SAC NEWS
Nationwide Seminars on the Arms Law Start

Issue 7, Mar 7, 2007

Address:
Room No.535, Phnom Penh Center,
Corner Sihanouk Blvd. No.274 &Sothearos St. No.3,
Sangkat Tonle Bassac,
Khan Chamkarmon,
Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA
PHONE: +855-[0]23-224-001
FAX: +855-[0]23-220-330
E-MAIL: adm.jsac@online.com.kh
URL: http://www.online.com.kh/users/adm.jsac/

Arms Law seminar organized by the
Ministry of National Defence

JSAC support for the the nationwide Arms Law seminars conducted by the National
Commission for the Reform of Weapons, Explosives and Ammunition Management ("theNational Commission") has started as part of its "National Commission Support Project".
The National Commission, with the Minister of Interior as the Chairman and the Minster ofNational Defence the Vice-Chairman, oversees the management of small arms in Cambodia.
For the National Commission to be effective, it is crucial that all relevant officers of both
Ministries have a clear understanding of the Arms Law, which is the foundation of thecountry's small arms managment policy. In this regard, JSAC is supporting the National
Commission in conducting Arms Law Seminars nationwide from February 2007. Ministry ofInterior/Police, Ministry of National Defence/Military and local administration officials willdevelop their understanding on the Arms Law, which will facilitate its effective
implementation. 33 seminars will be held in all Provinces, Municipalities and Military
Headquarters until June 2007.
In this way, JSAC also supports strengthening the framework of the Government's smallarms management through its support to the National Commission, in addition to its fieldlevel activities, such as the weapons collection project.

Weapons collected in Kampong
Thom and Battambang Provinces
under the cooperation of JSAC, localpolice and authorities, andCambodian NGOs, are destroyed atpublic ceremonies to prevent furtheruse. However, the idea of using theseweapons to create peace art haslaunched the production of peacemonuments for the 2 Provinces. By
September 2007, monuments madeof weapons, collected and destroyed
within this Programme, will be
installed in public parks as a symbolof peace in Cambodia.

New Safe Storage Facilities for Police Weapons

Police weapons are now installed in the newly constructed weapons warehousesof the Provincial Police in Battambang and Kampong Thom Provinces.
Before the reconstruction of the warehouse, the police weapons were stored
in a very poor and unsafe condition. The number and types of weapons werealso not accurately recorded, allowing possible theft and leakage to remain
unnoticed.
In this context, JSAC supported the construction and procurement of safe
storage warehouses and racks, to provide facilities to enable the Provincial
Police to safely and strictly manage their own weapons. Furthermore, training
was also provided to responsible police officers for strengthening weapons
management within the Provincial Police. Ministry of Interior Officials reeducated the police officers on laws and regulations regarding the management
and handling of weapons. After the training, all information on the weapons
belonging to the Provincial Police were registered in the inventory and will belater transfered to a computer database system.
The newly constructed weapons warehouse. All theSuch secure and strict weapon management systems and increased training
weapons are registered, cleaned and checked before
are expected to shift the attitude and awareness of the officers in managing andbeing securely locked to the shelves.
handling the police weapons.
About JSAC (Japan Assistance Team for Small Arms Management in Cambodia)
JSAC was established by Japan International Cooperation Systems (JICS) for the implementation of the "Comprehensive Peace Building and Comprehensive Small Arms Management Program in Cambodia", a grant aid provided by the Government of Japan to the Government of Cambodia.
The Programme aims to to reduce small arms and peace building comprehensively through 5 projects (1. Weapons Reduction and Development forPeace Project , 2. Safe Storage and Registration Project, 3. Weapons Destruction Project, 4. Public Awareness Project, 5. National Commission Support Project). The Programme has collected a total of 26,241 small arms in 5 Provinces as of mid-Feb 2006.
Please see JSAC's website for details. URL: http://www.online.com.kh/users/adm.jsac/