|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Friday, 24 September 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Security | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Sri Lanka takes bold initiative towards a landmine free country Lankapuvath - The Sri Lankan Government has acceded to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) in New York. The convention will prohibit or restrict the use of certain conventional weapons, which maybe deemed excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects. The Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) told Lankapuvath that, an estimated 1.5 million anti personnel mines contaminate the districts in the North and East. Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullativu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts are identified as the most affected districts. However, the number of landmine related incidents have dropped from an initial 15-20 a month (before the ceasefire agreement) to 4-7 incidents, since the agreement was signed. According to data, 1,042 civilians have been affected by mines and unexploded ordnance, including 153 fatalities. These statistics are post 1995, prior to which no proper records were maintained, with most incidents going unreported. Military casualties number over 3,000, including fatalities, By acceding to the CCW on Tuesday, Sri Lanka also becomes party to the amended protocol II on mines, booby traps and other devices, Protocol III on incendiary weapons and Protocol IV on blinding laser weapons. CCW calls for the limited use of anti personnel landmines by the State. The monitoring and marking of minefields and the regulation of the use and transfer of mines. The protocol also establishes important restrictions and obligations on the use recording and clearance of weapons, other than anti personnel mines such as anti vehicle mines and time delayed or manually detonated explosives. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
