Tatmadaw, ethnic armed groups urged to stop using landmines
An international anti-landmine group on Thursday urged the
Tatmadaw (military) and the ethnic armed groups to improve the chances
for peace by ending the use of landmines.
Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, research coordinator of the Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor, stressed that even after the fighting stops, the threat of active landmines remains.
“If the Tatmadaw and the ethnic armed groups stopped using landmines, that will be advantageous for the peace processes,” he told a news briefing in Yangon. “The attacks may be halted but the mines will be left behind and remain a threat to people.” he said.
The group reported that from January 2018 to November 2019, 3800 people lost hands or legs or suffered other injuries from landmines in the country.
But the group said the casualty figures could be higher since landmine clearance services have only limited access to the victims.
Most of the victims are ordinary villagers, followed by migrants who are unfamiliar with the area, and farmworkers.
The survey stated that the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed forces occasionally force villagers to walk ahead of them in areas where there are landmines, which is the reason that villagers suffer the most from landmine explosions, Moser-Puangsuwan said.
The monitor warned that one-third of the townships in the country have areas considered landmine hazards.
Although mine clearance was included in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, it is not being implemented, he said.
A member of the group said the Defence Services Department admitted that landmines were used against ethnic armed groups.
Landmines were also found in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Paletwa and Kyauktaw townships, where the Arakan Army and government forces frequently clash.
Source: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/tatmadaw-ethnic-armed-groups-urged-stop-using-landmines.html
Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, research coordinator of the Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor, stressed that even after the fighting stops, the threat of active landmines remains.
“If the Tatmadaw and the ethnic armed groups stopped using landmines, that will be advantageous for the peace processes,” he told a news briefing in Yangon. “The attacks may be halted but the mines will be left behind and remain a threat to people.” he said.
The group reported that from January 2018 to November 2019, 3800 people lost hands or legs or suffered other injuries from landmines in the country.
But the group said the casualty figures could be higher since landmine clearance services have only limited access to the victims.
Most of the victims are ordinary villagers, followed by migrants who are unfamiliar with the area, and farmworkers.
The survey stated that the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed forces occasionally force villagers to walk ahead of them in areas where there are landmines, which is the reason that villagers suffer the most from landmine explosions, Moser-Puangsuwan said.
The monitor warned that one-third of the townships in the country have areas considered landmine hazards.
Although mine clearance was included in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, it is not being implemented, he said.
A member of the group said the Defence Services Department admitted that landmines were used against ethnic armed groups.
Landmines were also found in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Paletwa and Kyauktaw townships, where the Arakan Army and government forces frequently clash.
Source: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/tatmadaw-ethnic-armed-groups-urged-stop-using-landmines.html
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