Small Arms in the Pacific

169 Pages·2003·0.85 MB·English

SMALL ARMS SURVEY
8
Occasional Paper No. 8
Small Arms
in the Pacific
Philip Alpers and Conor Twyford
March 2003
A publication
of the Small Arms Survey
Small Arms
in the Pacific
Philip Alpers and Conor Twyford
March 2003
A publication
of the Small Arms Survey
Philip Alpers and Conor Twyford
The Small Arms Survey
The Small Arms Survey is an independent research project located at the Graduate Institute of
International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. It is also linked to the Graduate Institute’s Programme
for Strategic and International Security Studies.
Established in 1999, the project is supported by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and
by contributions from the Governments of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,
the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It collaborates with
research institutes and non-governmental organizations in many countries including Brazil, Canada,
Georgia, Germany, India, Israel, Norway, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden,
Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Small Arms Survey occasional paper series presents new and substantial research findings by proj-
ect staff and commissioned researchers on data, methodological, and conceptual issues related to small
arms, or detailed country and regional case studies. The series is published periodically and is available
in hard copy and on the project’s web site.
Small Arms Survey Phone: + 41 22 908 5777
Graduate Institute of International Studies Fax: + 41 22 732 2738
47 Avenue Blanc Email: [email protected]
1202 Geneva Web site: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org
Switzerland
ii
Occasional Papers
No. 1 Re-Armament in Sierra Leone: One Year After the Lomé Peace Agreement,by Eric Berman,
December 2000
No. 2 Removing Small Arms from Society: A Review of Weapons Collection and Destruction
Programmes, by Sami Faltas, Glenn McDonald, and Camilla Waszink, July 2001
No. 3 Legal Controls on Small Arms and Light Weapons in Southeast Asia,
by Katherine Kramer (with Nonviolence International Southeast Asia), July 2001
No. 4 Shining a Light on Small Arms Exports: The Record of State Transparency,by Maria Haug,
Martin Langvandslien, Lora Lumpe, and Nic Marsh (with NISAT), January 2002
No. 5 Stray Bullets: The Impact of Small Arms Misuse in Central America,by William Godnick, with
Robert Muggah and Camilla Waszink, November 2002
No. 6 Politics from the Barrel of a Gun: Small Arms Proliferation and Conflict in the Republic of
Georgia, by Spyros Demetriou, November 2002
No. 7 Making Global Public Policy: The Case of Small Arms and Light Weapons, by Edward Laurance
and Rachel Stohl, December 2002
No. 8 Small Arms in the Pacific, by Philip Alpers and Conor Twyford, March 2003
Occasional Paper No. 8 Small Arms Survey
Small Arms in the Pacific
Contents
Acronyms and abbreviations vi
About the authors vii
Acknowledgements vii
Individuals and organizations consulted viii
Map 1 Pacific states xii
Map 2 Conflict states: Bougainville and surrounds xiv
Map 3 Conflict states: Solomon Islands and surrounds xv
Summary xvi
I. Introduction 1
Nations surveyed 1
Limitations of the research 1
II. Stockpiles and trafficking in the Pacific 3
Legal trade: Demand and supply 4
Who buys? 6
Who supplies? 6
American small arms most common 8
iii
Trade within the region 9
Lawful stockpiles 9
Heavily-armed Pacific people 12
State security force stockpiles 12
The illicit small arms trade 16
Australia 16
New Zealand 18
Papua New Guinea 20
Conflicts in the region: Drivers of demand 24
Post-conflict zones as centres and sources of illicit trade 26
Conclusion 28
III. The impact of armed conflict on Pacific island communities 29
Armed conflict: Direct and indirect impacts 30
Measuring the impacts: The challenges of quantitative research in the Pacific 31
Crime and justice-related data 31
Health-related data 32
Armed crime 32
Fiji 33
Background 34
Forced displacement and increased migration 35
Job losses and declining incomes 35
Violation of IHL and human rights 36
Conflict-related trauma 36
Access to basic entitlements: Education and health 36
Impact on economic productivity and prosperity 36
Impact on tourism 37
