Mass shooting tragedy could happen here

The school-shooting tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, has re-energised the debate over gun control in the United States. The incident shows that disaster can happen when deadly weapons are put in the hands of the wrong people.
American police at the scene say there are no words to describe the mass killing of 20 young children and six adults by a man who then took his own life. The incident happened only months after 12 people were massacred at a Colorado cinema.
Unfortunately, no one believes that this will be last episode of its kind.
Although the incident has drawn messages of sorrow and grief from people all over the world, it remains to be seen if those who support gun control will be able to move their agenda forward. The US is, after all, a diverse nation with different sub-cultures. More people on the East Coast might prefer to see tighter gun control, but guns are a part of the lives of people who live in the Midwest and the South, where the level of gun ownership is higher than in other parts of America.
US President Barack Obama responded forcefully to the mass killings in Connecticut. But it is debatable whether he will be able to prevail over the gun lobby and introduce tighter restrictions on gun ownership and the type of weapons that can be sold legally. As a result, these tragedies will happen over and over again.
Thailand has also seen a series of unfortunate incidents that are the result of lax gun control here. Many murders in Thailand are committed with guns. It is unclear how such a large number of guns have found their way into the hands of murderers.
It is almost at the point where Thais feel these incidents are routine news. Sadly, those who commit crimes with guns include students and youngsters, as evidenced by the high number of incidents involving shootings between students from rival colleges. These exchanges of gunfire have claimed innocent lives.
Culturally, Thai communities are agriculture-based, and people in these close-knit communities take care of each other. Gun ownership is not really part of the culture in the same way it is among Americans. This is reflected in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which protects the right of people to keep and bear arms.
The gun law in Thailand is subject to the Act Controlling Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks and Imitation Firearms, which requires owners to acquire a licence before obtaining a firearm. A person can only use a gun for self-defence, the protection of property, sport hunting or collecting.
There is a debate whether Thailand should tighten gun control to ensure the weapons do not fall into the wrong hands. But the more challenging issue is how to enforce controls. Often, illegal gun possession happens under the noses of the authorities.
In fact, the number of guns used in illegal activities is much higher than we might like to admit. Teenage gangs, criminal syndicates and drug dealers routinely use illegal firearms.
The most daunting issue regarding guns in Thailand is to ensure enforcement of the law. As we know, few laws are implemented forcefully here. This should be part of the national agenda. Aside from all the other illegal weapons circulating around the country, the escalation of insurgent violence in the southernmost provinces should offer us an object lesson in the need for stricter enforcement.
Since 2004, 157 teachers in the deep South provinces have been killed, most of these cases involving illegal firearms and explosive devices. Some of these deadly weapons are smuggled into the country, while others are illegally acquired.
The violence may be contained to some extent with strict enforcement of the gun control law, but that can only happen if there is the political will to do so.