Key developments since May 2002: In
October 2002, the government announced its willingness to accede to the Mine Ban
Treaty contingent upon reaching an agreement with the LTTE on the non-use of
landmines. A citizens’ mine ban petition containing over one million
signatures was handed to government and LTTE delegations during peace talks in
Oslo in December 2002. The February 2002 cease-fire has enabled a significant
expansion of mine action activities. A total of 16,356,485 square meters of
land were cleared in 2002, including 36,880 mines and 10,198 UXO. Another
444,494 square meters were cleared from January to March 2003, including 17,966
mines and 2,951 UXO. The government has established a National Steering
Committee on Mine Action. UNICEF and NGOs have increased mine risk education
activities. In 2002, there were at least 142 new mine casualties reported in Sri
Lanka, but the true number is believed to be higher.
Mine Ban Policy
Sri Lanka has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty.
The government has repeatedly indicated that its accession is dependent on the
success of the peace process with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
In October 2002, the government officially announced its willingness to accede
to the Mine Ban Treaty contingent upon reaching an agreement with the LTTE on
the non-use of landmines.[1] In
the same month, Sri Lanka told the UN General Assembly, “Although, Sri
Lanka is not a signatory to this important Convention, we have always, in
principle, supported its humanitarian objectives, which amongst others includes
material and resource assistance to humanitarian de-mining operations as well as
the rehabilitation of victims and their social and economic reintegration. In
this context, at the current session of the UNGA, my Prime Minister has
announced that Sri Lanka will be reviewing its position on the Ottawa Convention
with a view to becoming a party to it, as confidence in the peace process in my
country gradually builds
up.”[2]
At the May 2003 intersessional Standing Committee meeting Sri Lanka stated,
“The position of Sri Lanka on the Ottawa Convention is under review and
current developments in the peace process will be taken into account....
However until such time that peace is achieved it is a National Security
requirement to exercise the right of having protective mines for the protection
of security establishments where deemed necessary, purely for defensive
purposes.”[3]
Despite these statements, the issue of renouncing the use of antipersonnel
mines was apparently not included in the official agendas of the several rounds
of peace talks already held.
Sri Lanka voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 57/74 in November
2002, calling for the universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty. It also
participated as an observer at the Fourth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine
Ban Treaty in September 2002 and attended the intersessional Standing Committee
meetings in February and May 2003. At the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance,
Mine Awareness and Mine Action Technologies a representative of the Sri Lankan
military gave a presentation on the main mine action achievements since the
cease-fire agreement in February
2002.[4] Sri Lanka also
participated in the regional seminar on mine action held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
in March 2003.
Although not a party to Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Conventional
Weapons (CCW), Sri Lanka participated as an observer at the Fourth Annual
Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II in December 2002, as well as
the meetings of the CCW Group of Governmental Experts.
A Canadian government delegation visited Sri Lanka in November 2002 with the
aim of encouraging the government to accede to the Mine Ban
Treaty.[5] Diplomatic
initiatives to encourage Sri Lanka’s accession have also been undertaken
by Australia, the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland and the United
Kingdom.[6] The Swiss
government has encouraged the LTTE to sign the Swiss NGO Geneva Call’s
“Deed of Commitment” renouncing the use of antipersonnel
mines.[7]
Non-Governmental Organization Activities
The Inter Religious Peace Foundation (IRPF), a Sri Lankan member of the
International Campaign to Ban Landmines, presented a citizens’ petition
containing over one million signatures to representatives of the government and
the LTTE during peace talks in Oslo on 4 December 2002. The petition urged the
government to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty, and asked the LTTE to stop using
antipersonnel mines. The following month the Prime Minister stated that
“this government is mindful of the wishes of over a million people in this
country, who signed a petition calling upon the government and the LTTE to stop
using landmines.”[8]
The IRPF hosted the Asia-Pacific Landmine Monitor Researchers’ meeting
in Colombo from 27 to 31 January 2003. This included a field trip to
mine-affected areas. The opening of the research meeting was attended by
representatives of the government including the Minister of Rehabilitation,
Resettlement and Refugees, opposition parties, diplomatic missions, religious
dignitaries, UN agencies involved in mine action, mine action practitioners, and
civil society representatives. The Prime Minister sent a message saying,
“As we now move towards a peaceful resolution to this conflict, I am able
to say that we are in a position to consider an agreement regarding the non-use
of antipersonnel
landmines.”[9] During the
plenary, the IRPF presented their landmine ban signature petition, now with two
million signatories,to a representative of the UN Resident Country
Coordinator. The IRPF also distributed translations of the Landmine Monitor 2002
report on Sri Lanka in Tamil and Sinhala.
