ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) seminar on Small Arms and Light Weapons opened on Wednesday aimed at assisting ASEAN member states in improving Small Arms and Light Weapons control.

Representatives from ASEAN member countries, other Asian countries and the European Union (EU) are attending the three-day seminar.

The workshop will focus on the issues of national and regional, such as transfer controls; illicit brokering; management of state- owned and private weapons; treatment of surplus weapons; use of external assistance and regional co-operation.

Cambodian Co-Minister of Interior Sar Kheng said at the opening ceremony that "So far, the small arms and light weapons still pose threats to country's security, public order and human rights, as well as the country's construction and development."

He said that the international support will be a great help to Cambodia to further enhance the control on small arms and light weapons.

Ever since 1970 Cambodia has gone through grave and bitter history of great sorrow and destruction caused by small arms and light weapons, though Cambodia does not produce weapons.

Since 1998, the government has taken strong measures to confiscate and destroy weapons possessed by civilians. Since then, the government has destroyed more than 175,000 illegal weapons. At the same time, the government has also strengthened the control of those weapons in the hand of armed forces, including returning their weapons to safe storage when their official mission is over.

British Ambassador to Cambodia David Reader, on behalf of the Presidency of the EU, also delivered a speech. "The European Union support for this seminar is part of our overall effort on Small Arms and Light Weapons and an integral part of the EU's work on conflict prevention," he said.

The workshop is also to allow EU and ARF member states to share knowledge, he added.

Source: Xinhua