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Singapore

Last Updated: 25 October 2011

Mine Ban Policy

Mine ban policy overview

Mine Ban Treaty status

Not a State Party

Pro-mine ban UNGA voting record

Voted in favor of Resolution 65/48 in December 2010, as in previous years

Participation in Mine Ban Treaty meetings

Attended as an observer the Tenth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in December 2010, but not the intersessional meetings in June 2011

Policy

The Republic of Singapore has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. In May 2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote the 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]

In 8 December 2010, Singapore voted in favor of UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 65/48, 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]

In 2010, the ICBL asked political parties in Singapore to share their views on the Mine Ban Treaty. Two had responded as of May 2010. The Singapore Democratic Party said that it supports a complete ban on the manufacture and use of mines and expressed its concern over Singapore’s role in mine production. It urged the Singapore government to join the treaty.[3] The Singapore Workers’ Party said that while it shares the humanitarian concerns surrounding the use of mines, and had asked the Minister of Defense about joining the treaty,[4] it would not be issuing any public statement due to other priorities.[5] In 2009 the Workers Party required a written reply in Parliament regarding the government’s stand on the Mine Ban Treaty.[6]

Singapore sent an observer to the Tenth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in December 2010, but did not make any statements.[7]

Singapore is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, stockpiling, production, and transfer

A Singaporean official previously stated that the army only uses antipersonnel mines for training, but that it must retain the option to use mines for self-defense.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] In May 2010, when asked if it has halted production, STE told the Monitor that, “ST Engineering does not produce landmines and cluster munitions for export, nor are we a sub-contractor to anyone who does.”[11]

Singapore declared an indefinite moratorium on the export of all antipersonnel mines in February 1998. In May 2011, an official confirmed that the moratorium remains in place.[12]

 


[1] Letter from Seah Seow Chen, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Singapore to the UN, 3 May 2010. This echoes many previous statements by Singaporean officials.

[2] Statement of Singapore, “Singapore’s Explanation of Vote on Resolution L.39,” 65th Session, UNGA First Committee, New York, 17 October 2010. These remarks are identical to the explanation of vote offered in the previous four years.

[3] Email from Gandhi Ambalam, Chair, Singapore Democratic Party, 25 May 2010.

[4] In May 2009, Sylvia Lim Swee Lian, Chair of the Workers’ Party, asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense whether Singapore is working toward acceding to the Mine Ban Treaty. Minister for Defense Teo Chee Hean replied with identical language to that used in other policy statements in recent years. Email from Sylvia Lim Swee Lian, Workers’ Party, 28 May 2010.

[5] Fax from Sylvia Lim Swee Lian, Workers’ Party, 3 May 2010.

[6] Email for Sylvia Lim Swee Lian, Workers’ Party, 28 May 2010. The statement was replied to by Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister & Coordinating Minister for National Security & Minister for Home Affairs, whose reply echoed the Explanation of Vote at the UNGA. “Like several other countries, we believe that the humanitarian concerns pertaining to anti-personnel mines should be balanced against the legitimate security concerns of states.  While we maintain the right to use anti-personnel mines for self-defence, we also support any initiatives against the indiscriminate use of these mines, especially when they are used against innocent civilians.”

[7] An official told the Monitor in March 2009 that Singapore continues to attend Mine Ban Treaty-oriented meetings in order to keep abreast of international developments regarding mines and factor that into its policy considerations. Email from Sharon Seah, Assistant Director, International Organizations Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 31 March 2009.

[8] Interview with Lt.-Col. Koh Chuan Leong, Head, General Staff Branch, Singapore Army, in Geneva, 20 September 2006.

[9] Telephone interview with and email from Sharon Seah, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 30 March 2009.

[10] STE has produced two types of antipersonnel mines (VS-50 and VS-69) from designs by Italian companies. When asked about continuing use of Italian mine designs, the ambassador of Italy to Singapore noted that the Italian law banning antipersonnel mines is duly enforced only over Italian subjects and territory. Emails from Andrea de Felip, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Italy in Singapore, 7 and 20 April 2010. It is not known if Italy has requested Singapore to halt use of the designs.