At the beginning of 2003, the Canadian government funded the IRPF, Landmine
Action UK, and Geneva Call to initiate a “joint cross-conflict
project” aimed at encouraging the government to accede to the Mine Ban
Treaty and the LTTE to stop using antipersonnel landmines.
At the Donor Conference on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka, held
in Tokyo 9-10 June 2003, the Sri Lanka Campaign to Ban Landmines and the Japan
Campaign to Ban Landmines issued a statement calling on the government and LTTE
to ban antipersonnel
mines.[10]
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling
There have been no reports of mine use by either
the government or the LTTE since December 2001. There have been unconfirmed
reports of a few incidents where antipersonnel mines have been used to settle
private disputes.
There is no evidence that the Sri Lankan government has produced or exported
antipersonnel mines. The LTTE has produced antipersonnel mines, antivehicle
mines, Claymore-type mines and Improvised Explosive Devices
(IEDs).[11]
The Sri Lankan government and the LTTE will not disclose the number or types
of antipersonnel mines they have stockpiled, but previous Landmine Monitor
reports stated that government troops had used Pakistani P4, Chinese Type 72,
and Italian VS/50 antipersonnel mines. This information is currently being
confirmed during demining
operations.[12]
Landmine Problem and Assessment
There is no reliable estimate of the number of
mines in the ground. Government estimates range from 700,000 to 1
million.[13] The demining
organization HALO Trust estimated that the Sri Lankan Army laid 900,000 mines in
Jaffna and Killinochchi.[14]
The LTTE has estimated that more than 2 million mines have been
planted.[15]
In February 2003, the UN Development Program (UNDP) stated, “The extent
of the threat by mines and UXO [unexploded ordnance] is the object of ongoing
surveys and analysis.”[16]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in April 2003 stated, “less
than 20% of the mined areas in the North and East have been cleared to
date.”[17] The
UNDP-operated Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) had recorded
approximately 2,577 dangerous areas and minefields at the end of March
2003.[18]
In 2002, displaced persons continued to return to their homes before mines
had been cleared. A government agent in the seriously mine-affected
Killinochchi district told a media representative, “More than two thousand
families have resettled voluntarily in high-risk areas due to economic
compulsions.”[19] A
worker from the TRC also declared, “It is difficult to hold back people
from ignoring life threatening conditions to go back to their villages for sheer
survival.”[20]
In June 2002, HALO Trust began a Technical Survey and Demarcation project,
which included collection of socio-economic
data.[21] HALO surveyed
government-controlled areas in Mannar, Vavuniya, Tricomalee, Batticaloa, and
Jaffna. It did not include the High Security Zones or areas near occupied
military positions. The survey, which concluded in December 2002, was conducted
by three teams, each including an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technical Adviser
and five Sri Lankan national staff.
The survey identified minefields in an area of 14.49 million square meters.
A total of 3.83 million square meters were categorized as high priority; the
minefields are in populated areas or areas soon to be resettled or where the
local population is compelled to use the area despite the threat. A total of
8.96 million square meters were classified as medium priority; the minefields
are close to populated areas, may block access to infrastructure and
agricultural land, but the local population knows the area and can avoid it. A
total of 1.7 million square meters were classified as low priority. Another 8.3
million square meters of land was identified as dangerous areas that require
further survey.
The worst affected areas were Jaffna and Killinochchi districts with an
estimated 900,000 mines laid. During the survey, HALO Trust teams destroyed
2,544 mines and 431 UXO. HALO also deployed three mechanical loaders with mine
rollers and excavation buckets. The survey was financed by ECHO, Foundation Pro
Victimis, the Netherlands, Japan, The Co-operative Bank, California Community
Foundation, and One Sri Lanka Foundation.
HALO’s Sri Lanka program manager said, “The unique situation in
Sri Lanka – clearly defined mined areas, in most cases fenced and marked
by the military when they laid – allowed a level 2 survey to be conducted
in six months, an achievement impossible in any other
country.”[22]
In 2002, MAG conducted the first assessment of landmine/UXO contamination in
LTTE-dominated areas, first in Mannar District and later in Batticaloa District.
MAG surveyed 77 community areas and identified 204 dangerous areas (156
minefields and 48 UXO-affected
areas).[23]
In January 2003, the UNDP received approximately 1,000 minefield records and
sketches, and another 1,000 minefield locations from the Sri Lankan Army, and
was awaiting similar information from the Sri Lankan Navy, Air Force, and
Special Police Task Force.[24]
There have been no reports of the LTTE providing any minefield records or maps.
