By ALISON ANIS
LEADERS, especially politicians who have guns have been called on to lead by example and surrender their guns in response to the campaign against guns violence launched early this year.
The call was made by members of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence in Papua New Guinea during a press conference held in Port Moresby last week.
The group, which is made up of women groups, help organisations, NGOs, church organisations, human rights groups and development agencies, met to renew their campaign to stop gun violence in PNG and push for the Government to look into the guns report or submissions by the Guns Committee in 2005, which called for tougher measures to be taken up against the use of arms.
However, they stressed that leaders were also contributing to the problem of everyone wanting to have a firearm because some of them were found to be in possession of firearms.
They called on Members of Parliament, who are in possession of guns to own up and hand in their weapons.
They said there had been similar calls before, where guns were heavily involved but most weapons that were handed in and destroyed were home-made guns. Most high-powered firearms were held back.
“We call on the leaders, if they are serious about helping communities, our mothers and our sisters who are affected, to lead by example and hand in their weapons.”
The group also mentioned that they had received reports during the survey on the issue of gun violence that some of the leaders had been involved in facilitating the movement of guns.
“We call on the Government to act on the recommendations by the Guns Committee two years ago. Why aren’t our leaders serious about the issue?” they asked.
“If you are serious about helping our communities to have a peaceful and better life, then it is about time you seriously do something about the guns report.”