Hanoi - Long used for hunting and as a sign of masculinity, hunters in Vietnam's northern mountains have turned their homemade shotguns into the local authorities, an official said Friday. Hunters living in the province of Dien Bien in the northwest of the Vietnam were asked to turn their shotguns in after years of accidents that had maimed and killed dozens of people, and on several occasion used in murders.
Officials said that the guns were also being used to shoot rare animals, depleting the forests of exotic birds and game.
"So far, more than 40,000 guns have been handed over to us," said Luu Trong, head of the Military Command of Dien Bien province.
Making shotguns has been a tradition for many hill tribes living in the remote northern mountains of Vietnam. They are a sign of one's hunting prowess, and often hung in homes as decoration.
The number of guns a man owns is said to be determined by how many sons he has. Shotgun fire is also used to signal when a child is born or when a villager has died.
It is illegal for civilians to own guns in Vietnam but the police said they didn't enforce the law when it came to ethnic minority groups.
Villagers weren't forced to turn over their guns, officials said. Dua Quang Chin, director of the police in Dien Bien, said that authorities worked with local leaders to encourage people to turn them in.
Getting rid of the homemade shotguns, which are loaded with explosives and built with flimsy triggers, was the hard part.
The guns had to be soaked in water before breaking them down. They were then shipped to the Thai Nguyen Steel factory once the powder was removed.