Mine Action Coordination
The government plans to establish a national
coordination body for mine action in Colombo in 2003, with the assistance of the
UNDP and UNICEF. Its responsibilities will include planning and prioritizing,
coordination, quality assurance, data collection, resource mobilization and
interaction with national and international agencies involved in mine action
activities. Coordination at the district level is already provided by
Government Agents (GAs), with the support of District Mine Action Offices (DMAO)
and funding from the
UNDP.[25]
Since September 2001, the UN Interagency Mine Action Working Group has aimed
to facilitate a coordinated response to the mine problem in Sri Lanka.
A National Steering Committee on Mine Action (NSCMA) was established in the
latter part of 2002 to provide guidance and direction in the formulation of a
National Mine Action Program. Among its functions are: to establish policy
guidelines; to review and approve (1) the National Mine Action Plan, (2) the
national priorities for mine action, (3) mine action standards, and (4) national
policy on victim assistance and mine risk education; assist in resource
mobilization; to establish the Information Management System for Mine Action
(IMSMA); and, to facilitate the establishment and staffing of a National Mine
Action Unit or Authority.[26]
It is chaired by the Prime Minister’s Secretary and includes
secretaries of stake-holding ministries, the Resident Coordinator of the UN,
representatives of several foreign missions in Sri Lanka, the TRO, and civil
society representatives. The UNDP advises the Steering Committee at a technical
level, as does Norwegian People’s Aid and HALO Trust. An NSCMA
Sub-Committee on Demining has been established under the Ministry of
Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees to coordinate resettlement activities
with mine clearance
operations.[27]
In LTTE-controlled areas, mine action activities are coordinated by the TRO
and implemented by the Humanitarian Demining Unit (HDU). These bodies have also
established a steering
committee.[28]
All mine action practitioners must sign a Memorandum of Understanding with
the government. No formal accreditation process had been established as of
mid-2003.[29]
UNICEF supports four district Mine Risk Education coordinators; two work in
the District Mine Action Offices in Jaffna and Vavuniya, a third is based in the
UNICEF office in Trincomalee, and a fourth is stationed in the LTTE-controlled
areas of Killinochchi and
Mullaitivu.[30]
Mine Clearance
Mine clearance activities have expanded greatly
since the February 2002 cease-fire. Those involved in mine clearance in 2002
and early 2003 include HALO Trust, the Humanitarian Demining Unit, Mines
Advisory Group, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), Swiss Foundation for Mine
Action (FSD), RONCO, and the Sri Lankan Army.
All of the mine action operators cleared a combined total of 16,356,485
square meters of land in 2002, and 444,494 square meters of land between January
and March 2003.[31] Of the
total, the Army cleared 16,089,124 square meters in 2002 and 387,459 square
meters from January to March 2003. According to information provided by the Sri
Lankan Army and UNDP, these operators cleared a total of 36,880 antipersonnel
mines, 28 antivehicle mines, and 10,198 UXO in 2002, as well as 17,966
antipersonnel mines, 11 antivehicle mines, and 2,951 UXO between January and
March 2003.[32] Of these
totals, Sri Lankan Army Engineers reported removing 28,459 antipersonnel mines,
18 antivehicle and 1,605 UXO in 2002; and 16,039 antipersonnel mines and 150 UXO
between January and March
2003.[33] All mines and UXO
removed are reported to have been destroyed.
HALO Trust in 2003 shifted its focus from survey to mine clearance. HALO
Trust trained 20 local deminers in October 2002 and expanded to 37 deminers in
January 2003 and to 154 by July
2003.[34] From October 2002
through March 2003, HALO Trust reported removing 3,104 antipersonnel mines, and
329 UXO, and clearing 5,378 square meters of
land.[35]
Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) conducted an assessment mission in Sri Lanka in
April 2002, followed by a six-month consultancy during which a complete
practical assessment was carried out. NPA reports that this led to the
development and pioneering of a unique excavation method based on the use of a
light RAKE and a heavy RAKE, and that the method proved to be both sustainable
and cost effective. NPA has developed a RAKE training school in the Vanni,
where approximately 100 deminers are trained a month.
NPA provides technical assistance to HDU in mine clearance and mine survey
activities. In 2002, NPA trained a total of 130 deminers and deployed two
international Technical Advisors (TAs). During a five-month period in 2002, HDU
demining teams under NPA supervision cleared a total of 123,700 square meters of
land. As of January 2003, the number of trained deminers had expanded to 224,
under supervision from four international TAs. By May 2003, the teams had
cleared an additional 123,559 square meters of land. In total, more than 8,000
antipersonnel mines and 7,000 UXO have been destroyed, more than 400,000 square
meters of land has been cleared, and more than 700 IDP families have resettled.
