New Zealand Campaign Against Landmines (CALM)
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Newsletter May 2002 [No. 2 2002]
I have had the remarkable privilege of being involved in this tremendous movement to eradicate landmines essentially since its inception. And, while I never cease to be amazed by what we have accomplished working together, I have to admit that sometimes, after eleven years, I do wonder how I can possibly find new ways to talk about landmines and our work to eliminate them. But just about when I think it isn't possible, something happens to remind me of the importance of what we are doing, something happens that helps me put it all in a global context, and why we must continue to do our work until we finish the job we started. As a US citizen, it is impossible to ignore the terrorist act of September 11 - in my view, a crime against humanity, not an act of war. It is impossible to ignore that "spectacular" act of terrorism and the tremendous consequences that have followed in its wake. For those of us involved in the landmine campaign, September 11 had a particular resonance, as it occurred mere days before governments were to meet in Nicaragua for the Third Meeting of States Parties of the Mine Ban Treaty. The terror felt in the USA and around the world as a result of September 11 seemed overwhelming, but we knew it was critically important that we continue our own work to deal with landmines - these weapons which are daily acts of terror affecting men, women and children in more than 80 countries around the world. That conviction was shared by the representatives of some 100 governments from all parts of the world, who came together in Managua, Nicaragua, in September 2001, with representatives of the ICBL, the ICRC, and the United Nations to focus on both the progress made and the challenges that remain in our joint effort to eliminate this weapon. By coming together then in Nicaragua, we all underscored the critical importance of international humanitarian law, of international treaties, even in the face of the unspeakable terrorism of September 11 and the war that has followed in its wake. Even more recently I have been reminded of the importance of our work. Before coming to this Paris meeting of Landmine Monitor researchers, I was in Beijing, invited by the Chinese government and the UN Department of Disarmament Affairs to participate in a conference entitled "A disarmament agenda for the 21st century." That conference dealt with issues such as national defence doctrines, nuclear weapons, the weaponisation of space, and conventional weapons, including landmines. It may be hard for many of you here to believe, but I hardly spoke at that conference, except when delivering one speech. I was not quiet because I had nothing to say; I was quiet because I did not have to speak - so many participants at the conference were singing the praises of the ban movement, of the fabulous model of government-civil society partnership that brought about the Mine Ban Treaty, of the amazing tool of the Landmine Monitor, that I did not have to say a word. It was amazing to me and wonderfully gratifying to be at a conference dealing with global disarmament issues and hear our work singled out time and time again: The importance of the involvement of civil society; the impact of the Landmine Monitor reporting network, and its potential application to monitoring compliance of other arms control treaties. What you have done, what you continue to do, what we have done and do together, continues to be an inspiration and a model for people all over the world who want to contribute to a better planet for us all to live on. Over and over
again in Beijing, as the ponderous issues of nuclear weapons and
possible global annihilation were being discussed, I heard the call
to 'realism.' "We must be realistic," people kept on saying.
"The world is an ugly and dangerous place," they said.
"If you want peace," they said, "you must prepare
for war." "Idealism," they said, "is a sweet
notion, but gets you nowhere in today's world." A world where international law matters. A world where both "civilised" nations and rational individuals are bound by norms and standards and laws that shape and define how we can and must treat each other, no matter what our race, nationality or creed in this very, very, very small world. I remember very well some of the first meetings that I had at missions to the United Nations in New York, in the earliest days of the landmine campaign. Virtually every government representative who took a few moments to meet with me at that time thought that the notion of banning antipersonnel landmines was "idealistic" and "utopian." Virtually every one thought it was a "sweet" effort, but one doomed to failure in a world of realism where no army has ever met a weapon that it didn't like. If those of us who made the Ottawa Process and the Mine Ban Treaty possible, both government and NGO representatives alike, had accepted that 'realism' would triumph over 'idealism,' where would we be today? Today 142 nations have signed the Mine Ban Treaty and of those, 122 have already ratified it. The Treaty provides the framework for a truly mine-free world where people everywhere may someday walk without fear of the terror of landmines. This only happened because individuals - ordinary people like you and me - stood up and took action. You who are
working on the Landmine Monitor are part of a different view of
the world. It is a view where international treaties, international
humanitarian law and human rights can and must define how we treat
each other as individuals and as nations. Please do not ever doubt
for a moment the importance of the work you do. Now, more than ever,
