LM Report 2002

TAIWAN

MINE BAN POLICY

In July 1999, Vice President Lien Chan first expressed the government’s “all-out support” for a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel mines. Government officials reiterated this position in March 2001.^[1] Jody Williams, the 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate, visited Taiwan in August 2001 and ICBL ambassador Tun Channereth visited Taiwan in June 2001; both met with President Chen and other political leaders to discuss the landmine issue. President Chen signed a declaration in support of the anti-landmine campaign. In the past year, ICBL members in Taiwan have advocated for legislators to enact domestic laws banning the use, transfer, production and stockpiling of antipersonnel mines.^[2]

PRODUCTION, TRANSFER, STOCKPILING, AND USE

Taiwan no longer uses, produces, or transfers antipersonnel mines.^[3] In the past, Taiwan both produced and imported antipersonnel mines, but is not known to have exported. The current size and composition of Taiwan’s stockpile of antipersonnel mines is unknown, but is likely to consist of domestically produced copies of U.S. M16A1, M2A4, M3, and M18A1 mines, as well as some of the 36,747 antipersonnel mines imported from the United States (including 2,592 ADAM scatterable mines in 1992).^[4]

LANDMINE PROBLEM AND MINE ACTION

The landmine problem persists in the coastal areas of Kinmen Island, which was mined in the 1950s.^[5] Mine clearance operations have been undertaken on Kinmen Island, with clearance of priority areas completed in May 1999.^[6]

At a March 2001 public hearing, the Ministry of National Defense declared that all the “strategically irrelevant” minefields had been cleared.^[7] However, officials maintained that certain minefields still have a defensive purpose and need to be kept.^[8] Nevertheless, there was a desire to rehabilitate and re-use strategically mined areas for local development on Kinmen Island as well as other islands. In 2001, some companies, such as the water and electricity companies, started to clear mined areas.^[9]

LANDMINE CASUALTIES AND SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE

Landmine Monitor has no information on any new landmine incidents in 2001. However, at a public hearing in March 2001, the Ministry of National Defense declared that thirteen landmine survivors would receive compensation. Since 1997, Eden Social Welfare Foundation has provided wheelchairs to mine survivors and other disabled people in Taiwan, South Korea, Cambodia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Jordan, Mozambique, Vietnam and El Salvador. Eden holds regular mine awareness events.^[10] On 9 March 2002, a “thousand wheelchairs pledge” ceremony was held in front of the Taipei City Hall with hundreds of college students pledging support of the Taiwanese Campuses to be Barrier Free campaign.^[11]

[1] Press conference/public hearing on landmine problem on Kinmen Island, Taipei, 27 March 2001. See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 593.
[2] Email from David Lee, Eden Social Welfare Foundation, 17 May 2001.
[3] Press conference on Kinmen Island, Taipei, 27 March 2001. See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 593.
[4] See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 520-521, and Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 556.
[5] For more details, see Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 521-522, and Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 557-558. Military personnel have said that other small islands were also mined, including Tongyung, Yuchou, Liantou, Siyian, Urtong, and Tatong.
[6] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 557-558, for more details.
[7] Letter from General Lee T. S., Ministry of National Defense, to Legislator Chang L. S., Taipei, 9 March 2001.
[8] Ibid.
[9] For details, see Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 594.
[10] See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 594.
[11] Email from David Lee, Eden Social Welfare Foundation, 17 May 2002.

<SOMALILAND | WESTERN SAHARA>