NPA has also trained the first female demining team. NPA has developed a
socio-economic score sheet based on points related to the return of IDPs, mines
removed, square meters cleared, income generation, and land reused after
clearance. This score sheet helps to understand the impact of clearance
activities and helps to set clearance priorities. In 2002, the Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided funding for NPA in Sri Lanka, while in
2003, the program is funded by Norway, Japan and
EC/ECHO.[36]
Mines Advisory Group works in collaboration with local organizations,
including HDU and White Pigeon, conducting community surveys, marking minefields
and disposing of explosive
ordnance.[37] Together, in
2002, MAG and HDU fenced off 27 minefields covering an area of approximately 1.4
million square meters. They destroyed 7,287 antipersonnel mines, three
antivehicle mines and 5,162
UXO.[38] In most instances, MAG
carried out the demolition of mines that had been cleared by HDU working with
NPA. In 2003, MAG added two EOD teams to its two community liaison teams and
four technical survey teams.[39]
It introduced a Bozena flail and plans to establish an additional
clearance capacity in Batticaloa district.
FSD started mine action operations in October 2002, including clearing Battle
Areas and performing Technical Surveys. FSD has trained deminers in government-
and LTTE-controlled areas, as well as disposing of explosive
ordnance.[40] According to
UNDP, FSD has “trained a small operations team to investigate mine
incidents and carry out socio-economic surveys in the mine affected areas in the
Jaffna peninsula.”[41]
The Danish Demining Group plans to set up four manual demining teams, two EOD
teams, one mechanical mine clearance team and one mine detection dog
team.[42] Two manual demining
teams will work with the HDU. The EOD teams are expected to start operations in
May 2003 and the others are expected to complete their training by October
2003.[43]
In April 2003, the TRO reported that HDU had a capacity of over 400 deminers
and plans to increase this figure to 600 by the end of
2003.[44]
In early April 2002, the US State Department deployed its Quick Reaction
Demining Force (QRDF) to the Jaffna area of Sri Lanka, where refugees and
internally displaced persons were returning to their homes in mine-affected
regions.[45] The QRDF went to
assess the mine threat and perform short-term mine clearance tasks. Between May
and August 2002, the QRDF cleared 32,500 square meters, destroying 621 mines and
60 UXO.[46]
Mine Risk Education
UNICEF is playing a leading role in coordinating,
funding, and advising on MRE activities in Sri Lanka. According to UNICEF, the
cease-fire has greatly increased the urgent need for MRE activities as many
families are returning to their homes, even if the areas are heavily
mined.[47] UNICEF has sponsored
the printing and distribution of MRE material including 200,000 posters,
leaflets, and brochures for returnees and host communities, 100,000 school
exercise books and one million school timetables with MRE
messages.[48] An MRE Officer
was hired in December 2002 to provide technical expertise and to support the UN
Interagency Mine Action Working Group and Steering
Committees.[49]
In Jaffna, UNICEF works through government structures and NGOs. The NGOs
Sarvodaya and White Pigeon give MRE presentations and also provide community
liaison activities between demining operators, communities and returnees. The
Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation Organization utilizes drama productions. Save the
Children focuses on children, spreading the MRE message in children’s
clubs and through schoolbooks, radio broadcasts and billboards.
MAG carries out MRE activities across the Vanni area. In 2002, MAG provided
MRE to 3,381 people and conducted MRE training for local staff and local
government workers in Vavuniya and Mannar. MAG has conducted MRE in Batticaloa
district in 2003.[50] In the
Vanni area, White Pigeon is conducting MRE activities in communities and schools
through ten MRE centers.
In the Vavuniya, Mannar, and Trincomalee districts, MRE activities are
carried out by the Community Trust Fund in collaboration with the Mine Awareness
Trust.[51] In the Trincomalee
district, UNICEF finalized the first MRE assessment in collaboration with the
NGOs in the area and as a result, Save the Children plans to establish
partnerships in the affected communities
there.[52] UNICEF estimates a
total of 100,000 to 150,000 MRE beneficiaries nationwide and states that quality
assurance structures have also been
introduced.[53]
UNICEF and the UNDP signed a contract with the Young Asia television station
in order to heighten public awareness of landmine and UXO issues and to address
MRE matters in affected
communities.[54] In addition,
at UNICEF’s request, the NGO PALTRA is conducting an MRE management
training course to establish MRE partners. This is aimed at increasing
community-based interventions.
