Mine ban policy overview

Policy

The Republic of Singapore has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. In May 2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor that “Singapore believes that humanitarian concerns pertaining to antipersonnel mines...should be balanced against the legitimate right of States to use such munitions judiciously for self defence…. We will continue to support international efforts to resolve the humanitarian concerns over antipersonnel landmines...and to work with members of the international community towards a durable and truly global solution.”^[1]

On 2 December 2009, Singapore voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 64/56, calling for the universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, as it has in previous years. At the same time, it asserted, “Singapore firmly states that the legitimate security concerns and the right to self-defence of any state cannot be disregarded. A blanket ban on all types of anti-personnel landmines might therefore be counter-productive.”^[2]

Singapore sent an observer to the Second Review Conference in Colombia in November–December 2009, but did not make any statements.^[3]

In 2010, the ICBL asked political parties in Singapore to share their views on the Mine Ban Treaty. Two had responded as of May.  The Singapore Democratic Party said that it supports a complete ban on the manufacture and use of landmines and expressed its concern over Singapore’s role in mine production. It urged the Singapore government to join the treaty.^[4] The Singapore Workers’ Party said that while it shares the humanitarian concerns surrounding the use of landmines, and had asked the Minister of Defense about joining the treaty,^[5] it would not be issuing any public statement due to other priorities.^[6]            

Use, stockpiling, production, and transfer

A Singaporean official previously stated that the army only uses antipersonnel landmines for training, but that it must retain the option to use mines for self-defense.^[7] The Ministry of Defense has not replied to requests for further information about Singapore’s training program.

In March 2009, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official restated that Singapore will not disclose any information regarding its stockpile of antipersonnel mines for defense and security reasons. The official stated that Singapore maintains stringent controls on its stockpile management system and that all mines are destroyed after their expiration date.^[8]

Singapore has long acknowledged that it produces antipersonnel mines, but officials have declined to reveal if production lines are currently running. Singapore Technologies Engineering (STE), through its subsidiary Singapore Technologies Kinetics, is the government-linked company that has produced antipersonnel mines.^[9] In May 2010, when asked if it has halted production, STE told Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor that, “ST Engineering does not produce landmines and cluster munitions for export, nor are we a sub-contractor to anyone who does.”^[10]

Singapore declared an indefinite moratorium on the export of all antipersonnel mines in February 1998. In May 2010, an official confirmed that the moratorium remains in place.^[11]

The Republic of Singapore has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. In May 2010, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, “Singapore believes that humanitarian concerns pertaining to anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions should be balanced against the legitimate right of States to use such munitions judiciously for self-defence…. We will continue to support international efforts to resolve the humanitarian concerns over anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions, and to work with members of the international community towards a durable and truly global solution.”[1]

Singapore did not attend the Regional Conference on the Promotion and Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions held in Bali, Indonesia in November 2009, or the International Conference on the Convention on Cluster Munitions held in Santiago, Chile in June 2010.

Singapore did not participate in any of the preparatory meetings of the Oslo Process to develop the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It sent an observer to the Dublin negotiations in May 2008, but did not join the 107 full participants in adopting the convention text. It was absent from the signing conference in Oslo in December 2008.[2]

In November 2009, in a statement to the UN General Assembly about cluster munitions, Singapore said that it “would like to underscore the centrality of the United Nations as a universal and multilateral negotiating forum for all member states. In this regard, we regret continued efforts to undermine this centrality, including the introduction of Conventions negotiated outside of the United Nations framework into the United Nations system.”[3]

Singapore is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty or the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Singapore is not known to have used cluster munitions. However, it produces the weapon and has a stockpile.

According to Jane’s Information Group, Advanced Material Engineering Pte Ltd., a subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Engineering, produces 155mm dual purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) artillery projectiles, each consisting of 64 bomblets and equipped with electro-mechanical self-destruct fuzes.[4] The company also produces a 120mm mortar bomb which delivers 25 DPICM grenades.[5] 

Singapore received 350 CBU-71 air-delivered cluster bombs from the United States at some point between 1970 and 1995.[6]

Details on the size of Singapore’s stockpile remain unknown, as the government has not chosen to disclose such information. It is not known if Singapore possesses other types of cluster munitions in addition to its domestically produced 155mm projectiles and 120mm mortar bombs, and the US-supplied cluster bombs.

In November 2008, Singapore announced that, while it did not plan to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions, it would impose an indefinite moratorium on the export of cluster munitions with immediate effect.[7] In May 2010, a Foreign Affairs official responding to inquiries by Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor wrote, “Singapore has put in place an indefinite moratorium on exports of…cluster munitions since 2008, to ensure that these munitions will not be transferred to other parties who might use them indiscriminately and irresponsibly.”[8]

In May 2010, Singapore Technologies Engineering, when asked by Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor if it was currently producing cluster munitions, stated, “ST Engineering does not produce cluster munitions for export, nor are we a sub-contractor to anyone who does. We are committed to work with the Singapore government and abide by the moratorium imposed by the Singapore government on the export of cluster munitions. ST Engineering is committed to working with the government, defense contractors and international organizations to bring about a truly international and enduring solution to the humanitarian concerns over cluster munitions.”[9] 

In the past, companies in Singapore publicly advertised cluster munitions for sale. However, it is not known if exports actually occurred.