Policy

Due to its international status, Taiwan cannot accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. Officials have expressed Taiwan’s support for a ban on antipersonnel mines since 1999, and in August 2007, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou signed a declaration that supports a complete ban on antipersonnel mines.

At a meeting held on the margins of the Tenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in November–December 2010, a representative stated that Taiwan still feels the need to keep stockpiles of antipersonnel mines due to uncertainty in its security situation, but that the new government is encouraging and accelerating the people-to-people interactions between Taiwan and China, thus creating more favorable conditions for a total ban on landmines.[1]

In 2006 the Antipersonnel Landmines Regulations Act was enacted into law, but it falls short of a comprehensive ban. It prohibits production and trade of antipersonnel landmines,[2] sets a deadline for clearance of existing minefields, and provides for compensation for future victims.[3] However, the law permits stockpiling, as well as the use of antipersonnel mines “when it is imperative during war.”[4] Taiwan has not provided details on the size or composition of its current stockpile of antipersonnel mines.[5]

During a November 2010 mission by the ICBL to Kinmen Island, the Kinmen Defense Command acknowledged that antipersonnel mines are stockpiled on the island. However, they noted that as these mines expire, they are destroyed by a third party; once all the mines expire they will no longer have a stockpile. The use of the mines would require authorization of a minister or the president.[6] The amount and types of expired mines destroyed in 2011 is considered a military secret.[7]

According to the Antipersonnel Landmines Regulations Act, the Ministry of National Defense is required to report the progress of mine clearance to the Legislative Yuan annually, and has provided a report on clearance accomplished in 2011 as a part of its Work Report to the Legislative Yuan.[8] In an August 2011 letter to the ICBL, Taiwan stated that it is “committed to the purge of landmines, and efforts to clear landmines on Kinmen and Matsu have been fruitful.”[9] According to the Ministry of National Defense, 82.75% of all landmines have been removed from Kinmen and Matsu, and these areas are expected to be cleared of all mines by 2012.[10] According to the Antipersonnel Landmines Regulations Act, the Ministry of National Defense is required to complete the mine clearance work in 2013.

Due to its international status, Taiwan cannot accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

In July 2008, the Ministry of National Defense stated that Taiwan could only ban cluster munitions if the Convention on Cluster Munitions gains universal support in the future and all countries ban their use. It said that Taiwan possesses cluster munitions as a measure against the military threat from China, which has not joined the convention. It said Taiwan needs cluster munitions to attack enemy ships and landing craft in waters close to Taiwan, and to attack enemy airfields.[1]

In September 2011, the Research Bureau of the Legislative Yuan (Parliament) submitted a recommendation that cluster munitions be included in Taiwan’s Antipersonnel Landmines Regulations Act and requested that the Ministry of National Defense destroy Taiwan’s stockpile of cluster munitions within eight years, the time period provided by the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[2] The Ministry of National Defense opposed the recommendation and a spokesperson said, “Taiwan has to possess and stockpile cluster munitions to counter the military threat from China.”[3]

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Taiwan has never used cluster munitions but it possesses a stockpile, has imported them, and produces them domestically. There is no public information regarding the number of cluster munitions in Taiwan’s arsenal. It is not known if Taiwan has ever exported cluster weapons.

It appears that Taiwan produces two types of cluster munitions: the RT2000 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and the Wan-Jian missile.[4] The RT2000 MLRS fires unguided surface-to-surface rockets that can utilize either cluster warheads or unitary high explosive warheads. The submunition in the three rocket types available for the launch system is reported to be the M77 dual purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM).[5] The Wan-Jian is an air-launched missile, containing 100–120 submunitions. It has its own inertial navigation system and a range of 600km.[6] According to the Taiwan’s National Defense budget, the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology has spent nearly TWD3 billion (US$103.5 million) on the Wan-Jian Missile Project, the missile had passed initial operational testing and evaluation by the Air Force in the first half of 2010, and indigenous fighter aircraft will be equipped with the Wan-Jian weapon system in the future.[7]

In March 2012, a Ministry of National Defense spokesperson informed the Monitor that the Wan-Jian missile is designed to have extended-range striking capability to destroy airport runways, but not to cause large-scale casualties.[8] He told the Ministry of National Defense that the MND has no plan to transfer or sell the research and technology of the Wan-Jian missile to other countries.[9]

It has been reported that the Ministry of National Defense started to conduct research on production of cluster munitions in the late 1990s and began fielding systems in 2006.[10] The Military News Agency reported that Taiwan used cluster munitions in military training maneuvers in 2006 and 2007.[11]

In September 2011, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible sale to Taiwan of 64 CBU-105 Sensor Fused Weapons.[12] As of 1 May 2012, the sale had not been finalized.[13]

Taiwan has imported a large number of air-delivered cluster bombs from the United States (US). According to a standard reference work, Taiwan possesses US-made CBU-24, CBU-49, CBU-52, CBU-58, CBU-71, and Rockeye cluster bombs.[14] The Taiwanese media has reported that Taiwan has Rockeye cluster bombs, each containing 247 submunitions.[15]

Taiwan has also imported from the US Hydra-70 air-to-surface unguided rocket system, but it is not known if the ammunition types available to it include the M261 Multi-Purpose Submunition rocket.[16]

CONTAMINATION AND IMPACT

Taiwan has contamination with mines that were laid by the military on the islands of Kinmen and Matsu, mostly on beaches and coastline, to resist possible invasion from China. Matsu was declared free of mine contamination in 2011. Taiwan also has explosive remnants of war (ERW) resulting from Chinese artillery bombardments that continued until the 1970s.

