Firearms Possession by 'Non-State Actors': The Question of Sovereignty

Abstract

The international gun prohibition movement seeks to severely restrict of eliminate the possession of firearms by non-state actors. This article argues that the prohibition on arms possession by non-state actors is contrary to the fundamental principle that the people, not the government, possess the sovereignty. The article examines the relationship between arms possession and sovereignty in several contexts: ancient Greece, Cambodia, Japan, China, East Timor, Bougainville, Niger, Angola, Zimbabwe, Uganda, the Warsaw Pact, and Bosnia.

Keywords: Arms prohibition, sovereignty, small arms & light weapons, non-state actors

JEL Classification: K14, K33, K42