Key developments
since March 1999: Singapore was one of 12 non-signatories to attend the
First Meeting of States Parties, and one of 17 non-signatories to vote in favor
of the December 1999 UNGA resolution in support of the Mine Ban Treaty.
Mine Ban Policy
Singapore has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty.
The Permanent Secretary for the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs told
Landmine Monitor in May 2000, “There has been no change to
Singapore’s position on the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT).... Singapore will
continue to support all initiatives against the indiscriminate use of
anti-personnel mines.”[1]
Singapore described its ban position in November 1999 at the UN:
“Singapore firmly believes that the legitimate security concerns and
the right of self-defence of any state cannot be disregarded. Therefore, a
blanket ban on all types of anti-personnel landmines might be counter-productive
since some countries need to use anti-personnel landmines for their defence and
security.”[2]
Singapore was one of 12 non-signatories that participated as observers in the
First Meeting of States Parties in Maputo in May 1999, but its representative
from the Ministry of Defense did not make a statement. Singapore has not
participated in any of the intersessional meetings of the Mine Ban Treaty.
Singapore was one of 17 non-signatories that voted in favor of UN General
Assembly Resolution 54/54B in support of the treaty in December 1999. It also
voted in favor of similar pro-Mine Ban Treaty resolutions in 1997 and 1998.
Apart from a Radio Singapore International program in April 1999 and an
article in the March 2000 magazine BIG-O entitled “Where Singapore
Stands on Landmines,” there has been little coverage of the landmine issue
domestically.[3] The magazine
article repeated major sections of the Singapore country report of Landmine
Monitor Report 1999 without comment. A proposal to hold a public workshop
on landmines in Singapore in 1999 did not proceed as the academic institutions
and NGOs approached were unwilling to host such a forum.
Singapore is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and is not
a member of the Conference on Disarmament.
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling, Use
Singapore was identified last year by Landmine
Monitor as one of 16 countries in the world still producing antipersonnel mines.
In May 2000, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “Chartered Industries
of Singapore (now reorganised as part of ST Kinetic) is the only company in
Singapore that produces APLs, for our own defense purposes
only.”[4] The Ministry
also noted that Singapore is not pursuing alternatives to landmines.
The government will not reveal the types or quantities of mines being
produced by Chartered Industries of Singapore. The military trade press notes
that Singapore has produced copies of several Italian antipersonnel
mines.[5]
In May 1996, Singapore declared a two-year moratorium on the export of
antipersonnel mines without self-neutralizing or self-destructing mechanisms.
The moratorium was extended for an “indefinite” period and expanded
to cover all antipersonnel mines in February
1998.[6]
Information regarding the size or content of Singapore’s stockpile of
antipersonnel mines is not available. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states,
“For security reasons, we can not discuss the details concerning the
stockpiling or destruction of
landmines.”[7]
There is no evidence of use of antipersonnel mines by Singapore’s Armed
Forces.[8]
Mine Action
It appears that proposals for contributing to
international humanitarian mine action programs have not been implemented and
are still under
consideration.[9] The Ministry
of Foreign Affairs states it is “not aware of any Singapore government
organisation that has contributed to humanitarian mine action programmes,”
but it is “considering the most useful way in which a small country like
ours can make an effective contribution to such
efforts.”[10] Singapore
Army Engineers have not been employed in humanitarian demining activities
outside Singapore.[11]
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “We are looking into R&D
on sensor technology to improve the reliability and efficiency of mine
detection.”[12]
The Singapore Volunteers Overseas Program is investigating the possibility of
sending a number of volunteers to Cambodia for one year to work with landmine
survivors.[13]
[1] Letter from Shamala Kandiah, for the
Permanent Secretary, Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Landmine Monitor
researcher, 4 May 2000. [2] Statement by
Major Kenny Lim, Singapore, “Singapore’s Explanation of Vote after
the First Committee Vote,” 8 November 1999, provided as an attachment to
the letter from Shamala Kandiah, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4 May
2000. [3] Radio Singapore International,
1 April 1999; “Where Singapore Stands on Landmines,” BIG-O (national
monthly magazine), March 2000. [4]
Letter from Shamala Kandiah, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4 May
2000. [5] See Landmine Monitor Report
1999, p. 503-504. It cites annual Jane’s publications listing the Valmara
69, VS-50 (Singapore designation SPM-1) and TS-50. But, Jane’s Mines and
Mine Clearance, on-line update, 18 November 1999, no longer lists the
TS-50. [6] Letter from Shamala Kandiah,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4 May
2000. [7]
Ibid. [8] In an 11 February 1999 letter
to Landmine Monitor, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declares that no mines have
been laid in Singapore. [9] See Landmine
Monitor Report 1999, p. 506 for
details. [10] Letter from Shamala
Kandiah, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4 May
2000. [11] Telephone interview, Major
Kenny Lim, Singapore Ministry of Defence, 12 March
2000. [12] Letter from Shamala Kandiah,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4 May
2000. [13] Interview with Lee Mui Ngah,
Assistant Director, Singapore Volunteers Overseas Programme, Singapore, 13 March
2000.
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