Weapons Destruction Ceremony and Handover of Development Project

Weapons Destruction Ceremony co-organized by the Royal Government of Cambodia and Japan Assistance Team for Small Arms Management in Cambodia (JSAC) will be held in Angkor Chum District, Siem Reap Province on Monday, September 26, 2005.

This is the seventh time for JSAC to co-organize the Weapons Destruction Ceremony with the Royal Government of Cambodia since the establishment of JSAC. 12,216 weapons have been destroyed so far, and 3,430 weapons will be destroyed this time. In this ceremony, the Provincial Governors from JSAC’s target area (Otdar Mean Chey, Banteay Mean Chey and Siem Reap Province) will be invited to mark the completion of JSAC’s Phase 1, and 42 developments in the three provinces above and the Weapons Warehouse constructed in Siem Reap Police Headquarters will be handed over. Besides, the District Governor will proclaim the “Gun Free Declaration” by stating there are no weapons remaining in their society, and that they are determined to work hard for a peaceful society. This ceremony will not only be meaningful to JSAC as the completion of Phase 1, but it is also expected to make local citizens feel determination and responsibility toward a peaceful society.

The participants of the destruction ceremony are residents of Siem Reap Province (about 1,000 people), provincial government officials, and national police officials. JSAC sincerely welcomes all to attend this symbolic ceremony.

◆Date: September 26, 2005 (Monday)　Starting at 8:00 a.m.
◆Location: Angkor Chum District, Siem Reap Province.
(Angkor Chum Secondary School complex, Char Chhouk Village, Char Chhouk Commune, Angkor Chum District)
◆Organized by the Royal Government of Cambodia, Implemented by JSAC

Note for Editors:
Japan Assistance Team for Small Arms Management in Cambodia (JSAC)

JSAC is a mission team to implement “Peace Building and Comprehensive Small Arms Management Programme in Cambodia” which was offered from the Government of Japan to the Royal Government of Cambodia, and composed of 4 Japanese and 8 Cambodian staffs. JSAC has become a leading actor in the field of combating the threat of uncontrolled and excess of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Cambodia since 2003 and plays a leading role in assisting the Royal Government as well as civil society groups to curtail illicit weapons. JSAC comprehensively supports weapons reduction and peace building in Cambodia through weapons collection by raising public awareness of local citizens (over 10,000 weapons has been collected), police training, development project, registration and management of weapons possessed by the police, incineration of illegal weapons collected from local citizens and so on. JSAC will implement the project in Battambang Province and Kompong Thom Province from October 2005.