New Zealand Campaign Against Landmines (CALM)
THE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES8th August, 1996
Table
of Contents:
Following the New Zealand Government decision to renounce the use of landmines (see newsletter June 1996) we have focused our attention on the international campaign. Following the relative failure of the United Nations Geneva Conference in May the international Campaign is gaining momentum and is calling on each Government to:
This Campaign
will succeed when the people and the politicians of each country
realise the great suffering caused by landmines and when the military
leaders of certain countries realise that landmines are NOT an effective
or reliable form of defence. Throughout
the world about 500 innocent civilians are being killed or maimed
each week. We can not wait for the next major UN Conference on Landmines
in the year 2001 for a ban to be implemented. Fiji has now
declared its support for a complete ban on landmines. No doubt their
Government was influenced by the injuries their soldiers suffered
from landmines when they were overseas on peace keeping missions. Mrs Joy McLachlan, MP and Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Select Committee has agreed (on the campaign's behalf) to send a questionnaire to the Government of other South Pacific Countries seeking their support for a comprehensive ban and to establish a landmine-free-zone in this region. Thank you Mrs
McLachlan. On the 22nd
June the New Zealand Herald (pg 4) reported that "Papua New
Guinea Security forces had landed two plane loads of anti-personnel
mines last Friday and it was feared that these would be planted
in the south". We sought confirmation of this and felt that
the matter was serious and sent a fax to Sir Julius Chan, P.M. of
P.N.G. The response was that the government had no intention of
using landmines in Bougainville. We also informed our Minister of
Foreign Affairs and campaign leaders in Australia and USA. All shared
our concern. ASEAN
REGIONAL FORUM The Chairman's final statement included the following paragraph: With reference to the issue of the global elimination of anti personnel landmines the Meeting welcomed the decisions of several states to impose moratoria and bans on the production, export and operational use of these weapons. The Meeting recognised the need, following conflict, for reinforcing international support for efforts to detect and remove landmines and to assist victims. Remembering
the countries that are part of ASEAN, we see this as very significant
progress. Another supporter for the World Wide ban is the Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alitas. He recently opened a regional seminar on international humanitarian law and called for an end to the use of anti-personnel mines, noting that South East Asia has experienced their cruelest effects especially as a result of the Cambodian conflict in the 80's. Indonesia works to "strengthen international co-operation and assistance in this regard". Earlier, however,
there was a more cautious approach from Singapore, one of the major
mine producers in the region. In a 7 May letter, Singapore notified the Secretary General of the UN that, effective immediately, it will not export "dumb" mines for a period of two years. In its press statement announcing the moratorium, the Permanent Mission to the UN noted that Singapore " shares the view of several countries that it is not practical to have a blanket ban on all types of APLs as many countries still see the need for APLs for legitimate self-defense purposes." But there was
a more positive approach from the Philippines. In December of last
year, during his state visit to Cambodia, President Fidel Ramos
declared that "deployment of landmines is not and has never
been part of the Philippines' defence policy." Subsequently.
the Armed Forces of the Philippines reported that it had disposed
of all remaining mines (Claymore) in its inventory as of March this
year. Under the auspices
of ASEAN, the New Zealand Defence Forces will be conducting a week-long
workshop for the benefit of mine clearing units in ASEAN countries
on landmines at Linton Camp early next year. The seminar will cover
a wide range of topics, including identifying training requirements,
selection of trainees and international/political/factional issues. In our last
newsletter we appealed for funds - both for CALM and the International
Campaign. Thanks to your generosity we are able to send $270.00
to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Our campaign
funds were boosted to almost $300. Thank you. Further donations
are always welcome. NATIONAL
PEACE WORKSHOPS The 1996 Peace
Workshops were held near Ashhurst in the Manawatu. CALM'S contribution
was well attended and according to the New Zealand Nuclear Free
Peacemaking Association report, very successful at getting our message
across. The video, "Are We The Enemy" was screened twice.
This is a very moving account of the plight of women in Cambodia.
It is available for loan from CALM. Unfortunately I was not able
to get TV3 to screen it in their 20/20 Programme. TV1 recently
screened in the 60 Minutes programme a film segment of Ross Stevens'
visit to Afghanistan where he filmed children injured by landmines.
It was a very moving presentation investigating the work of the
Red Cross and we were very pleased to hear that New Zealanders donated
$40,000 to the New Zealand Red Cross for the continuation of their
work in that war torn country. THE
NEXT STEP FORWARD The Canadian
Government is sponsoring a Conference in Ottawa from the 3rd to
the 5th of October. Their Government will be inviting only those
representatives from Governments which are active in supporting
a landmine ban along the lines suggested in my opening paragraph.
The Canadians (and New Zealanders) want to see all mines "smart
and dumb" to be banned. Because the United States feels it
has to retain "dumb" mines to protect South Korea's borders
and because they are not prepared to dispose of their mines until
alternatives have been developed, it is likely that the United States
will be granted only observer status. A representative
group of active international NGOs will also be invited and following
representation from CALM to Jody Williams of ICBL, the South Pacific
has been given a place. The Canadian "Mines Action Canada"
has planned a very full programme for those attending and representatives
will return to their countries full of campaign ideas and information.
We will keep you informed of developments. Included in
this month's mail - and much of it comes by email - is a letter
from the Very Reverend John Murray. He says, "... it's just
two weeks since I was standing in the United Nations. There was
a commanding display about Land Mines and I thought of you and your
work about those hideous things and the cruelty that lies hidden
with them." Mr Alan Twyman
from Kumara Westland has designed an envelope publicising the landmine
campaign. It is a good idea, but unfortunately I had to explain
that the cost of printing of 5,000 of these envelopes was beyond
our resources. Mr Dave Henderson
of the Disabled Person Association sent us eleven pages of signatures
of people calling for a ban on landmines. The DPA network had been
circulating these around New Zealand. The petition has, as requested,
been sent on to Jody Williams the International Co-ordinator. The ICRC has
provided a seven page briefing on world wide actions taken to counter
the landmine problem. I have circulated it to those on email. If
you would like a copy please let me know. I must acknowledge the
support we get from the New Zealand Red Cross. They do the bulk
of our photocopying at no cost. LANDMINE UPDATE
No.13 is the regular newsletter Jody Williams sends all national
campaign co-ordinators. If you have not received a copy and would
like to read about international developments please advise me and
say if you are on the email or would prefer to have it mailed. NEW
RESOURCES Web Sites on the Internet
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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.
