Landmines

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  • by Anup Shah
  • This Page Last Updated Monday, September 18, 2006

In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness and activism on the controversial issue of landmines. Horrific stories and pictures from all around the world show that it is mainly civilians who are the landmine casualties—and continue to be so years after the warring factions have left the battlefield (with the mines still there). Statistics regarding landmines also reveal shocking figures.

The United States against the banning of landmines

President Clinton, in 1994, was the first leader to call for an international ban on anti-personnel landmines. Yet in 1997 when they all met in Ottawa, Canada, to sign a treaty to ban the use, the USA weren’t there. There concern was along the lines of wanting to be able to have the option to use landmines in some cases, such as along the delimitarized zone between North and South Korea. This, they say would help to defend South Korea. Yet, as Human Rights Watch reports, “Nearly half of the antipersonnel mines retained by the United States for use in Korea are actually stored in the United States”

And as the treaty became binding international law on March 1st 1999, the United States has once again come under scrutiny as they look to actually increase spending on a new mine system. Other nations such as Russia, China, Cuba, Turkey, North and South Korea, India and Pakistan have also refused to sign the treaty, but the US is the most influential and therefore their lack of co-operation and leadership is an even more serious blow for such a treaty. As a result, there was pressure to urge the US to sign the agreement.

But, the US is spending a lot of money in various efforts to de-mine areas. While many feel that this is good, some have pointed out that this is not enough and that a full ban with a reduction or elimination of the production and stockpiling of anti-personnel landmines is needed.

As the introduction to a landmine documentary says, “Paradoxically, the U.S. reserves the right to lay mines anywhere, even as it supports mine removal and humanitarian relief for the victims of mine warfare.”

In fact, Human Rights Watch report that the US are to begin tests on a “victim-activated” landmine. While the US have said that they will join the treaty in 2006, this current endeavor is anything but heading towards a reduction, which the US were once one of the most vocal on.

In an additional report, Human Rights Watch continues to criticize the United States, and says it also bears responsibility for the landmine crisis. They also point out that the United States is one of the largest producers, exporters and stockpilers of landmines.

Furthermore, as reported by the International Action Network on Small Arms, the new “Bush administration has backed away from a promise made by the Clinton White House that the United States will eventually comply with an international treaty banning land mines, because it believes U.S. forces may need to use the weapon. ... [Former President] Clinton [promised] that the United States would comply with the treaty by 2006 after giving the Pentagon time to develop a substitute for the weapon.”

The United States, being the most powerful nation, has the ability to influence others and proudly proclaims itself to be a moral leader in the world. By not signing to this (and other) treaties, (due to internal disagreements), it sends a negative and opposite message to other nations. By signing and ratifying it, it would be in their interest to help ensure others are also falling into line. (If for not a humanitarian reason, then at least because it would take the competitive factor out, and landmines would not be part of an equation where the US would lost out by signing.)

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Some nations continue to use landmines

The Landmine Monitor Report 1999, from the ICBL (International Campaign to Ban Landmines), reports that overall there has been a huge reduction in production and export of landmines. Unfortunately though, there are still a number of countries—including three that had signed and ratified the treaty (Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal)—that hypocritically continue to use landmines.

The 2000 report also shows a similar pattern. While there was a substantial decrease in use and deployment, some nations still used them.

The Landmine Monitor Report 2006 released by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines revealed a decrease in use of antipersonnel mines by both government and rebel forces in 2005 and the first half of 2006.