your work to produce a Landmine Monitor that continues to be the
cornerstone of monitoring the compliance of the Mine Ban Treaty
helps demonstrate that our 'idealism' is not a utopian dream. That
together we have helped to shore up international law at a time
when it most needs it. Lobbying Singapore John Head, CALM spokesperson, recently called on the High Commissioner for Singapore in Wellington, Mr Tan Teng Jin, to discuss his country's attitudes to landmines. John began by noting Singapore's support for UNGA landmine resolutions since 1998, the landmine resolution at CHOGM and that Singapore had banned the export of landmines. He gave Mr Tan a copy of LM2001 with relevant sections of the Singapore report highlighted. "I expressed concern at the continued production in Singapore of VS 50 and VS 69 APMs (anti-personnel mines)," John said. "I stated that Singapore's stocks now total several million, showed photos of the two mines and described their characteristics. I also stated that mines do have a "use-by date" and that some of Singapore's stocks have had to be destroyed." Mr Tan said the mines produced would only be used for "legitimate security concerns" in the defence of Singapore. John reminded Mr Tan that Malaysia has destroyed its stocks of APMs and discussed the alternatives to landmines that were being developed in many of the countries that had signed the Mine Ban Treaty. He continues: "I reminded Mr Tan that in May 2000 his Government stated in a letter to me that it was considering the most useful way Singapore could continue to support humanitarian mine action programmes and yet, from information I had just received from Singapore's Think Centre and from the statement in LM2001, the Government has yet to take action. I called for Singapore to support the demining programme in Afghanistan and contribute to the UN humanitarian mine action programmes in that country. I did mention the Tokyo Conference and New Zealand's two significant (for us) contributions to assist the people of that country, and tabled Hon Matt Robson's press releases." "Mr Tan questioned my statement that Singapore had given no aid and referred to a contribution from the Singapore Red Cross. He reminded me of Singapore's history, its lack of natural resources and the need to stimulate internal growth and as a result the country had developed a very conservative tradition on contributing to overseas aid." John Head concludes: "This was probably the most productive part of our discussion and I hope the points I made on this subject will be relayed to Mr Tan's Government. "I must thank Sinapan Samydorai, President of Singapore's Think Centre, for responding to my request for information. I must congratulate his organisation for a top quality website http://www.thinkcentre.org/ but more importantly congratulate him for Think Centre's efforts to educate the people of Singapore on landmine issues."
NZ
Government aid for Afghanistan demining At the Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan, on 21-2 January 2002, the Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Hon Matt Robson) promised up to $250,000 from the NZODA Emergency Disaster Relief targeted to New Zealand NGOs to assist their work in Afghanistan. In his statement Mr Robson mentioned the removal of landmines. CALM welcomes the government's support for aid to Afghanistan. We are specially concerned about the enormous numbers of landmines causing great human suffering and handicapping the economic development of that country. We have run up against administrative difficulties in getting NZ aid transferred to an organisation, the HALO Trust, doing demining in Afghanistan (there is no NZ NGO doing this work). A letter to Hon Matt Robson, Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, Parliament Buildings, Wellington [no stamp needed] supporting his statement about sending NZ aid to assist with demining in Afghanistan will help to get it sent promptly.
John Head has
received copies of the report researched and produced in the UK
by the Landmine Action NGO. It gives a very explicit description
of the impact of ERoW on the peoples of Kosovo, Cambodia and Eritrea.
We requested a meeting with the US Ambassador in Wellington in January. A date of 12 June has been set down. CALM representatives and Mary Wareham met ISAC on 4 March. Deborah Morris had provided a report that highlighted the need for NZ to be more active in the MBT (Mine Ban Treaty) Intersessional Standing Committee work. It had been made clear that MFAT's resources were tightly stretched. There is no permanent Secretariat for the MBT and NZ should support the establishment of this. CALM asked that PM Helen Clark include landmines on her agenda when meeting President Bush in Washington. David Zwartz forwarded a one-page summary as a resource. CALM wrote to ODA asking for a grant of $25,000 for the demining work of HALO Trust in Afghanistan, as announced by Hon Matt Robson. As part of the application process CALM had to prepare a formal VASS profile for approval by NZODA. CALM Meeting with ISAC. John Head, David Zwartz and Neil Mander met Geoff Randal and Warren Waetford of ISAC on 25 March. As a result of the recent collapse of some other disarmament moves, NZ diplomatic staff now have more time for the MBT and expect to be co-chairs of the General Status of the Treaty Standing Committee. CALM is to write to Dr Cullen to request additional aid for landmine victims, noting that NZ is near the bottom of the list of existing contributors. Meeting with
Defence Department. Neil Mander and John Head met Col Brendan Fraher
(who was part of the NZ delegation to Ottawa in 1997 when the MBT
was signed) to acquaint the new CGS with current landmine issues.
