| |
 |
 |
Mines continue to kill
Two calamities took place on 1 September 2002 at the same time. Calamity 1: Teams from the Afghan mine clearing organisation - Afghan Mine Clearance Planning Agency (MCPA) were working near the American air force base in Bagram in Afghanistan. A mine clearance specialist found an antipersonnel mine and wanted to disarm it when it exploded suddenly. The explosion was fatal, the mine expert died. Then the second catastrophe occurred : On the way back, when the ambulance passed through the bazaar, it drove over a anti vehicle mine. The three passengers lost their lives. 18 persons that were close by were injured. Only a black, charred metal skeleton remained of the ambulance next to the road.
Landmines mean anger, death and mutilation. This is the day-to-day life for numerous people in the current and former conflict areas. Besides antipersonnel mines, which are now banned by 141 countries (3/4 of the countries in the world), even the unbanned vehicle mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) propagate fear and horror. Until now, the spotlight was on countries that did not want to join the ban on antipersonnel mines: USA, Russia, India, Pakistan, Israel, Egypt and 42 other countries. But that many European countries, including Switzerland, still own, produce and deal in vehicle mines and cluster bombs is well forgotten. These arms systems are as dangerous for the population, mine clearers, humanitarian workers and UNO peace keepers as antipersonnel mines.
What role does Switzerland play? The RUAG, a Swiss arms manufacturer, together with an Israeli arms company, produces cluster bombs and sells them internationally at arms fairs. The Swiss Army still owns dangerous vehicle mines.
Non-government organisations – www.uxo.ch – are demanding a worldwide ban on vehicle mines and cluster bombs and on antipersonnel mines.
Figures
Millions of mines are still buried, wired, laid and wait for their next victim. Over 80 nations - mostly the poorest of poor - are contaminated with mines. Antipersonnel mines, vehicle mines or UXO cannot differentiate between friend and foe, between a soldier and a child. They kill or maim in the most perfidious manner. Mines know no peace - even decades after the end of a war they create huge disaster and damage.
Nobody knows how many mines are laid. About 88 countries are affected by landmines in some form or another. The figures as such are less important. It does not need more than one mine to prevent a farmer from entering his fields. In 1996, 10,000 people left their hometowns in Mozambique because they were scared of mines. After four long months of work, a mine clearing team found four mines. The countries most involved are Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Cambodia, Iraq, Kosovo, Laos, Mozambique, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan. In recent years, mines were used in Angola, Columbia, Burma (Myanmar), Lebanon, Philippines, Czech Republic and in the former Yugoslavian republics. UN figures show that at least 25,000 mine victims are mourned every year. Half die, the other half are maimed. 85% of affected children die before they can be transported to a hospital.
Ottawa convention for a ban on antipersonnel mines
The Ottawa convention for a ban on antipersonnel mines forbids such mines, but not other mine-like minitions, for example, cluster bombs. The treaty forbids the use, manufacture and trade of antipersonnel mines. It obliges the rich countries to finance mine clearance and support for mine victims. In addition, countries that have signed the convention are obliged to destroy their antipersonnel mines.
The Ottawa convention is in force since 1 March 1999. In December 1997, it was sent to various countries for signature, and until now, 150 countries have signed and 141 have ratified the treaty. However, USA, Russia, Israel, India, Pakistan, Finland and some other countries are still reluctant to commit to the document. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Donations |
|
|
|
|
| |
Interested persons can donate to the "Tour d'Armin Association". As the Tour d'Armin Assotiation is working on a voluntary basis, the full amount will be used for work carried out by the two organisations. Contact us on this E-mail spenden@tourdarmin.ch
or phone number
0041 31 534 00 42
The Postbank Account:
30-226134-8
Association Tour d'Armin
Cycling against Landmines
3014 Bern
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
A weekly message from Africa |
|
|
|
|
| |
Send an SMS with the message "Start armin" to the number 9099
(This information service costs 3 Swiss Francs each SMS. To Stop it: "Stop Armin" to 9099)
(Available only in German and French. Only works with Swisscom, Orange or Sunrise in Switzerland)
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Mines with an other name:
un-exploded cluster bombs in Afghanistan kill like anti-personnel landmines.
(© Los Angeles Times) |
|
 |
|
Anti-Tank Mines destroy school buses too, not only tanks
(© Alliant Techsystems) |
|
|