Mines

Official estimates of contamination have decreased steadily since organized demining activities started in 2007. In June 2008, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it had identified 154 minefields covering approximately 3.4km² in Kinmen County and 154 minefields covering approximately 0.4km² in Matsu.[1]

By the end of March 2012, the army reported that Kinmen had 27 recorded minefields covering 259,027m² and containing an estimated 11,000 mines.[2] These are believed to include M1, M6A2, and M7A2 antivehicle mines, and M2A4, M3, and M14 antipersonnel mines.

The army reported in April 2011 that it had completed clearance of all Matsu’s 154 mined areas.[3] Village heads and local representatives said they knew of three mined areas outside the 154 cleared areas,[4] but the army reports that investigation of these areas by Matsu Defense Command conducted with the collaboration of the village heads confirmed they were mine-free.[5]

Cluster munition remnants and other explosive remnants of war

Taiwan is also affected, though to a lesser extent, by unexploded ordnance (UXO) left from conflicts dating back to World War II or even before, some of it too old to identify, as well as from more recent military training.[6] Items cleared in 2011 included mainly aircraft bombs, mortars and hand grenades.[7] Contamination is not believed to include cluster munition remnants.

MINE ACTION PROGRAM

Key institutions and operators

Under the “Regulations on Eradication of Antipersonnel Landmines in Minefield” published by the Ministry of National Defense in January 2008, the ministry is the national mine action authority responsible for setting policy, approving programs and annual plans, and for monitoring the safety and environmental impact of demining. The army is responsible for implementing policy. It prepares mine action plans, arranges funding, and calls for tenders, as well as coordinating, implementing, and reviewing operations.[8]

The Regulations required the Ministry of National Defense to give top demining priority to land needed for development, followed by regions that are not militarily sensitive. The last areas to be demined will be “military surveillance regions” where the ministry considers Taiwan needs alternative forms of defense.[9] However, officials report all land required for development had already been cleared and all remaining mined areas would be cleared by the end of 2012.[10] The Antipersonnel Landmines Regulations Act, which came into effect in June 2006, requires the Ministry of National Defense to disclose the location of all minefields and to complete clearance of all mines within seven years: by 2013.[11]

LAND RELEASE

Accelerated clearance on Kinmen has more than compensated for slower productivity on Matsu, where the army completed demining in April 2011. Total land released in 2011 was the highest since organized demining started in 2007 and 42% higher than the previous year.

Five-year summary of clearance[12]

The Matsu Defense Command announced the completion of demining in April 2011, after clearing almost half a square kilometer in five years. It upheld that statement after an investigation of areas identified by village heads as being mined found them to be mine-free.

Survey in 2011

The Ministry of National Defense reported in February 2012 that the Army Demining Division had completed a survey of two areas of Wouchiou in Kinmen confirming three minefields in Dachoiu totaling 45,000m² and two minefields in Hsiaochiou totaling 9,317m².[13]

Mine clearance in 2011

Mine clearance output increased by 42% in 2011 over the previous year as G4S operations, which started on Kinmen in 2010, gathered momentum. The completion of clearance in Matsu is expected to result in lower overall clearance in 2012 as Geomines SAS, which had been conducting clearance on Matsu’s Dongju and Sijan islands, left Taiwan at the end of April 2011.[14]

The Ministry of National Defense told Landmine Monitor in March 2012 that clearance operations had already removed more than 80% of all mines from Taiwan.[15]

 Mined area clearance in 2011[16]

Other Risk Reduction Measures

The Army said it put up 141,443 meters of fencing and 23,753 signs around mined areas to ensure public safety.[17]

RISK EDUCATION

The Ministry of National Defense reported making 11 risk education presentations to the public in 2011.[18] In Kinmen, the ADD distributes mine risk educational advertisement that circulated in airports, wharfs, bus stops, national parks, towns and village offices during June 2011 to February 2012.

Support for Mine Action

National funding

For the first time, Taiwan reported the cost of its demining operations. In 2007–2011, it provided the equivalent of US$30 million to clear mines on its border with China. The $9.5 million the government of Taiwan provided for its own mine clearance operations is one of the highest national contributions for 2011.[1]

Summary of national contributions: 2007–2011[2]

International funding

In 2010, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided $200,000 for a two-year project with the American NGO “The Humpty Dumpty Institute” (HDI) in partnership with Project Renew to clear unexploded ordnance (UXO) and reduce poverty in Quang Tri province in Vietnam. The project benefits people with disabilities who earn income from growing and selling mushrooms. Profits earned from mushroom farming are used to support UXO clearance.[3]

Summary of international contributions: 2010–2011[4]