Tun Chunnareth (photo Jesuit Refugee Service)  | | The scourge of anti-personnel landmines I am involved in the Australian Network of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL - AN), and this because of my introduction to landmines and their effects while working as a member of International Red Cross war surgery teams on the Thai-Cambodian border (Cambodia 'war') 1992 and Pakistan (Afghanistan 'war') 1993. I shall never forget my experience in those places, nor, I think, will anyone forget similar experiences.
Currently there is more than one nominee for the title “World War 3”. There are those who use the term for the Afghanistan - Iraq - what next? scenario. Others follow Tun Channareth, the Cambodian who lost both legs to a landmine in 1982, and who is now one of the two international ambassadors for ICBL. Reth uses the term for the continuing assault on people in about 80 countries by anti-personnel landmines. This category of 'weapon' is surely THE cowardly weapon of all time. They are small and cheap to manufacture; they are designed to maim rather than kill - a maimed person is a continuing burden on his/her family, community, country - a dead person is not. Those placing them rarely, if ever, see the results of their work; people, chiefly civilians including many children, go on being severely injured or killed for many years. World War 2 landmines continue to claim victims in Europe and elsewhere.
Despite ongoing effective mine clearance, the latest global report - LANDMINE MONITOR REPORT 2003 (LMMR 2003) - has identified 82 countries still affected by the presence of uncleared mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). These landmines number in the millions, 100 million at least. The current estimate of annual new casualties is 15,000 - 20,000.
The Mine Ban Treaty (more formally “Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and On Their Destruction”) was opened for signature 3 Dec 1997. Presently about 75% of the world's nations have joined the treaty. Those who have not include 3 of the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council - China, Russia, USA. These 3 countries also possess the bulk of the world stockpile of mines - more than 200 million; in addition, together with Burma, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Nepal, North Korea, South Korea, Pakistan, Singapore and Vietnam, they remain in the category of anti-personnel landmine producers (LMMR 2003).
Significant financial contributions to mine clearance and victim assistance by a country continuing to produce and use mines, or reserving the right to do so, does not justify or offset this behaviour. It can be likened to continuing to pour fuel on a fire while attempts are being made to extinguish it, or, to put it another way, to say to someone “Let me blow out your eyes, and I will give you a guide dog.” or “I'll blow off your legs and give you a great wheel chair.”
What to do? Work to achieve universalisation of the Mine Ban Treaty. Pressure needs to be applied and maintained on the governments of non-signatory countries, even small ones which do not possess and are never likely to possess landmines, but of course chiefly on the big ones which do!
Spread the word, raise, and keep high, awareness of the problem. It will not go away by being ignored. Raise funds; there are many needs to be met now and for a long time to come.
Patricia Coyle, rscj
Province of Australia- New Zealand |