Their summary of findings noted the following positives:

  • There was increased international rejection of antipersonnel mines
  • There was increased support for the goal of eliminating antipersonnel mines
  • Some Non-State Armed Groups committed to a ban on antipersonnel mines
  • There was no evidence of use of antipersonnel mines by States Parties or signatories to the Landmine Ban Treaty
  • The low level of trade in landmines signalled a de facto global ban on trade in antipersonnel mines
  • Millions of stockpiled antipersonnel mines have been destroyed
  • The numbers of mines retained for training and development has decreased
  • There was continued high-rate of initial transparency reporting
  • An increasing number of States Parties are making their views known on key matters of treaty interpretation and implementation
  • There was a reduction in the number of mine-affected countries
  • There was increased demining productivity
  • Mine risk education had expanded
  • There was increased attention to victim assistance
  • International mine action funding in 2005 was significant
  • There was more national funding by mine-affected countries

However, there were some continued obstacles and challenges:

  • “Universalization challenges”—i.e. many key landmine stockpilers, users, and producers were still outside of the treaty, such as Burma, China, India, Pakistan, Russia and the United States.
  • At least three governments continued using antipersonnel mines: Myanmar (Burma), Nepal and Russia. The most extensive use was in Myanmar.
  • Non-state armed groups are using antipersonnel mines in more countries than government forces, though their use is also on the decline
  • Production of antipersonnel mines continued by 13 countries: Burma, China, Cuba, India, Iran, North Korea, South Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, United States and Vietnam.
    • Some of these countries are not actively producing, but reserve the right to do so.
    • The United States, which has not produced since 1997, has been developing new landmine systems that may be incompatible with the Mine Ban Treaty.
    • Vietnamese said they no longer produce antipersonnel mines, but is awaiting confirmation and clarification by the Landmine Monitor.
    • At least 38 countries have ceased production of antipersonnel mines, including five states not party to the Mine Ban Treaty.
  • A UN panel accused Eritrea (a party to the Mine Ban Treaty) of transfer of antipersonnel mines to Somalia in March 2006, which Eritrea denies.
  • Landmine Monitor estimates that non-States Parties stockpile over 160 million antipersonnel mines, with the vast majority held by a just five states: China (est. 110 million), Russia (26.5 million), US (10.4 million), Pakistan (est. 6 million) and India (est. 4-5 million). South Korea reported a stockpile total (407,800) down from 2 million; Signatory Poland holds nearly one million antipersonnel mines.
  • Too many mines were still retained for training, with too few explanations why
  • Some countries failed to report on progress: Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde, Gambia, Sao Tome e Principe, Guyana and Ethiopia
  • A number of countries are feared to fail in meeting their deadlines for landmine clearance, including at least 13 of the 29 States Parties with 2009 or 2010 deadlines—Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chad, Croatia, Denmark, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, Tajikistan, Thailand, the United Kingdom (Falklands), Yemen and Zimbabwe.
  • There were increased casualties in 2005-2006: Reported casualties were 7,328 in 2005―11 percent more than in 2004. The Landmine Monitor estimates 15,000 to 20,000 casualties each year.
  • There was a decrease in international funding of mine action:
    • The 2005 total of $376 million was down $23 million, almost six percent, from 2004
    • This is the first significant decrease since 1992
    • The global decrease largely reflects big reductions from the two most significant donors: the European Commission (down $14.9 million) and the United States (down $14.6 million).
  • There was a decrease of funding to many mine-affected countries, affecting their programs: Afghanistan, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Mauritania, and Tajikistan
  • Funding of mine victim assistance is still deemed as largely inadequate.

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Maps of global landmine problem, production, and stockpiles

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines’ 2006 Monitor report includes some maps of landmine issues around the world showing who has signed/ratified the treaty, where they are used, produced, stockpiled, cause problems and where they have been destroyed.

With kind permission, three of their maps are reposted here (each links to the original from the report’s web site where you can download other formats and get more detail):

Landmine problem in the world. Source: Landmine Monitor Report 2006, International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Reposted with permission.

Global Production of Antipersonnel Mines. Source: Landmine Monitor Report 2006, International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Reposted with permission.

Global Stockpiles of Antipersonnel Mines. Source: Landmine Monitor Report 2006, International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Reposted with permission.

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Author and Page Information

  • by Anup Shah
  • Created: Monday, July 20, 1998
  • Last Updated: Monday, September 18, 2006

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Document Revision History

DateReason
September 18, 2006Added some more information on the progress to ban antipersonnel landmines (remainder of text remains untouched, for now, since October 30, 2001)