
China,Sudan
Top Violator of Sudan Arms Embargo, China Swaps Gun for Oil - Report
6 August 2008
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — China has been the "most egregious violator" of a worldwide arms embargo, providing Sudan with the vast majority of its small arms and weapons used for mass murder in Darfur province, a private study group is charging.
The arms and also political support are being swapped for access to the African country's oil reserves, according to a report issued on the eve of the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
A copy of the report, due to be released on Wednesday, was... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
27903
China
Chinese Journalists Wounded as Weapon Fires in Gun Control Display
19 July 2008
Agence France Presse
BEIJING — Three journalists were injured in southwest China when a gun went off at a news conference called by Chinese police to highlight the success of a gun-control campaign, state media said Friday.
The incident took place in Nanchong in Sichuan province to publicize the results of a campaign by the city's police to seize illegal weapons, the Beijing News reported.
According to Zheng Chongjun, deputy head of the political division of Nanchong police, some of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
27725
China
Gun Briefing Backfires in China: Policeman Accidentally Shoots Reporters
18 July 2008
BBC News
Three Chinese reporters attending a police briefing on the success of an anti-gun campaign were accidentally shot, media reports say.
An officer picked up one of the weapons on show — a confiscated home-made gun — but it went off in his hand.
A reporter needed surgery for injuries to his ankle, crotch and chest, after being hit by what appeared to be pebbles fired by the gun.
Two others were slightly injured in the incident in Nanchong, southern China.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
27733
Zimbabwe,China,Southern Africa
Outrage Lingers Over Chinese Shipment of Guns, Ammunition to Zimbabwe
1 June 2008
Arms Control Today (USA)
In April, South African dockworkers refused to unload a Chinese cargo ship carrying more than 70 tons of small arms destined for Zimbabwe. The refusal set off international reactions that led to the recall of the shipment and calls for stronger international arms trade measures, such as a global arms trade treaty.
The shipment, including three million rounds of ammunition for AK47s and 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades, was meant to be unloaded at Durban, South Africa,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Arms Control Today (USA)
27285
China
Chinese Official Was Gang Boss 'With Crush on Guns' - Jailed for Life
29 May 2008
Reuters
BEIJING — A gun-toting Chinese official who owned two Ferraris and liked driving around in an amoured personnel carrier has been jailed for life for illegal weapons possession and fraud, state media reported on Friday.
Yang Shukuan, a former member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference for the northern city of Tangshan and the head of an organized crime ring, was arrested for extortion last year.
"The prosecutor said Yang and other gang members... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
27225
United Nations,United States,France,Canada,Germany,Angola,Thailand,Australia,Colombia,South Africa,Turkey,Pakistan,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,India,China
Guns Around the World: Civilian Firearms per 100 People in 16 Nations
30 April 2008
Economist
An estimated 875m small arms are in circulation worldwide: one for every seven people on the planet. Nearly three-quarters of these are owned by civilians. And about 80% of those guns in civilian hands are found in just 30 countries, according to the Small Arms Survey, a research group.
Although America accounts for 40% of firearms in civilian ownership, people put them to more deadly use elsewhere. The gun murder rate in Colombia and South Africa, for example, is... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Economist
26993
Zimbabwe,China
Arms Cargo to Zimbabwe Exposes Mugabe's Link to Chinese Gun Maker
28 April 2008
Sunday Times (UK)
The boycott of a Chinese ship laden with weapons for Zimbabwe has cast new light on the connections between the African country's president, Robert Mugabe, and a secretive Chinese arms-trading firm with a controversial track record from the Congo to Darfur.
The ship steamed towards China last week after dock workers in Durban refused to unload it and a South African court blocked the transit of its cargo of mortar and small arms ammunition.
The 15,000-tonne An Yue... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sunday Times (UK)
26985
Zimbabwe,China
Beijing Recalls Zimbabwe Arms Cargo: Speculation on Gun Airlift to Mugabe
25 April 2008
Associated Press
BEIJING — A shipment of Chinese weapons headed for troubled Zimbabwe will be returned to China because there is no way to deliver it to the landlocked country in southern Africa, China said Thursday.
Countries neighboring Zimbabwe refused to allow the Chinese freighter An Yue Jiang to dock at their ports. That followed heavy pressure from African unions, churches and human rights groups, bolstered by behind-the-scenes pressure from the United States.
Critics argue... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
26970
Zimbabwe,China,South Africa,United States,Mozambique,Angola,Namibia
China Says Ship Carrying Ammunition, Guns to Zimbabwe May Head Home
22 April 2008
Associated Press
HARARE, Zimbabwe — A shipment of weapons to Zimbabwe may be returned to China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, after the troubled southern African nation's neighbors prevented the cargo from being unloaded.
The Chinese freighter arrived in South Africa last week, and human rights groups and others said they feared the mortar grenades and bullets onboard could be used by President Robert Mugabe's regime to clamp down on its opposition.