The National Institute of Education, supported by UNICEF, has initiated a
project involving MRE school programs and teacher training modules, to increase
children’s awareness of the danger of mines and promote safe behavior in
the North-East province.[55]
Mine Action Funding
There has been a progressive increase in the donor
base and funding for mine action since the cease-fire took effect in February
2002. According to information provided to Landmine Monitor by eleven donors,
contributions to mine action in Sri Lanka in 2002 totaled about US$6 million.
This included: European Commission $3.7 million; Norway $736,000; Denmark
$380,000; Italy $378,000; Switzerland $296,000; Australia $271,000; Canada
$102,000; New Zealand $63,000; Sweden $51,000; South Korea $30,000; and United
Arab Emirates $10,000.[56]
Additional funding was provided by international agencies, NGOs and other
institutions.
By March 2003, Sri Lanka had received about $5 million for mine action in
2003 from the World Bank, the governments of Australia, Italy, Japan,
Netherlands, Denmark and the UK and other agencies and
NGOs.[57]
In 2003, UNICEF received funding of $470,000 for mine action, (ECHO
contributed $120,000; Canada’s CIDA $100,000; UK’s DFID $150,000 and
Sweden’s SIDA
$100,000).[58]
Landmine Casualties
In 2002, there were at least 142 new mine
casualties in Sri Lanka, of which 27 people were killed. Of the total
casualties, 38 were children under the age of 18. The majority of casualties
were men aged between 18 and 35
years.[59] The highest number
of casualties was reported in Jaffna. The UNDP believes that the actual number
of casualties is higher than currently
recorded.[60] In 2001, 207 mine
casualties were
reported.[61]
There have been no “battleground” accidents due to landmines laid
by the government or LTTE armed forces reported since the cease-fire. However,
the Sri Lankan Army did report that in 2002 seven soldiers were injured during
mine clearing operations; in 2003, one soldier was injured to
March.[62] More than 40 Sri
Lankan Army deminers have been killed or injured in mine clearance activities
since March 2001.[63]
The HDU, working in the LTTE controlled areas, reported four deminers injured
during operations in 2002.[64]
An expatriate supervisor working with the HDU was also reportedly injured by a
P4 antipersonnel mine.[65]
Casualties continue to be reported in 2003 with 12 new mine casualties
recorded in January.[66]
The UNDP IMSMA database has become a reliable source of information on
landmine and UXO casualties in Sri Lanka. All mine incidents causing casualties
are investigated within 24 hours of the UNDP receiving
notification.[67] The database
contains records on 958 civilian mine/UXO casualties from 1995 to 10 February
2003, of which 139 people were killed, and 819
injured.[68] In addition, Sri
Lanka reports 3,005 military and police casualties attributable to
landmines.[69]
Survivor Assistance
Generally, Sri Lanka has sufficient medical
facilities to provide the care needed by landmine survivors. However, health
care is less effective in LTTE-controlled areas. In the Jaffna peninsula, the
Jaffna Teaching Hospital and the Point Pedro Hospital provide secondary surgical
treatment while three other hospitals have limited capacities for providing
emergency care.[70]
The ICRC, working with the Sri Lankan Red Cross and the Canadian Red Cross,
provide basic health services in remote areas through public health centers and
mobile clinics. A second training seminar on war surgery was organized in
collaboration with the Sri Lankan College of Surgeons and the Sri Lankan
Army’s medical services for 150
surgeons.[71]
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) supports medical facilities in
the LTTE-controlled area. The ceasefire has improved the situation considerably,
however, there continues to be a lack of health staff and the needs remain high.
MSF provides medical assistance and surgical facilities at public hospitals in
Vavuniya, Mallavi, Point Pedro and Batticaloa, and basic health-care to people
in remote war-affected areas. MSF also provides psycho-social support in the
camps for internally displaced
people.[72]
Sri Lanka has several prosthetic clinics that are generally able to respond
to the physical rehabilitation needs of civilian mine/UXO survivors in
government-controlled areas. Three workshops are producing, adapting and
renewing prostheses, with financial assistance from several national and
international organizations, including the
ICRC.[73]
The ICRC supports the Colombo Friends-in-Need Society (FINS) Jaipur Foot
Program with materials and training. FINS is headquartered in Colombo with
branches in other parts of the country. It provide prostheses to all amputees
who come to them, including landmine survivors. Civilian amputees are provided
prostheses free-of-charge. In 2002, the ICRC reports that the FINS workshops
produced 323 prostheses (180 for mine survivors) and 67 orthoses (two for mine
survivors); it also distributed 41 pairs of crutches and 23
wheelchairs.[74] A British NGO,
Hope for Children, works in partnership with FINS to assist child mine survivors
with prostheses and physical and psychological
assessment.[75]
The Jaipur Foot Center in Jaffna, with the support of the ICRC and the
international NGO Motivation, provide prosthetic limbs and physiotherapy
services.[76] In 2002, Jaipur
Foot Kundasale provided 281 prostheses for mine
survivors;[77] the Jaipur Foot
Jaffna provided 88;[78] and the
Jaipur Foot Mannar provided four
prostheses.[79]
The NGO, White Pigeon, operates two prosthetic workshops in the
LTTE-controlled area. In 2002, 343 prostheses were produced, primarily for mine
survivors. The workshops also distribute crutches, wheelchairs and tricycles.
