Key developments since May 2003: The government has set a goal of
making Sri Lanka mine-free by the end of 2006. In 2003, a total of 2,155,364
square meters of land were cleared, including 24,038 mines and 19,610 UXO.
Another 629,948 square meters were cleared from January to March 2004, including
8,896 mines and 5,907 UXO. Four new NGO mine action operators initiated
clearance in 2003. Three NGOs conducted Community Impact Surveys and/or
technical surveys. Mine risk education activities expanded significantly,
reaching over 200,000 people. A new Regional Mine Action Center was established
in the LTTE-controlled area. In July 2003, an official revealed that the Army
used about one million mines during the country’s internal conflict. UNDP
recorded 99 new landmine/UXO casualties in 2003, a decrease from 142 in 2002.
In August 2003, the Cabinet approved a new National Disability Policy.
The government reiterated that it is considering accession to the Mine Ban
Treaty. A joint advocacy project of three NGOs established a dialogue with the
government and the LTTE aimed at the renunciation of antipersonnel landmines.
The UNDP organized a seminar for Sri Lankan security forces to discuss the
military utility of and alternatives to antipersonnel mines.
Key developments since 1999: Following a UNDP assessment, the UN Mine
Action Project began in July 1999, but had to be suspended in April 2000 due to
the conflict. Increased fighting in 2000 and 2001 resulted in increased use of
antipersonnel mines by both sides, increased military and civilian mine
casualties, and the termination of UN mine action programs. Fighting stopped in
December 2001, and a formal cease-fire agreement came into force in February
2002. There have been no confirmed reports of new use of mines by either
government or LTTE forces since December 2001.
The cease-fire enabled a significant expansion of mine action activities in
2002: the government established a National Steering Committee on Mine Action;
UNICEF and NGOs increased mine risk education activities; and, seven mine action
operators cleared a combined total of more than 16.3 million square meters of
land. In 2003, more than 2.1 million square meters of land were cleared, and
another 629,948 square meters from January to March 2004. Mine risk education
activities expanded, reaching over 200,000 people. From 1999-2003, more than
18.7 million square meters of land were cleared, and at least 300,000 people
received mine risk education. In early 2004, the government set the goal
to make Sri Lanka mine-free by the end of 2006.
Since 1999, at least 724 new landmine/UXO casualties have been recorded;
however, UNDP believes the real number is higher. In April 2002, a five-year
Disability Support Program started with the aim of improving the quality of life
of persons with disabilities. In February 2003, UNDP announced the start of its
“Disability Assistance Project.”
Sri Lanka has voted in favor of every pro-ban UN General Assembly Resolution
and in October 2002, the government announced its willingness to accede to the
Mine Ban Treaty contingent upon reaching an agreement with the LTTE prohibiting
use of landmines.
Mine Ban Policy
Democratic Socialist Republic of
Sri Lanka has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. In February 2004, Sri
Lanka stated that it “has always in principle supported the humanitarian
objectives of this landmark international instrument” and that it will
work with others “in achieving the common goal that we all share, a world
free of landmines.” Sri Lanka also said it will continue “to work
towards its possible accession” and reiterated the Prime Minister’s
statement to the UN General Assembly in 2002: “Sri Lanka is reviewing its
position on the Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines with a view to
becoming a party to it as confidence in peace
accrues.”[1] On several
occasions, the government reaffirmed that its stand on the mine ban is dependent
on reaching an agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on
non-use of landmines.[2]
Sri Lanka participated in the Ottawa Process meetings in 1997, but always as
an observer, and it openly stated its need to use antipersonnel mines.
Nevertheless, Sri Lanka has voted in favor of all the UN General Assembly
resolutions supporting a mine ban since 1996, including the December 2003
resolution calling for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty. 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.
Sri Lanka has participated as an observer in all but one of the annual
Meetings of States Parties, including the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in
Bangkok in September 2003.[3]
It has also attended all intersessional Standing Committee meetings since
December 2000, including one in February 2004, where Sri Lanka declared that it
was exploring the possibility of submitting a voluntary Article 7 transparency
report.[4] In July 2004, the
Cabinet of Ministers approved the submission of a voluntary
report.[5]
Also in July 2004, the Cabinet of Ministers approved Sri Lanka’s
accession to Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Conventional Weapons
(CCW).[6] Sri Lanka joined the
CCW and its Amended Protocol II on 24 September 2004. It did not attend the
Fifth Annual Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II in December
2003.
