National Commission Against Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms Survey report on the prevalence of illicit small arms in Sri Lanka 10 March 2008 NCAPISA – SURVEY REPORT ON THE PREVALENCE OF ILLICIT SMALL ARMS IN SRI LANKA Acknowledgements This survey was conducted for the National Commission Against the Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms (NCAPISA) by Saferworld with its partners the University of Kelaniya, the Marga Institute and the Centre for Integrated Communication Research and Advocacy, in the framework of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UN ODA) and the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) joint project ‘Support to the National Commission Against Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms in Sri Lanka’. Financial support to the project was provided by the Government of Japan through the UN ODA Trust Fund for Global and Regional Disarmament Activities. Saferworld’s participation in the survey was supported by funding from the United Nations and a grant from the UK Government’s Global Conflict Prevention Pool. National Commission Against the Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms (NCAPISA) Ministry of Defence Building 15/5 Baladaksha Mawatha, Colombo 3 Sri Lanka NCAPISA – SURVEY REPORT ON THE PREVALENCE OF ILLICIT SMALL ARMS IN SRI LANKA Foreword The National Commission Against Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms (NCAPISA) was established to co-ordinate approaches to small arms-related problems in Sri Lanka. In order for NCAPISA to respond effectively to the safety and security concerns associated with illicit small arms, this comprehensive national survey has been undertaken to facilitate a greater understanding of the distribution and impact of these weapons, and the capacity of the state to control licit use and eradicate illicit proliferation. Between November 2006 and April 2007, building upon international best practices, investigations were conducted across Sri Lanka to generate a sound body of evidence to inform comprehensive action by the government, the people and civil society to tackle the problem of illicit small arms proliferation and misuse effectively. This has accordingly allowed key informants from a diverse cross-section of society, including government officials and civil society organisations, to articulate their experiences and perceptions of the security environment in Sri Lanka. It has also enabled extensive statistical and procedural data to be collected and collated from the Armed Forces, the Sri Lanka Police, the Government Analyst and many government ministries, to increase transparency and ensure that all available information be presented. Therefore, the aim of this National Small Arms Survey is to provide accurate information to the NCAPISA and the Government of Sri Lanka, in general, on the small arms situation in Sri Lanka, as the basis for taking measures to strengthen existing small arms controls, prevent armed crime, increase community security, and eliminate illicit trafficking. The survey will accordingly act as a catalyst in the development of a National Small Arms Policy and a National Small Arms Action Plan by assisting the government in identifying key problems and highlighting priority areas for action. Solutions to these problems lie in a wide range of areas, including changes in public knowledge, legislative reforms and enhancements of the operations of government agencies. The Government of Sri Lanka is proud to have completed the survey as it is the first exercise of its kind, not only within Sri Lanka, but within the South Asia region. It also welcomes the opportunity to enter future policy discussions and take specific actions based on the knowledge and analysis presented in the report, because of its commitment to bringing about substantive changes for the benefit of the country and the people. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa RWP. RSP. psc Secretary Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order NCAPISA – SURVEY REPORT ON THE PREVALENCE OF ILLICIT SMALL ARMS IN SRI LANKA Contents Acknowledgements Foreword Contents List of Acronyms Executive summary ..............................................................................................................................1 Recommendations ..............................................................................................................................13 1 Introduction................................................................................................................................21 1.1 The context of the survey........................................................................................................21 1.2 The purpose of the survey ......................................................................................................21 1.3 The scope of the survey..........................................................................................................22 2 State-controlled firearms and stockpile management ..........................................................24 2.1 Military stockpile management and security ...........................................................................24 2.1.1 Record-keeping and monitoring of army small arms and ammunition ...................................27 2.2 Police stockpile management and security.............................................................................27 2.2.1 Control over small arms issued to police officers ...................................................................29 2.3 Controls over the homeguard/Civil Security Department small arms and ammunition ..........30 2.4 Prison stockpile management and security ............................................................................31 2.5 Department of forestry stockpile management and security...................................................32 2.6 Commercial Explosives, Firearms and Ammunition Procurement Unit (CEFAP) stocks .......33 2.6.1 CEFAP stockpile management and security ..........................................................................33 2.7 District Secretariat stocks........................................................................................................34 2.7.1 District Secretariat stockpile management and security.........................................................34 2.8 Controls on imports of small arms by state agencies .............................................................34 3 Legal civilian ownership and the licensing system...............................................................36 3.1 Legislation on civilian possession ...........................................................................................36 3.1.1 Types of weapon permitted under licence ..............................................................................36 3.2 Licensed civilian possession...................................................................................................38 3.2.1 Licences for crop protection....................................................................................................40 3.2.2 Licences for personal protection, banks and other institutions...............................................40 3.2.3 Licences for sports shooting ...................................................................................................41 3.2.4 Licences for private security companies.................................................................................42 3.3 Types and makes of small arms in civilian possession ..........................................................44 3.4 Legal trade in small arms and ammunition .............................................................................45 3.5 Demand for new licences........................................................................................................47 3.6 Licensing procedures..............................................................................................................49 3.6.1 Procedures for granting crop protection licences ...................................................................49 3.6.2 Procedures for granting personal protection licences.............................................................50 3.6.3 Procedures for granting watchers’ permits .............................................................................50 3.6.4 Procedures for granting sports shooting licences...................................................................51 3.6.5 Procedures for authorising import of weapons by visitors ......................................................51 3.6.6 Procedures for granting licences to private security companies ............................................51 3.7 Rejection of licence applications.............................................................................................53 3.8 Renewal of licences ................................................................................................................54 3.9 Record-keeping in the licensing system .................................................................................56 3.10 Withdrawal of licences ............................................................................................................57 NCAPISA – SURVEY REPORT ON THE PREVALENCE OF ILLICIT SMALL ARMS IN SRI LANKA 3.11 Public perceptions of the licensing system .............................................................................58 3.11.1 The need for awareness-raising ..............................................................................................58