[15/March/2010]

SANA'A, March 15 (Saba) – About 74 percent of the Yemeni people are wary of possessing guns and carrying them in public, a recent poll has shown.

97 percent of the surveyed people said they are for a law banning and organizing having and carrying weapons.

Security and feeling that there is a state standing on the public issues and establishing justice can convince many people to drop their guns, according to the group.

In Mareb province, 38 percent of the surveyed said that factors such as security, protection and justice were basic to convince the people to go disarmed. Similar proportions in Hadramout, Dhale and Saada said the same.

According to the poll conducted by the Sana'a-based Yemeni Poll Center, most of the respondents said that the government must ban arms trade.

And a high proportion suggested that arms dealers should write details about those who buy weapons.

In terms of surveyed women, a high proportion see that men should have arms but not carry them in pubic. Others suggest that the authorities should record those having arms.

Saada came first regarding those who urge to fight arms trade with or without license. Taiz and Sana'a came followed.

Meanwhile, the center launched a workshop on weapon carrying phenomenon under the theme: for a community partnership to fight carrying guns.

Head of the center Hafez Al-Bukary said the two-day event will focus on the ways to limit carrying and possessing guns in the country and how to keep the children away from this.

The workshop is organized in association with the British embassy in Sana'a and aims at establishing programs including campaigns to raise awareness about guns among the youth and kids and fighting the culture of revenge as well as reinforcing the principle of dialog and communication.

Mosque rectors were among the participants.

FR
Saba