Nine male and two female prosthetic technicians are employed; two are amputees.
There are no physiotherapists at the workshops. There is reportedly only one
qualified physiotherapist in the region. White Pigeon also provides vocational
training for persons with disabilities in sewing, weaving and
typing.[80] In December 2002,
White Pigeon opened a prosthetics workshop in the government-controlled area in
Jaffna. However, as of March 2003, it had not been able to secure sufficient
funding to begin operations.[81]
UNICEF supports psycho-social counseling and community-based rehabilitation
through local NGOs including the Association for Rehabilitation of Displaced
(AROD), Killinochchi Association for Rehabilitation of Displaced (KAROD),
Shanthiham, White Pigeon, and the Family Rehabilitation
Center.[82]
AROD provides rehabilitation treatment and physiotherapy including home care,
as well as distributing wheelchairs, tricycles and crutches. AROD and Jaipur
Foot Jaffna assist mine survivors in the Jaffna peninsula with limited
psycho-social counseling and socio-economic reintegration. AROD provides school
kits, small grants and some vocational training. Jaipur Foot provides loans of
between US$25 and $100 (Rs.2500 and Rs.10,000) to boost income generating
activities. The government also distributes small grants through its local
offices.[83] The national NGO
Sarvodaya has provided 100 landmine survivors with loans to support income
generating activities.[84]
Military mine survivors receive rehabilitation, including prostheses,
counseling, vocational training and reemployment within the armed services, and
free bus and train
passes.[85]
In February 2003, UNDP announced the start of its “Disability
Assistance Project” which is being implemented in partnership with AROD in
the Jaffna district. The project is intended to restore sustainable livelihoods
and promote the economic reintegration of mine survivors and other persons with
physical disabilities. The program, for 150 people, includes vocational
training, training in managing a small business, and start-up loans for small
business.[86]
The Mine Action Resource Center reported that it is conducting a victim
assistance survey in the Mannar
district.[87]
Two landmine survivors participated in the Raising the Voice program held
during the May 2003 intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva.
[1] One news article reported, “The
government officially announced its readiness to sign the landmine international
treaty banning the use of landmines – but on condition that the LTTE also
agreed to it.” Shakuntala Perera, “Landmine landmark,” Daily
Mirror, 11 October 2002. In another article, Cabinet spokesman G.L. Peiris
stated, “The government expected to discuss its plans to sign the
de-mining treaty with the LTTE and expected to reach an agreement before they
proceed.” Himangee Jayasundere, “Ceasefire prompts govt to decide to
sign de-mining treaty,” The Island, 11 October 2002. Another quoted the
Cabinet spokesperson saying, “If we become a signatory to the treaty we
have to commit ourselves not to lay landmines in future. Therefore, it is
necessary that we discuss this with the LTTE first.” Daily News, 11
October 2002. [2] Statement by
Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN,
at the UN General Assembly First Committee, New York, 10 October
2002. [3] Presentation by Brigadier
Mohanthi Peiris, Directorate of Legal Services, Army Headquarters, to the
Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Awareness and Mine Action
Technologies, Geneva, 14 May 2003. [4]
Ibid. [5] Notes taken by Landmine
Monitor researcher during a meeting with the delegation at the Canadian High
Commission, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 20 November
2002. [6] Email from Will Nankervis,
Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka, 27 May 2003; email from Royal
Netherlands Embassy in Sri Lanka, 26 May 2003; telephone interview with Kazumi
Endo, Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka, 27 May 2003; email from Ambassador,
Switzerland Embassy in Sri Lanka, 23 May
2003. [7] Email from Ambassador of
Switzerland, 23 May 2003. [8] Prime
Minister Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe, Statement to Opening Ceremony, Asia-Pacific
ICBL/Landmine Monitor Researchers’ Meeting, Colombo, 27 January
2003. [9]
Ibid. [10] The statement is available at
http://www.icbl.org. [11]
See Landmine Monitor Report 2002,
p.747. [12] Interview with Tim Horner,
Mine Action Technical Advisor, UNDP, Colombo, 4 April
2003. [13] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 747. The 1 million estimate is attributed to Bradman Weerakoon,
Secretary to the Prime Minister, in Faraza Farook, “Call for a better mine
action programme,” Sunday Times, 21 July 2002, p.
