Think Centre, along with Ban Landmine members, was invited to attend this governmental meeting. It was an opportunity for Think centre members to be sensitize and learn more about the concern issues. Do you want to know what is Singapore's position on Anti-personnel landmines? Read on.
Seminar on Landmines in Southeast Asia
Thailand is pushing for a region wide mine ban as an ASEAN initiative. Thailand called for a meeting of all ASEAN governments to discuss the issue in Bangkok 13-15 May 2002. But Singapore government's absence at the meeting was glaring and other absentees included Burma and Brunei. Thailand wishes to see full cooperative efforts from all ASEAN members in tackling the landmine issue.
Think Centre, along with Ban Landmine members, were invited to attend this governmental meeting. Think Centre is not yet a member of Ban Landmine Campaign but is interested in the issue and has done a web education campaign on banning landmine. It was an opportunity for Think centre members to be sensitize and learn more about the concern issues.
Think Centre members Mr. Goh Yew Chye and Mr. James Gomez participate in the Seminar on Landmines in Southeast Asia. The Seminar provided space for the exchange of information and views on landmines among civilian and military officials from ASEAN member countries with officials from regional, international and non-governmental organisations, donor countries, as well as from experts from the international community.
Surprisingly, for the past two years the Singapore government has avoided the landmine issue by not turning up at meetings.
Is Singapore avoiding the regional call for acccountability within ASEAN on this issue? Think Centre hopes the government will perform its regional responsibility and engage in constructively dialogue.
Its time for Singapore to ratify the Mine Ban Treaty [MBT] and inform Singapore residents on this issue.
Think Centre is convince that Singapore residents will appreciate and thank the government for the humanitarian concern to fellow human beings living in ASEAN. Singapore could provide for landmine victim assistance besides speedy elimination of APL stockpiles. Think Centre hopes to create public awareness on the landmine issue through the internet and maybe an exhibition.
15th January 2001, Malaysia set in motion the complete destruction of its APL stockpile and the last stockpile of landmines was destroyed on 23rd January 2001. Malaysia has become the first mine-free ASEAN country.
By September 2001, the MBT was signed by 140 countries and 118 countries had ratified. The MBT was signed by Malaysia on 3rd December 1997 and ratified in 22nd April 1999. When will Singapore sign and ratify the MBT; when will the stockpiles of APL be destroyed?
Landmines: Singapore Background Information
Singapore's landmines are produced by Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS), one of four groups of defense firms controlled by the state-owned Sheng-Li Holding Company, and through Sheng-Li by the Singapore Ministry of Defense. Sheng-Li's military subsidiaries have grown from a single plant opened in 1967 to a complex network of production, service and marketing companies. CIS sales arm, Unicorn International, maintains offices in London, Dubai and Brunei. They produce and market two antipersonnel mines originated by Italy's Valsella. Singapore produces the SPM-1 (like the Italian VS-50) and the Valmara 69.
Many at the Oslo Conference considered Singapore to be "one of the major anti-personnel landmine [APL] producers in the developing world" and were surprised at Landmine Monitor report which recorded that Singapore has not produced landmines since 1991 and has not exported anti-personnel mines since May 1996.
In May 1996 Singapore declared a two-year limited moratorium on exports of non-self destruct and non-detectable antipersonnel mines. However, it has maintained that anti-personnel landmines are needed for "legitimate self-defense." Singapore voted "Yes" on UNGA Resolution 51/45S, but did not endorse the Brussels declaration and attended the Oslo negotiations only as an observer.
In a 7 May 1996, letter, Singapore notified the Secretary General of the UN that, effective immediately, it will not export "dumb" mines for a period of two years. In its press statement announcing the moratorium, the Permanent Mission to the UN noted that Singapore " shares the view of several countries that it is not practical to have a blanket ban on all types of APLs as many countries still see the need for APLs for legitimate self-defense purposes."
The producer states that have not signed the Ottawa Treaty [December 1997] are: Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, North Korea, South Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States, Vietnam and Yugoslavia.
On 5 February 1998, Singapore - Ottawa Convention non-signatory - announced the immediate extension of its moratorium on the export of landmines. It was not clear from reports how long the extension would apply for. A statement from Singapore's Foreign Ministry stressed that Singapore "shares the humanitarian concerns which underpin the Ottawa Treaty."
The Ottawa Treaty
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines, often referred to as the Ottawa Treaty, became international law on 1 March 1999. The Treaty bans future use, production, export and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines and urges governments to support landmine clearance and the rehabilitation of landmine survivors. Countries that have acceded to the Treaty (that have signed and ratified it) are required to destroy their stockpiled mines within four years, destroy mines in the ground in territory under their jurisdiction and control within ten years and report each year to the UN Secretary-General on the progress made in fulfilling these requirements.
Landmines: Insidious Weapons
Landmines have shifted from being defensive, tactical, battlefield weapons to offensive, theater-wide, strategic weapons. Unfortunately, they often claim more civilian victims than military. They are indiscriminate, delayed-action weapons that cannot distinguish between a soldier and an innocent civilian. They continue to kill and maim long after the fighting has stopped.
Landmines have, in many instances, become an offensive weapon of terror aimed at civilians, designed to control their movements. Armed forces have mined wells, farmland, grazing areas, irrigation systems and other civilian targets.
Technological development and changes in the strategies for using landmines have combined to put civilian populations at ever greater risk from landmines. Increased "sophistication" has translated into an increased ability to kill and maim. Technological "advances" have led to more landmines of greater lethality, spread more quickly over larger areas of territory. Technological developments related to landmines or mine clearance have proceeded with virtually no consideration of their impact on civilians.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of people around the world are killed or injured by landmines each month; most are civilians. In Cambodia alone, there are over 30,000 amputees, mostly due to landmines. Mine deaths and injuries in the past few decades total in the hundreds of thousands.
