Securitization of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Southeast Asian Region

MABAYO, Raisa A. IS 267 – SALW Securitization

01 April 2009 Word Count: 3,560

1 Securitization of the Illicit Trade in

2 Small Arms and Light Weapons in Southeast Asia

Introduction

The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (SALW) is one of the leading issues in transnational crime and sits comfortably amidst a wide range of non-traditional security threats. As a transnational crime, it characteristically operates with complete disregard for national territorial boundaries, thus thriving in this era of interconnectedness and globalization. By themselves, states are unable to manage the spectrum of threats to their own security, neither can they manage the threats faced by their neighbors inside and outside their own regions.

Since 1997, transnational crime has already been recognized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a non-traditional security threat through the ASEAN Declaration on Transnational Crime.[1] Further securitization of the issue can be attributed to the 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. Then UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan spoke of his wish to emulate the success of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines in mobilizing governments’ resources against landmines, this time turning global attention to SALW which are, he stated, as deadly as landmines but more pervasive.[2]

This paper gives an overview of arms smuggling, the various threats it poses on man and society and looks at the extent of the issue’s securitization in the ASEAN region. As a significant number of arms smuggling research tackle the ASEAN and its member-states’ inaction on the issue, a section will thus deal with the challenges to securitizing the illicit trafficking of SALW.

An Overview of the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons

The 1997 report of the United Nations Panel of Governmental Experts identify small arms as

References: Association of Southeast Asian Nations. 2002. Work program to implement the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime. http://www.aseansec.org/5616.htm. _____. 1997. ASEAN Declaration on Transnational Crime. http://www.aseansec.org/5640.htm Capie, David ______. 2004. Armed groups, weapons availability and misuse: An overview of these and options for action. Briefing Paper. Center for Humanitarian Dialogue. http://www.hdcenter.org/datastore/Armed_groups_briefing.pdf. Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. 2003. Small arms and human security: A snapshot of the humanitarian impact. Briefing paper. December. http://www.hdcenter.org/datastore/RXbriefing.pdf. ______. 2004a. Rebel groups and weapons: Limiting the damage. Small Arms and Security Bulletin, June (3): 1-3. http://www.hdcenter.org/datastore/Bul3-English.pdf ______ Emmers, Ralf. 2002. The Securitization of Transnational Crime in ASEAN. Florquin, Nicolas. 2006. The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. www.iias.nl/nl/42/IIAS_NL42_10.pdf Legaspi, Edgardo P Moser-Punangsuwan, Yeshua, and Robert Muggah, eds. 2003. Whose Security Counts? Participatory Research on Armed Violence and Human Insecurity in Southeast Asia. Small Arms Survey and Nonviolence International. Pattugalan, Gina Rivas. 2004. “Small Arms Proliferation and Misuse: Human Security Impact and Policy Actions in Southeast Asia.” Kasarinlan – Philippine Journal of Third World Studies Vol 19, No. 1. pp. 62-91. United Nations. 2001. Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN Document A/CONF.192/15) United Nations [2] Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan on Small Arms and Light Weapons, United Nations, 2001. [3] United Nations Panel of Governmental Experts, 1997. [4] David Capie, “Sovereignty Under Fire: Small Arms Smuggling in Southeast Asia,” Panorama: Journal of European and Southeast Asian Affairs, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2009, p. 59. [7] Florquin, “The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons” and Capie, 2001, pp. 58-59. [8] Florquin, “The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons” [9] Capie, 2001, p [11] David Capie, “Armed Groups, Weapons Availability and Misuse: An Overview of the Issue and Options for Action”, Briefing Paper. Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, 2004, p. 7. [12] Gina Rivas Pattugalan, “Small Arms Proliferation and Misuse: Human Security Impact and Policy Actions in Southeast Asia”, Kasarinlan—Philippine Journal of Third World Studies, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2004, p. 63. [17] Capie, 2004. [18] Ralf Emmers, “The Securitization of Transnational Crime in ASEAN”, 2002, p. 9. [25] Edgardo P. Legaspi, “Eastasia: Inaction on Arms—Assessing Regional Compliance to the UN PoA on Small Arms and Light Weapons”, Southeast Asia Forum on Armed Violence, 2005, pp.10-11.