5. [14] HALO Trust, “Sri Lanka
Minefield Survey Report,” Edition one, January
2002. [15] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 747. [16] UNDP,
“Information Bulletin,” 1st Edition, February 2003, p. 1.
[17] Note from TRO to Sri Lanka
Landmine Monitor researcher, 3 April 2003. TRO is an umbrella organization
working in the areas controlled by the LTTE; it coordinates mine action and
other relief and rehabilitation
work. [18] Interview with Alex van Roy,
Chief Technical Advisor Mine Action, UNDP, Colombo, 3 April 2003. The IMSMA
database was first installed in 2000, then upgraded in 2002 and again in May
2003. [19] D. Sivaram (Tarki),
“K’nochchi IDPs resettle amidst the landmines,” Northeastern
Herald, 4 October 2002, p. 8. [20]
Ibid. [21] All of the following
information regarding the survey comes from HALO Trust, “Sri Lanka
Minefield Survey Report,” January
2002. [22] Email from Simon Porter,
Program Manager Sri Lanka, HALO Trust, 4 April
2003. [23] Email from Richard Moyes, MAG
Program Manager, Sri Lanka, 26 June
2003. [24] UNDP, “Information
Bulletin,” February 2003, p.
7. [25] Ibid, p.
2. [26] Letter from Bradman Weerakoon,
Secretary to the Prime Minister and Commissioner General for Coordination of
Triple “R,” to Chief Technical Advisor UNDP and Programme Managers
for HALO Trust, FSD, NPA, MAG, MAT and DDG, 17 June
2003. [27] UNDP, “Information
Bulletin,” February 2003, p.
2. [28] Leonie Barnes, UNDP Technical
Advisor in Vavuniya, in UNDP, “Information Bulletin,” February 2003,
p. 6. [29] Interview with Alex van Roy,
UNDP, Colombo, 3 April 2003. [30] Email
from Hanoch Barlevi, Technical Advisor for Mine Risk Education, UNICEF, Colombo,
19 May 2003. [31] Note to Landmine
Monitor researcher from Sri Lanka Engineering Brigade, 3 April 2003; interview
with Alex van Roy, UNDP, 3 April
2003. [32] This compares to 14,937
antipersonnel mines and 268 IEDs in 2001. See Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
749. [33] Note from Sri Lanka
Engineering Brigade, 3 April 2003. The UNDP told Landmine Monitor that apart
from the Sri Lankan Army, other mine clearance operators removed 8,421
antipersonnel mines, 10 antitank mines and 8,593 UXO in 2002; and 1,927
antipersonnel mines, 11 antitank mines, and 2,801 UXO between January and March
2003. Interview with Alex van Roy, UNDP, 3 April
2003. [34] Email from Valon Kumnova, Sri
Lanka Program Manager, HALO Trust, 10 July
2003. [35] Email from Simon Porter, Sri
Lanka Program Manager, HALO Trust, 4 April 2003. By the end of June 2003, the
numbers had increased to 3,104 antipersonnel mines and 329 UXO destroyed while
clearing 5,378 square meters of land. Email from Simon Porter, 29 July
2003. [36] Emails from Harald Smedsrud,
Program Manager, NPA Sri Lanka, 3 April and 9 May 2003; email from Luke
Atkinson, Technical Advisor, NPA Sri Lanka, 24 July
2003. [37] Email from Richard Moyes, Sri
Lanka Program Manager, Mines Advisory Group (MAG), 3 April
2003. [38] Email from Richard Moyes,
MAG, 26 June 2003. [39] Email to
Landmine Monitor (HRW) from Tim Carstairs, Director for Policy, MAG, 17 July
2003. [40] Email from Christoph
Hebeisen, Sri Lanka Program Manager, FSD, 2 April
2003. [41] Tim Horner, Mine Action
Technical Advisor, UNDP (Jaffna), in UNDP, “Information Bulletin,”
February 2003, p. 5. The team works within the District Mine Action Office
structure. [42] Email from Erik
Willadsen, Sri Lanka Program Manager, DDG, 2 April
2003. [43]
Ibid. [44] Note to Landmine Monitor
researcher from TRO, 3 April 2003. [45]
The QRDF is based in Mozambique and is managed by the RONCO Consulting
Corporation under contract with the US State
Department. [46] US Department of State,
“To Walk the Earth in Safety,” September 2002, p.