Small Arms Survey Occasional Paper No. 8
Philip Alpers and Conor Twyford
The Solomon Islands 38
Background 39
Forced displacement 40
Violation of IHL and human rights 40
Family breakdown, violence, and criminality 41
Access to basic services: Health and education 41
Targeting of development staff 42
Impacts on development assistance 42
Impacts on economic productivity and investment 43
Bougainville 44
Background 45
Major causes of death 46
Forced displacement 46
Violation of IHL and human rights 47
Trauma, violence, and the power of the gun 47
Access to services: Health and education 48
Targeting of development staff 49
Opportunity costs of peace programmes and weapons disposal 50
Impacts on economic productivity 50
Papua New Guinea 51
Armed crime 51
iv Undercounting gun violence 51
The impacts of tribal fighting in the Highlands 52
2002 election violence: Gunpoint democracy 53
Australia 54
New Zealand 55
Conclusion 55
IV. Pacific small arms legislation:
Domestic and regional issues 57
Pacific firearms law: An overview 57
What is a small arm? 59
Civilian possession and use 59
Additional prohibitions without legislation 62
Ammunition 62
Preconditions for civilian licensing 62
Deterring small arms trafficking within and between states 65
Registration 65
Marking 65
Controls on manufacture and domestic trade 66
Import and export controls 67
Gun control by import tariff 69
Visiting vessels 69
Penalty regimes 70
Collection and destruction 72
Conclusion 73
Appendix 1: Firearm laws in the Pacific 74
Appendix 2: Pacific definitions of ‘arm’ and ‘firearm’ 76
Occasional Paper No. 8 Small Arms Survey
Small Arms in the Pacific
V. Disarmament Pacific style: Experiences in Bougainville
and the Solomon Islands 81
Bougainville: Getting the house in order 81
Practical disarmament in Bougainville 83
Challenges to disarmament 85
Stakeholder perspectives on the weapon disposal process 87
The Solomon Islands: An uneasy peace 90
Early weapon surrenders 92
Five hundred high-powered rifles still missing 94
Deterrents to disarmament 95
Campaign 2002: A new start? 97
Peace for the Solomons? 99
Conclusion: Disarmament, Pacific style 100
Appendix 1: Extract from the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement 101
Appendix 2: Extract from the Townsville Peace Agreement 105
VI. Regional co-operation, the Nadi Framework,
and the UN 2001 Small Arms Conference 108
Towards a common regional approach 108
The Nadi Framework: Developing model legislation 110
The UN 2001 Small Arms Conference Programme of Action:
Implications for the Pacific 112
v
Potential for successful implementation 115
Conclusion 117
Endnotes 120
Bibliography 130
Small Arms Survey Occasional Paper No. 8
Philip Alpers and Conor Twyford
Acronyms and abbreviations
ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation
ADB Asian Development Bank
ANU Australian National University
AUD Australian dollar
AusAID Australian Agency for International Development
BETA Bougainville Ex-combatants’ Trust Account
BPMG Bougainville Peace Monitoring Group
BRA Bougainville Revolutionary Army
BRF Bougainville Resistance Forces
CPRF Community Peace and Restoration Fund (Solomon Islands)
CRIN Customs Regional Intelligence Network
DDA United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs
DDR disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States
EDA excess defence article
EPG Eminent Persons Group
EU European Union
FF French franc
FJD Fiji dollar
vi
FMS foreign military sales
FRSC Forum Regional Security Committee (of the Pacific Islands Forum)
FSM Federated States of Micronesia
GDP gross domestic product
GPG Guadalcanal provincial government
GPMG general purpose machine gun
GRA Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army
ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross
IFM Isatabu Freedom Movement
IHL international humanitarian law
IPMT International Peace Monitoring Team
IPPNW International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
MEF Malaita Eagle Force
MP member of parliament
MPG Malaita provincial government
NISAT Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers
NSW New South Wales
NZ New Zealand
NZAID New Zealand Agency for International Development
NZD New Zealand dollar
OCO Oceania Customs Organization
OPM Organisasi Papua Merdeka
PFF Police Field Force