Zimbabwean church... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
26943
Zimbabwe,China,South Africa,United States,Mozambique,Angola,Namibia
Gun Cargo Rejection 'Dramatic Turn' for Africa's Embrace of Zimbabwe
22 April 2008
Washington Post
JOHANNESBURG — A Chinese ship carrying weapons and ammunition for Zimbabwe's military may be headed back home, reports said, after repeated attempts to deliver its cargo were frustrated by a coalition of legal activists, union workers and human rights groups.
The region's resistance to the shipment, which drew praise from the United States on Tuesday, marks a dramatic turn from southern Africa's traditional embrace of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and its... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post
26941
Zimbabwe,China,South Africa,Mozambique,Angola,Namibia,Zambia
Chinese Ammunition 'Ship of Shame' Adrift in Southern African Controversy
22 April 2008
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG — There were conflicting reports about the whereabouts of a Chinese ship, laden with a cargo of small arms destined for Zimbabwe, after it was turned away from South Africa's port city of Durban.
According to some reports, the 150-metre multipurpose cargo vessel, the An Yue Jiang - registered in China and one of 600 vessels owned by the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), dubbed by South African media as the "Ship of Shame" — is now en route to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
26940
United States,Zimbabwe,South Africa,Mozambique,Zambia,Angola,China
Southern African Ports Shun Ship Carrying Guns to Zimbabwe; US Agrees
22 April 2008
Los Angeles Times / Chicago Tribune
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Public outcries have forced a rusty Chinese cargo ship to avoid South Africa, Mozambique and Angola, leaving it at sea Tuesday with 77 tons of munitions bound for Zimbabwe, where an election crisis has reportedly turned violent.
The An Yue Jiang was carrying about 3 million rounds of Chinese ammunition, 1,500 rockets and 3,000 mortar shells. The State Department's top Africa envoy, who is to arrive in the region today, will urge... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Los Angeles Times / Chicago Tribune
26937
Zimbabwe,South Africa,Namibia,China
Under African Pressure, China Recalls Cargo of Zimbabwe Guns, Ammo?
22 April 2008
SW Radio Africa (London)
A controversial arms shipment from China, meant for crisis torn Zimbabwe, might have been recalled back to China following pressure from African countries that refused to allow it to dock at their ports.
On Tuesday the China Ocean Shipping Company, owners of the An Yue Jiang ship, announced their vessel was coming back home. Despite Chinese claims that the delivery was 'normal military product trade,' Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa led the chorus of disapproval that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SW Radio Africa (London)
26934
United States,Zimbabwe,Mozambique,Namibia,Angola,South Africa,China
US Seeks to Block Zimbabwe-bound Chinese Ammunition, Gun Shipment
22 April 2008
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is intervening with governments in southern Africa to prevent a Chinese ship carrying weapons for Zimbabwe's security forces from unloading its cargo, The Associated Press has learned.
At the same time, the State Department's top Africa hand, Jendayi Frazer, plans to visit the region this week to underscore U.S. concerns about the shipment. Frazer also will try to persuade Zimbabwe's neighbors to step up pressure on President... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
26927
Zimbabwe,South Africa,Angola,China
South African Court, Unions, NGOs Block Guns, Ammo Cargo to Zimbabwe
20 April 2008
Scotland on Sunday
Dockyard workers in Africa are refusing to unload a Chinese ship laden with weapons for Zimbabwe.
The whereabouts of the vessel, the An Yue Jiang, were not known last night, although it was believed to be heading to Angola. Sources say the ship is carrying three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition along with 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades and several thousand mortar rounds.
Dock workers in the region are expected to refuse to have any dealings with the deadly cargo,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Scotland on Sunday
26898
Italy,Libya,Chad,Sudan,China
Libya Tried to Buy 1 Million Chinese Assault Rifles, Perhaps for Chad, Sudan
13 April 2008
Associated Press
PERUGIA, Italy — The Libyan officer tried to cloak the purpose of his call to the Italian arms dealer. "A friend," he said, wanted to buy 1 million "pieces" and 50 million items of "food."
But when that phone call was placed in 2006, Italian police were listening. They knew the meaning. Libya was shopping for guns — lots of them.
Authorities shadowed the negotiations between Libyan officials and a group of black-market dealers from across Italy for a year before... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
26820
China
Debt, Domestic Stress Could See Chinese Police Stripped of Handguns
10 April 2008
Reuters
BEIJING — Police facing emotional strains due to financial or romantic problems could be stripped of their department-issued handguns in China's Jiangxi province, a newspaper reported on Thursday.
The public security bureau in the province will begin inspections this month to make sure officers who have received administrative punishments, or are under investigation, will not be able to carry firearms, the Southern Metropolis Daily said.
Guns would also be... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
26806
United States,Afghanistan,Iraq,China
US Army Accuses Miami Gun Dealer of Fraud in $200m Afghan Ammo Deal
28 March 2008
New York Times
When the United States Army decided this week to suspend the main supplier of munitions to Afghan security forces from future federal work, it did so after a field investigation documented what it called an act of fraud.
Last Nov. 25, the president of the company, Efraim E. Diveroli, signed papers certifying that 28 pallets of ammunition for Afghanistan had been manufactured by MFS 2000, a Hungarian company, according to the investigators' memorandum.
Acting on a tip,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
26632
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