[11] Email from Sharolyn Choy, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, STE, 3 May 2010.

[12] Letter from Seah Seow Chen, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Singapore to the UN, 9 May 2011.

Last Updated: 25 August 2014

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Policy

The Republic of Singapore has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Singapore’s position on joining the ban convention is outlined in a May 2010 letter that states: “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]

The Permanent Mission of Singapore to the UN in Geneva informed the Monitor in April 2013 and March 2012 that there is no update to the position articulated in the May 2010 letter and affirmed that Singapore’s “indefinite moratorium on the export of cluster munitions has not changed.”[2]

Singapore did not participate in any of the preparatory meetings of the Oslo Process but attended, as an observer, the Dublin negotiations of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in May 2008.[3] It has expressed concern at the way in which the convention was “negotiated outside of the United Nations framework into the United Nations system.”[4]

Despite not joining, Singapore has continued to engage in the work of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It has participated as an observer in every Meeting of States Parties of the convention except the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in Lusaka, Zambia in September 2013. Singapore attended the first intersessional meetings of the convention in Geneva in June 2011, but has not participated in any subsequent meetings. Singapore did not make any statements at these meetings.

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, but it produces and stockpiles the weapons.

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 containing 64 submunitions and equipped with electro-mechanical self-destruct fuzes.[5] The company also produces a 120mm mortar bomb that delivers 25 DPICM submunitions.[6]

Singapore received 350 CBU-71 air-delivered cluster bombs from the United States (US) at some point between 1970 and 1995.[7]

Details on the size of Singapore’s stockpile remain unknown, as the government has chosen not 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 would not sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions, it would impose an indefinite moratorium on the export of cluster munitions with immediate effect.[8] In May 2010, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told the Monitor that the indefinite export moratorium was undertaken “to ensure that these munitions will not be transferred to other parties who might use them indiscriminately and irresponsibly.”[9]

When asked by the Monitor if it is producing cluster munitions, Singapore Technologies Engineering stated in May 2010 that, “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.”[10]

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

At least three Singaporean financial entities are reportedly involved in investments in manufacturers of cluster munitions. Singapore Technologies Engineering receives investments from at least nine US financial entities, six United Kingdom financial entities, and two Singaporean financial entities, as well as one each in Canada, Finland, and Switzerland..[11]

 


[1] Letter from Seah Seow Chen, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Singapore to the UN in Geneva, 4 May 2010.

[2] Letter from Cheryl Lee, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Singapore to the UN in Geneva, 10 April 2013; and letter from Seah Seow Chen, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Singapore to the UN in Geneva, 13 March 2012.

[3] For details on Singapore’s cluster munition policy and practice through early 2009, see Human Rights Watch and Landmine Action, Banning Cluster Munitions: Government Policy and Practice (Ottawa: Mines Action Canada, May 2009), pp. 238–239.

[5] Leland S. Ness and Anthony G. Williams, eds., Jane’s Ammunition Handbook 2007–2008 (Surrey, UK: Jane’s Information Group Limited, 2007), pp. 657–658. The submunitions have an advertised failure rate of less than 3%.

[6] Singapore Technologies Engineering, “Product: 155m Cargo Round.”

[7] US Defense Security Assistance Agency, Department of Defense, “Cluster Bomb Exports under FMS, FY1970–FY1995,” 15 November 1995, obtained by Human Rights Watch in a Freedom of Information Act request.

[9] Letter from Seah Seow Chen, Permanent Mission of Singapore to the UN in Geneva, 4 May 2010.

[10] Email from Sharolyn Choy, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Communications, Singapore Technologies Engineering, 3 May 2010.

[11] IKV Pax Christi, “Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions: a shared responsibility,” December 2013, pp. 19-23.