He said it was more economic to support existing demining programmes
in Afghanistan than to send NZers over there to do the same work. Anyone else
wanting to help the international campaign in this way should contact
John to get the information [see his address at end of this Newsletter]. Minimal CHOGM landmines statement The "Coolum Communique" adopted at the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) meeting on 5 March 2002 included a short paragraph on landmines, as follows: "Heads of Government noted the progress made in addressing the global landmines problem in recent years through the comprehensive framework for mine action provided by the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Protection and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, and urged all countries that are in a position to do so to accede to the Convention." While it could have been much more strongly worded, I think we should be pleased that it was included and see it in the context of the rest of the declaration (which had only three and a half lines on climate change, for example). Next step in Commonwealth action: Landmine Action (UK) is putting together a campaigning plan for the Commonwealth Games (Manchester, June 2002). The next CHOGM is in Nigeria in 2003 (probably around September). From Sue Wixley, Advocacy and Communications Officer, International Campaign to Ban Landmines. [It is likely
that a stronger statement against landmines was opposed by the protagonists
in the India-Pakistan confrontation, as both sides have been using
landmines along their joint border, resulting in many deaths and
casualties. (Pakistan is still suspended from the Commonwealth "pending
the restoration of a democratic government.") Editor] Turkey to clear mines on Syria border The Turkish army is to start mine clearance along the country's border with Syria. Once mine clearance is completed, cotton will be planted on the land. It is a sign of growing friendship between two countries that were once very uneasy neighbours. Turkey's south-eastern border with Syria is its longest, running for more than 870 kilometres. It is not public knowledge how many mines were laid by Turkey on the border. But the loss of good farm land was keenly felt. It will be brought back into use and cotton worth about $50m a year planted there. Turkish troops once massed on the border of Syria, threatening invasion in an attempt to halt Syrian support for Kurdish autonomy, but Syria pledged to withdraw support from Kurdish rebels in 1998 and now the two countries will sign a military co-operation agreement. [BBC]
US veterans wage air war against landmines The campaign to ban landmines from the world is spending about $1.5 million on an ad campaign to get its message across to just a handful of people at the highest reaches of the Bush administration. Those outside Washington have never seen the stark 30-second commercial, broadcast repeatedly on cable TV in the US capital. It intercuts scenes of happy children playing hopscotch with victims of anti-personnel land mines. It urges President Bush to sign the 1997 Ottawa treaty banning the use, stockpiling, production and sale of the small, cheap bombs that have cost millions of people a limb or their lives. The Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, which raised the money for the ad, is aiming to influence not a mass audience but the decisions of the few and the powerful -- the president, Congress and government agencies. "This is a political decision the White House is going to make," said Bobby Muller, president of VVAF. "That's the reason the anti-landmine campaign persuaded 124 members of the House of Representatives to sign a letter asking Bush to join the leaders of 140 other nations who have already signed the treaty banning "dumb" mines that are set off when a person or animal steps on them." Even the NBC-TV series West Wing, which tries to feature hot political topics in its fictional White House, included the landmine debate in a recent episode. Former President Bill Clinton, faced with opposition from American military leaders, didn't sign the treaty in 1997. Instead, he said the USA would sign by 2006 if new defensive technologies could be found to protect American soldiers in places like the demilitarized zone in Korea. The DMZ is one of the most heavily mined pieces of land in the world. A decision by the Bush White House about the mine treaty was expected before the terrorist attacks of last September, but it was postponed and now could come any time. The president's bent toward unilateral American positions in foreign policy has been tempered since last Sept. 11 by the need to maintain an international coalition against terrorism, which might influence his decision. Muller points out that America's NATO partners have signed the treaty. The United States hasn't produced anti-personnel mines since 1997, exported any since 1992 or planted any since the 1991 Persian Gulf war, and it has been destroying most of its stockpile. It also has been paying millions of dollars to clean up mines sown in countries such as Afghanistan and Cambodia. A classified
Pentagon review reportedly has advised Bush not to sign the treaty
and to maintain the right to use anti-personnel mines for commando-like
special operations. In addition to the VVAF campaign, eighty major religious, veterans, medical, humanitarian and human rights groups, representing a wide cross-section of American values and constituencies, issued a strong call for President Bush to join the Mine Ban Treaty. On, Monday 29 April, National Public Radio's show "Justice Talking" (with approx. 200,000 listeners) aired a one hour debate on US landmine policy between the US CBL Co-ordinator and a Navy representative. International briefs Good news from East Timor: East Timor's transition government approved a list of international conventions and treaties Tuesday that Dili will formally adhere to once the UN-administered territory gains its independence on May 20. The list includes the Ottawa Convention banning landmines. Landmines destroyed: Albania destroyed 1,607,420 antipersonnel mines, completing destruction of its entire stockpile on 4 April. For more information contact: pcourtney-green@namsa.nato.int Bosnian deaths:
Two men were killed in Bosnia last month, after stepping on a landmine
near the central Bosnian town of Teocak, some 90 kilometres north
of Sarajevo. Ratification progress: To date there are 142 signatories and 122 ratifications. More positive publicity The May issue
of the US National Geographic magazine has three pages of information
on the international landmine campaign. (Yes, in two places it states
that the US has not signed the Mine Ban Treaty.) The Night of a Thousand Dinners raised US$1.2 million dollars worldwide for anti-landmine campaigns --800 dinners in 40 countries. A wonderful start. We should be able to build on the dinners held in New Zealand (whose proceeds went to Unicef for their landmine work in Mozambique). This newsletter edited by David Zwartz, despatched by John Head and David Zwartz |
Speaking
at the Landmine Monitor researchers meeting in Paris, in April 2002,
Jody Williams, ICBL Ambassador and Nobel laureate said:
CALM is the New Zealand Campaign Against Landmines.
CALM is a member of ICBL, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
which was co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in December 1997.
