Ministry's push to take over gun licensing

By Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

The Interior Ministry will on Tuesday seek Cabinet approval to amend the Firearms Act, seeking control over the registration of guns currently under police jurisdiction, despite opposition from other government agencies.

In detecting a lack of consensus on the draft, the Cabinet Secretariat has recommended delaying the Cabinet debate until the ministry can thrash out a solution with other agencies.

Under the draft provisions, the ministry is expected to replace the Royal Thai Police as the main enforcement body in charge of regulating firearms.

Police will see their power to issue licences to carry firearms curtailed, while the ministry will take over responsibility for screening and licensing for gun ownership.

To justify its proposed amendments, the ministry has cited a Cabinet resolution in 2004 empowering it to enforce the gun law in lieu of police.

Should the law be enacted, the permanent secretary for the Interior will be designated the gun registrar with nationwide jurisdiction. The director-general of the Provincial Administration will have jurisdiction over gun registration in Bangkok, while provincial governors will oversee gun licensing in their provinces.

After reviewing the draft, the Justice Ministry has opposed a number of provisions, including authorisation for the gun registrar to conduct a search without having to obtain court-approved warrants.

The Office of the Attorney-General opposes the sweeping power to name gun owners as suspects if their firearms were suspected of being linked to a crime.

The police disagreed with a provision banning the transfer of gun ownership unless authorised by an executive decree, saying it would be impractical to enforce. It also argued that provincial police commanders should oversee the gun registration in lieu of provincial governors.

-- The Nation 2011-04-01

The Office of the Attorney-General opposes the sweeping power to name gun owners as suspects if their firearms were suspected of being linked to a crime.

Shouldn't they be the prime suspect until they can provide an alibi? And then they should go to jail for letting their gun get out of their control.

sorry wrong post.

Edited April 1, 201115 yr by givenall

The Office of the Attorney-General opposes the sweeping power to name gun owners as suspects if their firearms were suspected of being linked to a crime.

Shouldn't they be the prime suspect until they can provide an alibi? And then they should go to jail for letting their gun get out of their control.

The same should apply to Porsche owners too.

It's my theory, that any time you can take some power away from the BIB, it's a good thing. As corrupt as the police are, why should they be trusted with the gun laws?

Removing licensing-approval from local police-stations and putting it in one national office will remove any local considerations and possibly give a more restrictive slant ('I don't need it in my gated BKK suburb, why would this farmer in Yala?') on the issuing of new licenses.

And by tradition this move has only been done by those powers that wish to restrict ownership, i.e. a fascist move.

It's my theory, that any time you can take some power away from the BIB, it's a good thing. As corrupt as the police are, why should they be trusted with the gun laws?

Not a bad theory, me thinks.

jb1