Thailand: Protests turn violent again
Another South African player supports Gun-Free World Cup campaign
IANSA members meet BMS Chair & Central African governments
Honduras: 81% of homicides involve firearms

Only one week to the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence
Other news: Canadian women support gun control; Consultation on armed violence & development; Remembering Port Arthur; Training video on law enforcement & elections; Peacebuilding course; Jobs in Colombia, US & UK.

Thai security forces and anti-government protesters clashed in Bangkok on 28 April. One soldier died, reportedly in a "friendly fire" incident, and at least 16 people have been injured. This month 27 people have died and almost 1,000 have been injured in the ongoing confrontations. IANSA member Fred Lubang from Nonviolence International – South East Asia said: “In order to avoid further armed violence, all parties should commit to resolving their differences through peaceful means. The army should make clear their support for the rule of law and must improve its ability to control riots without using excessive force or firing live ammunition at protesters.” More

Benni McCarthy of West Ham United and the South African national football team has announced his support for IANSA’s Gun-Free World Cup campaign. McCarthy said: "This World Cup will be the biggest in football history and the fact that it is taking place in South Africa is a chance for us to show the world everything that is good about our country. It’s great that guns will be banned from stadiums – it’s going to be a fantastic party, and guns have no place in that.” More.

IANSA members from Latin American and the Caribbean met Ambassador Pablo Macedo, chair of the 2010 Biennial Meeting of States (BMS), in Mexico City on 26-27 April. Participants discussed the main themes that will be addressed in the BMS and how IANSA members will take up these themes with their governments. Ambassador Macedo has decided that civil society representatives will be able to speak during the BMS plenary sessions. The event was organised by CASAC, SweFOR, UNLiREC, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IANSA. More.

Firearms were used in 81% of homicides in Honduras during 2009, according to the Observatory on Violence, part of the Autonomous University of Honduras. This is from a total of 5,265 reported homicides that year in Honduras, a country with a population of 7 million. 93% of the victims were men, most of them between the ages of 15 and 44. Both homicide and suicide rates increased in 2009 with guns suicides increasing by 38%. More.

In one week we will celebrate the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence! IANSA members all over the world are organising events. Remember that you can follow the Week of Action on Twitter and join the Facebook group.

Other news:

59% of Canadians believe that the registration of rifles and shotguns is useful and should be maintained, according to a nationwide opinion survey. The survey also shows that two-thirds of women and half of people living with gun owners also support the gun registry. Recently, new legislation has been proposed to eliminate the need to register rifles and shotguns. Wendy Cukier from the Canadian Coalition for Gun Control said: “We hear repeatedly that gun control is an issue that ‘punishes’ gun owners. The irony is that where there are more guns, there are also higher rates of gun death and injury.” More.

An open consultation on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has started this week at the UN General Assembly. This is an opportunity for IANSA members to contact their government and their UN mission in New York urging them to raise the question of the impact of armed violence on development. More.

On 28 April we commemorate the tragedy that occurred in 1996 at Port Arthur in Tasmania (Australia), where 35 people were shot dead and 18 wounded. The public outrage resulting from the Port Arthur massacre led to the National Firearms Agreement, which banned all semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. More

A training video on how to police during elections according to humanitarian and legal standards has been launched by UNREC, the UN regional centre for disarmament in Africa. More.

Admissions to the West Africa Peacebuilding Institute (WAPI) are now open. This year’s Institute will be held in Accra (Ghana), 30 August - 17 September. It will cover topics like arms control, human rights advocacy, development and gender. The Institute is organised by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP). More

The Colombian Commission of Jurists is recruiting two positions: an Assistant Director of Planning and a Coordinator - International Litigation, both to be based in Bogota. The American Friends Service Committee is recruiting an Associate Representative to be based in the Quaker UN Office in New York. Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) is looking for a Director to be based in London. More

Please send your news and stories for the Update to adriana.medina@iansa.org