639 million small arms in the world: UN study
An estimated 639 million
small arms are held by individuals, police, military and
guerrillas around the world, a UN supported study said
on Monday.
The revised estimate in the
second annual Small Arms Survey exceeded the 550 million
estimated in the first edition published last year.
Peter Batchelor, one of the authors of the 329-page survey,
said the revision didn't necessarily mean the number of
arms had grown but was "based on better data and
we think improved estimation techniques and particularly
some much better data we received from Asia last year."
The weapons included small arms ranging from pistols
and rifles to mortars under 90 mm and shoulder-fired rocket
launchers.
"For guerrillas, less concerned with tactical accuracy
than political impact, the mortar is an ideal light weapon,"
the study said. "The mortar is an easy weapon to
improvise from scrap."
The study said the bulk of small arms - 59.2 per cent
are privately owned. Government armed forces own the second
largest amount- 37.8 per cent. Police have 2.8 per cent
and insurgents 0.2 per cent.
China proved to be one of the most difficult countries
to obtain information about the number of small arms,
but the survey concluded that "the actual total probably
is much greater than commonly assumed."
"Many Chinese people, such as those from major cities
and coastal regions, are under the impression that guns
are scarce in their society, strictly licensed and confined
to the criminal underworld and the remote regions."
Geneva, June
24, 2002 (AP)
