Mine ban policy overview

Policy

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. Lao officials have stated on many occasions that the government made a decision in 2004 to accede, but that the country needs time to prepare to meet the treaty’s obligations. At the May 2012 Mine Ban Treaty intersessional Standing Committee meetings, Lao PDR told States Parties that it “will accede to the Ottawa Convention as it has announced some time ago and it will continue to work toward that goal.”[1]

In July 2011, Lao PDR provided a voluntary Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report for the first time. It has long said that its voluntary Article 7 report, when submitted, would allow the international community to “understand the facts and reality on the ground.”[2] Form A of the Article 7 report notes that sanctions in the penal code prohibit production, possession, use, or trade of war weapons, although not specifically mines, unless legally sanctioned. Form B states that the information will be provided when it is available. Form C notes that “no survey on anti-personnel mines has been carried out, therefore the information on the locations of mine fields are lacking.” Form D states that the Ministry of Defense retained a “small quantity of APMs [antipersonnel mines] for the training in mine detection…” On Form E, Lao PDR stated that it has no antipersonnel mine production facilities. Forms F, G, and H state that no information is available. Form I states that “there is no specific warning about APMs, but only UXOs [unexploded ordnance] that could be also valid for landmines. Since the contamination areas are so wide UXO marking signs were set up only at the project areas.” Form I includes a total of mine victims as a percentage of a casualty figure from 1964–2008, and notes that Lao PDR will continue to destroy mines when they are found during the course of UXO clearance.[3]

Previously the Lao government has cited the treaty’s mine clearance obligation and deadline under Article 5 as an obstacle to accession. Lao PDR also expressed concern regarding the possible diversion of resources from UXO clearance activities to a focus on antipersonnel mines.[4]

In March 2010, a representative of the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) told the Monitor that the only concern the country has regarding accession to the Mine Ban Treaty is implementation of Article 5. He noted that Lao PDR is the country most affected by explosive remnants of war, and as a State Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Lao PDR is concerned it may not be able to comply with both conventions’ obligations at the same time due to limited resources.[5]

Lao PDR sent observers to the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Phnom Penh in November–December 2011 and the intersessional Standing Committee meetings held in Geneva in May 2012. It made statements at both meetings on its efforts toward accession to the Convention.

On 2 December 2011, Lao PDR voted in favor of UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 66/29, calling for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. This was the fifth consecutive year it has voted in favor of the annual resolution, after abstaining in all previous years.

Lao PDR is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, but not its Amended Protocol II on landmines.

Use, stockpiling, production, and transfer

In 2008, Lao PDR acknowledged that it has used mines in the past “to protect its borders.” It also said that the government does not export antipersonnel mines, although it holds a small stockpile.[6] Lao PDR’s voluntary Article 7 report states that it has not used antipersonnel mines for more than two decades and that the country has no production facilities.[7]