PGK Kina (Papua New Guinea currency)
PILOM Pacific Islands Law Officers’ Meeting
PMC Peace Monitoring Council
PMG Peace Monitoring Group
PNGDF Papua New Guinea Defence Force
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Small Arms in the Pacific
PPCC Peace Process Consultative Committee
RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force
RPNGC Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary
RSIP Royal Solomon Islands Police
SALW small arms and light weapons
SID Solomon Islands dollar
SLR self-loading rifle (often a NATO military assault rifle)
SPCPC South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference
TMG Truce Monitoring Group
TPA Townsville Peace Agreement
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNGA United Nations General Assembly
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNIFIL United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
UNOMB United Nations Observer Mission on Bougainville
UNRISD United Nations Research Institute for Social Development
USD US dollar
UXO unexploded ordnance
VT Vatu (Vanuatu currency)
WDC Weapons Disposal Committee
WHO World Health Organization
WTO World Trade Organization
vii
About the authors
Philip Alpers is a senior fellow at the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard School of
Public Health, Boston. A policy analyst in the public health effects of gun-related violence and
firearm regulation since 1992, he is accredited to the United Nations small arms process and acts as
a consultant on international gun policy for a variety of organizations. He can be contacted at:
[email protected]
Conor Twyford is a former ministerial secretary to New Zealand’s Minister for Disarmament and Arms
Control. She has an extensive background in politics and women’s affairs in the Pacific region and is
currently based on Tanna Island, Vanuatu. She holds an honours degree in political science from
Griffith University.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all those whose willingness to share their knowledge and experience of
small arms in the region has made this report possible. Thank you for your trust and confidence in the
process and we hope that this document helps you in your local efforts to create a more peaceful Pacific.
Important contributions to this paper were made by David Capie, Emile LeBrun, Nicholas Marsh, Rod
Alley, Shaun Evans, and Aaron Karp. Special thanks also to the team at the Small Arms Survey and
the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue for their generous support in helping to bring this paper to
fruition. The Small Arms Survey and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue wishes to thank the
governments of Australia and New Zealand for their financial support of this study.
Small Arms Survey Occasional Paper No. 8
Philip Alpers and Conor Twyford
Individuals and organizations consulted
FIJI
• Greg Clewley, Communications Coordinator, Pacific Regional Delegation, ICRC
• Koila Costello-Ollson, Gender and Peace Advisor, Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and
Advocacy (ECREA)
• Susan Douglas, Cooperation Coordinator, Pacific Regional Delegation, ICRC
• Shaun Evans, Law Enforcement Liaison Officer, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
• Susana Evening, former President, Catholic Women’s League
• Di Goodwillie, UNIFEM
• Dr Thomas Gurtner, Head of Pacific Regional Delegation, ICRC
• Robert Keith-Reid, Publisher, Pacific Business International,Suva
• Margaret Leniston, Gender Issues Advisor, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
• Jan Murray, Cooperant Programme Assistant, CUSO
• Sakeasi Nawaikama, reporter, Fiji Times
• Lavinia Padarath, Senior Administration Officer, Fiji Labour Party Parliamentary Office, former
coup hostage
• Shelley Rao, Social and Economic Justice Advisor, ECREA
• Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, Coordinator, fem’LINKpacific
• Florence Sechaud, Deputy Head of Pacific Regional Delegation, ICRC
viii
• Stanley Simpson, Editor, Pacific News Bulletin
• Ema Tagicakibau, Pacific Concerns Resource Centre, Demilitarization Desk officer, former coup hostage
• Linda Te Puni, Acting Deputy High Commissioner, New Zealand High Commission
• Peter Waddell-Wood, Counsellor, Development Cooperation Division, Australian High Commission