54. [47] Email from Hanoch Barlevi,
Technical Advisor for Mine Risk Education, UNICEF, 3 April
2003. [48]
Ibid. [49] Mine Action Support Group,
“Newsletter: December 2002,” p.
26. [50] Email from Richard Moyes, Sri
Lanka Program Manager, MAG, 26 June
2003. [51] Both are non-governmental
organizations. Leonie Barnes, UNDP Technical Advisor in Vavuniya, in UNDP,
“Information Bulletin,” February 2003, p.
6. [52] Email from Hanoch Barlevi,
UNICEF, 3 April 2003. [53] Email from
Hanoch Barlevi, UNICEF, 19 April
2003. [54] Mine Action Support Group,
“Newsletter: May 2002,” p.
37. [55] Email from Hanoch Barlevi,
UNICEF, 19 May 2003. [56] See individual
country studies in this Landmine Monitor Report 2003. In some cases, funding
may be for the donor’s fiscal year rather than the calendar year.
Currency conversions and rounding off done by Landmine
Monitor. [57] Interview with Borja
Migueleze, ECHO, Colombo, 7 July 2003; interview with Alex van Roy, UNDP, 3
April 2003; email from Brian Agland, Australian High Commission, 4 March 2003;
Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka press release, 6 January 2003; “Dutch make
mine exception with Sri Lanka,” Daily Mirror, 12 February, p.
6. [58] Email from Hanoch Barlevi,
UNICEF, 3 April 2003. [59] Interview
with Matthew Todd, UNDP, Colombo, 19 May
2003. [60] Interview with Matthew Todd,
UNDP, Colombo, 3 April 2003. [61] Email
to Landmine Monitor (HIB) from Matthew Todd, UNDP, 18 February
2003. [62] Note from the Commander, Sri
Lanka Engineering Brigade, 3 April
2003. [63] Sri Lanka Intervention,
Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Awareness, and Mine Action
Technologies, 14 May 2003. [64] Note
from Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, 3 April 2003.
[65] “Expatriate injured in Wanni
de-mining,” The Island, 18 November 2002, p.
1. [66] Email to Landmine Monitor (HIB)
from Matthew Todd, UNDP, 18 February
2003. [67] Alex Van Roy, Chief Technical
Advisor Mine Action, UNDP, Statement to Opening Ceremony, ICBL/Landmine Monitor
Researchers Meeting, Colombo, 27 January
2003. [68] Email to Landmine Monitor
(HIB) from Matthew Todd, UNDP, 18 February 2003; Sri Lanka Intervention,
Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, 14 May
2003. [69] Sri Lanka Intervention,
Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, 14 May
2003. [70] Email from Tim Horner, Mine
Action Technical Advisor, UNDP (Jaffna), 23 March 2003; see also Landmine
Monitor Report 2002, p. 752. [71] ICRC,
“Annual Report 2002,” Geneva, June 2003, p.
172. [72] Médecins Sans
Frontières, “Activity Report 2001-2002,” available at
www.msf.org. [73]
See Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
752. [74] ICRC Physical Rehabilitation
Programs, “Annual Report 2002,” Geneva, June
2003. [75] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 753. [76] UNDP,
“Information Bulletin,” February 2003, pp.
4-5. [77] Fax from S. Arumugam, Jaipur
Foot Center, Kundasale, 22 March
2003. [78] Interview with N. Sivanandan,
Administrative Secretary, Jaipur Foot Center, Jaffna, 2 April
2003. [79] Email from Rtn. S.
Shanmuganathan, Jaipur Foot Center, Mannar, 2 April
2003. [80] Presentation by S.S. Pillai,
Administrator, White Pigeon, during ICBL/Landmine Monitor researchers’
visit, Killinochi, 30 January 2003. [81]
Email from Tim Horner, UNDP, 23 March
2003. [82] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 753; email from Melanie Reimer, UNDP (Jaffna), 2 June
2003. [83] Email from Tim Horner, UNDP,
23 March 2003. [84] Email from Melanie
Reimer, UNDP, 2 June 2003. [85] Sri
Lanka Intervention, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, 14 May
2003. [86] Email from Tim Horner, UNDP,
23 March 2003; UNDP press release, ”Jaffna Disability Assistance Project
– 28/02/03,” available at
www.undp.lk/transition/news_events.html
(accessed 22 June 2003). [87] Email from
Samitha Hettige, Project Coordinator, Mine Action Resource Center, 2 April 2003.
For more information on the Center see Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 749.