Abstract:
The progress of technology is a significant result that causes weapons to be developed to be more severe and efficient, especially the use of laser as weapons that are severe enough to make people blind. This causes superfluous injury and unnecessary suffering which conflicts to the principle of international humanitarian law. This important problem brings about the establishment of international law in connection with the control of the said weapons i.e. Protocol IV on Blinding Laser Weapons 1995 that has been issued under the United Nations Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects 1980. It has a scope to control blinding laser weapons to the prohibition of use, the prohibition of transfer, duties of the state in other laser systems and exceptions of enforcing the Protocol. After studying and analyzing the prescriptions of the Protocol IV on Blinding Laser Weapons 1995, it can be found that although the said Protocol has become effective, the principles under the Protocol remains unclear. Therefore, other grounds or basis of international law should be applied, especially in international customary law as well as building international cooperation in order to increase efficiency in the control of the said weapons.