• Ellen Whelan, former editor of Pacific News Bulletin
SOLOMON ISLANDS
• David Apps, Adviser, Solomon Islands Peace Monitoring Council (PMC)
• Greg Balke, Human Rights Advisor, UNHCHR
• Greg Cummins, Customs Specialist, Customs Development Project
• John Fennessy, Leader, Solomon Islands International Peace Monitoring Team (IPMT)
• Kate Graham, Advisor, Royal Solomon Islands Police
• Joy Kere, Solomon Islands PMC
• Kees Kingma, Coordinator, UNDP Peace and Development Programme
• Ruth Liloqula, National Council of Women
• Marsali Mackinnon, Communications Adviser, Solomon Islands PMC
• Ruth Maetala, President, National Council of Women
• Tony McLeod, Chief of Operations, Solomon Islands IPMT
• Dr Hermann Oberli, Consultant Surgeon, National Referral Hospital, Honiara
• Mary-Louise O’Callaghan, Pacific correspondent for The Australian
• Judi Pattison, Coordinator, Community Peace and Restoration Fund, Honiara
• Virginia Pilua, Secretary, Honiara National Council of Women
• Alice Pollard, Women for Peace
• Bob Pollard, Solomon Islands Christian Association
• John Roughan, Solomon Islands Development Trust
• Ethel Sigimanu, Director, Women’s Development Division, Solomon Islands Government
Occasional Paper No. 8 Small Arms Survey
Small Arms in the Pacific
• Detective Chief Superintendent Eddy Sikua, Policy and Media Relations, Royal Solomon Islands Police
• Paul Spooner, Federal Agent, Australian Federal Police
• Val Stanley, Community Development Officer, Oxfam Australia Solomon Islands Office
• Henry Tobani, Solomon Islands PMC
• Agnes Wale, Secretary General, Solomon Islands Red Cross Society
BOUGAINVILLE
• Chris Appleton, Commander, Bougainville Peace Monitoring Group
• Tony Cameron, Community Policing Liaison Officer, Buka Police Station
• Helen Hakena, Executive Director, Leitana Nehan Women’s Development Agency
• Josephine Kauona Sirivi, Bougainville Women for Peace and Freedom
• Robin Kenaus, Area Coordinator, Bougainville Ex-Combatants’ Trust Account
• George Lesi, Director, Leitana Nehan Women’s Development Agency
• Steven Madoi, Oxfam New Zealand Bougainville Programme
• Hilary Masiria, Peace Process Consultative Committee member, former Chair of Bougainville
Resistance Force
• Brother Ken McDonald, Mabire Marist College
• Ann Rangai, Project Officer, Leitana Nehan Women’s Development Agency
• Lucy Sinei, Arawa Women’s Vocational Training Centre
• Chris Seed, New Zealand High Commissioner
• Ambassador Noel Sinclair, Head of the United Nations Observer Mission on Bougainville
• Fred Terry, Project Manager, UNDP Bougainville Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development
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Project, Arawa
• Eva Thatcher, International Women’s Development Agency
• Corinne Tompkinson, Chief Negotiator, Bougainville Peace Monitoring Group
• Dr Joe Vilosi, Buka Hospital
• Chris Watkins, Project Coordinator, Bougainville Ex-Combatants’ Trust Account
PORT MORESBY
• Dr James Chin, Department of Political Science, University of Papua New Guinea
• Bernard Choulai, Liaison Officer, UNDP Bougainville Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and
Development Project
• Frank Clair, Federal Agent, Australian Federal Police
• Zoe Coulson, Second Secretary, NZAID, Papua New Guinea High Commission.
• Jane Curran, Deputy Team Leader Administration, Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary
Development Project
• Dr Salik Ram Govind, Papua New Guinea Programme Management Officer, WHO
• Justice Gua, Programme Associate, Governance and Poverty Alleviation, UNDP
• Leisa James, Federal Agent, Australian Federal Police
• Thomas Kilala, Media Officer, Papua New Guinea Defence Force
• Esther Kulbob, Reproductive Health Worker, HELP Resources (Wewak)
• Lady Hilan Los, Acting Director, Individual and Community Rights Advocacy Forum (ICRAF)
Women’s Refuge Crisis Centre
• Lt Colonel Andrew Morris, Defence Adviser, New Zealand High Commission
• Lt Colonel Vagi Oala, Director of Land Operations, Papua New Guinea Defence Force
• Dr Yves Renault, WHO Representative to Papua New Guinea
• Michelle Rooney, Programme Manager, UNDP Bougainville Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and
Development Project
Small Arms Survey Occasional Paper No. 8