The New Zealand Campaign Against Landmines (CALM) has written a formal letter to Syrian Ambassador Tammam Sulaiman expressing its “profound dismay” at the Syrian army’s use of antipersonnel landmines on its borders with Turkey and Lebanon. CALM has called on States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, including New Zealand and Turkey, to condemn Syria’s use of this banned weapon. Finally, CALM has urged Lebanon to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty without delay and to condemn Syria’s use of antipersonnel mines.

According to thorough documentation from the ground by international media, Human Rights Watch, and others including testimonials provided by eye witnesses and victims, as well as photographic and video evidence, the Syrian army has laid both antipersonnel and antivehicle landmines in recent weeks and months on the borders of both Turkey and Lebanon. CALM views this evidence of new mine use to be credible and irrefutable.

Several casualties have been recorded on the Lebanon border, including a 15-year-old boy who last month lost his right leg to a landmine that he told Human Rights Watch had been planted in an area that was not previously mined. On 9 March, The Washington Post published a photograph of Soviet/Russian-made PMN-2 antipersonnel mines and TMN-46 antivehicle mines planted by Syrian forces by the border town of Heet near the Lebanon border.

According to Human Rights Watch, this month a former Syrian army deminer and others cleared approximately 300 newly-laid PMN-2 antipersonnel mines from an area near the border town of Hasanieih in Syria’s northern Idlib Governorate. Local residents saw the Syrian army plant landmines at Hasanieih, Derwand, Jiftlek and in other areas containing routes used to reach Turkey. On 12 March, McClatchy News reported that a Syrian army defector had witnessed Syrian soldiers laying mines 12 miles north of Jisr al Shughur at Guvecci, a crossing point into Turkey, and the following night a wild boar died after detonating one. This could just easily have been a civilian casualty.

CALM is deeply concerned at the civilian casualties that these mines have caused and will continue to cause. The Syrian army must be instructed to cease using antipersonnel landmines immediately. There can be absolutely no justification for the use of antipersonnel mines by any country, anywhere, for any purpose. United States Ambassador Susan Rice has described Syria’s mine use on routes used by Syrians fleeing conflict as “truly horrific.”

In its letter to the Syrian Ambassador in Canberra, CALM has called on Syria to abide by the terms of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which comprehensively prohibits the use, production, trade, and stockpiling of antipersonnel mines. The letter is copied to Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Murray McCully and Turkish Ambassador Ali Yakital as CALM has called on States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, including New Zealand and Turkey, to condemn Syrian’s use of this banned weapon. The letter also is copied to Ambassador Jean Daniel of Lebanon as CALM has urged Lebanon to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty without delay and to condemn Syrian’s use of antipersonnel mines.

On 29 March 2012, Hon. Murray McCully said, “The recent allegations of the use of anti-personnel landmines on the borders of Lebanon and Turkey are a cause of serious concern.” The minister said that he expects the May 2012 intersessional meetings of the Mine Ban Treaty to be a “focal point for formal expressions of concern, including by New Zealand.”

For more information, see:

• Letter from Hon. Murray McCully, 29 March 2012
• CALM letter to Syrian Ambassador, 14 March 2012
• HRW press release, “Syria: Army Planting Banned Landmines,” 13 March 2012
• HRW photos and video of mines cleared from Syria, 11 March 2012
• McClatchy News article, “Syria plants anti-personnel mines on Turkish border,” 11 March 2012