Push for arms control
Positive response to 40,000 SMS’s to press for signing UN treaty
Sandeep Singh Grewal
Staff Reporter
The message was clear and effective.
As many as 40,000 SMS’s were circulated by the control arms campaign yesterday.
The messages were sent by noon and the tone on recipients’ mobile phone kept ringing till evening.
Nasser Burdestani, Control arms coordinator for Bahrain told the Tribune, “We chose 30,000 names randomly two days back and were short by 10,000 names. This is the first of its kind campaign in Bahrain to spread awareness against the dangers of arms.”
Push for arms control
Positive response to 40,000 SMS’s to press for signing UN treaty
Sandeep Singh Grewal
Staff Reporter
The message was clear and effective.
As many as 40,000 SMS’s were circulated by the control arms campaign yesterday.
The messages were sent by noon and the tone on recipients’ mobile phone kept ringing till evening.
Nasser Burdestani, Control arms coordinator for Bahrain told the Tribune, “We chose 30,000 names randomly two days back and were short by 10,000 names. This is the first of its kind campaign in Bahrain to spread awareness against the dangers of arms.”
The message read, “Every minute someone is killed by a gun in this world. You can make a difference. To support the campaign type ATT and send to 36627737.”
The campaign follows the gunning down of hotel security guard Abbas Ali Salman Al Shakhoori by an unidentified man on March 30 .
The campaign organisers have also released an advertisement in local papers, calling on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, to push for the signing of the treaty.
“The phones have not stopped ringing and people from all walks of life have responded positively.
“They want Bahrain to sign the Arms Trade Treaty. We will compile all the responses and send them to the authorities concerned,” Burdestani said.
The United Nations General Assembly approved the ATT last December and so far 153 member countries have supported it. The deadline for all those who have not signed expires by the month-end.
Bahrain has not signed the treaty yet. Control Arms campaigners in more than 60 countries work to ensure that their governments sign the treaty.
Burdestani said that more than 1,135 companies in at least 98 countries manufactured small arms and ammunition and there had been a six fold increase in the production.
By signing the ATT, Bahrain would help curb cross-border trafficking in weapons, Burdestani said.
Article from: Bahrain Tribune Newspaper
