Bhutan
has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. Bhutan has stated that its lack of
institutional capacity has been the main reason for not being able to become a
party to the Mine Ban Treaty, and that it is currently strengthening its legal
capacity to implement international instrument
obligations.[1]
Bhutan
attended as an observer the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban
Treaty in September 2000. Bhutan has voted in favor of all pro-ban UN General
Assembly resolutions since 1996, including the November 2000 resolution
supporting the Mine Ban Treaty. Bhutan is not believed to use, produce, trade,
or stockpile antipersonnel mines. However, the Royal Bhutan Army receives
training from India and it is unknown if that includes training in mine laying
and mine clearance, or the stockpiling of mines in Bhutan for such purposes.
Bhutan is not believed to have an antipersonnel landmine problem. However,
the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), insurgents from Assam state of
India, who maintain bases in southern Bhutan, reportedly possess landmines
and/or improvised explosive
devices.[2]
[1] Faxed correspondence from
the Royal Government of Bhutan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 26 January
2001.
[2] Anindita Dasgapta,
A View from Northeast India, Annexure 2 (Year-wise recovery of Explosives
from ULFA computed from Police files); Dipankar Roy, “Assam rebels buy
their time in Bhutan,” The Statesman, 25 October 2000. One 1999
report stated that the insurgents “allegedly planted mines and booby-traps
on a long stretch of territory inside south-eastern Bhutan to prevent incursions
by Indian security from Assam. The areas along the Manas forests in Bhutan
bordering Assam’s Nalbari district are completely mined. Two villagers
died in a landmine explosion in July 1999.” Rakesh Chhetri,
“Bhutan’s geopolitics: Indian militants and security”
at
http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishdaily/ktmpost/1999/Aug/Aug27/editorial.htm.