Several governments, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and the
United Kingdom, have continued to actively encourage the government to accede to
the Mine Ban Treaty.[7]
In early November 2003 the UN Development Programme (UNDP) held a seminar for
the Sri Lankan security forces which “focused on the limited military
utility of AP mines in the Sri Lanka context, their negative humanitarian
consequences in the country, alternatives to their use, and implications of the
AP Mine Ban Treaty for Sri
Lanka.”[8] The seminar
was well-attended and included a presentation by a representative of the UK
Ministry of Defence.
The Mine Action Resource Centre (MARC) stated that it had conducted an
advocacy campaign using the electronic, radio and print media in June-July
2003.[9]
LTTE Ban Policy
In January 2002, for the first time, a leader of the LTTE rebels expressed
support for a ban on antipersonnel mines. The Swiss NGO Geneva Call visited Sri
Lanka in August 2003 and had discussions with representatives of the LTTE and
the government with the aim of encouraging the parties to ban the use of
antipersonnel landmines. Geneva Call reported that the LTTE was seriously
considering signing the Geneva Call's “Deed of Commitment” banning
antipersonnel mines, and that the LTTE would like to discuss the mine ban in
negotiations with the government. However, the LTTE indicated that they would
like to see some significant progress toward peace before making any ban
commitment.[10] The Swiss
government has repeatedly encouraged the LTTE to sign the Geneva Call Deed of
Commitment.[11]
NGO Activities
At the beginning of 2003, the Sri Lanka-based Inter-religious Peace
Foundation (IRPF),[12] UK-based
Landmine Action, and Swiss-based Geneva Call initiated 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. As a
part of the project, a conference on the antipersonnel landmine issue in Sri
Lanka was held in Colombo on 26 July 2003. Representatives of the Sri Lankan
government, Army, donors, international organizations, and NGOs
participated.[13] The
representative of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) expressed the desirability of further
dialogue on this issue. As noted above, Geneva Call also sent a mission to Sri
Lanka in August 2003, and in May 2004, it organized a workshop on the mine ban
in Jaffna.
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) is an umbrella organization that
coordinates all mine action and other relief and rehabilitation work in the
areas controlled by the LTTE. It works closely with the IRPF to advocate the
renunciation of mines by both the government and the
LTTE.[14]
Beginning in January 2002, IRPF collected two million citizens’
signatures on a petition that urged the government to accede to the Mine Ban
Treaty, and asked the LTTE to stop using antipersonnel mines. The petition was
presented to representatives of the government and the LTTE during peace talks
in Oslo on 4 December 2002.
In September 2003, the Sri Lankan Campaign to Ban Landmines became a member
of the ICBL’s Coordination Committee, with the IRPF as its representative.
The IRPF released Landmine Monitor Report 2003 at a press conference held
in February 2004.
Use
In nearly two decades of conflicts both the Sri Lanka Army and LTTE used
antipersonnel mines extensively. Increased fighting in 2000 and 2001 resulted
in increased use of antipersonnel mines by both sides. Fighting halted in
December 2001 and a formal cease-fire agreement came into force in February
2002. Although the LTTE suspended peace talks with the government in April
2003, the cease-fire continued to hold. Since December 2001, there have been no
confirmed reports of new mine use by either the government or the LTTE.
In December 2003, a series of articles on TamilNet reported allegations that
the Sri Lanka Army had planted landmines in the vicinity of Manalkaadu, a
village on the southeastern cost of
Jaffna.[15] The articles
reported that Manalkaadu’s villagers said the Army laid mines near a
casuarinas plantation where the Army had built a new camp, and that the mines
had killed four cattle. The Jaffna coordinator for the Human Rights Commission
of Sri Lanka reportedly said that people from Manalkaadu complained about the
new minefield. The TamilNet articles reported that the Army denied that it ever
planted landmines in the area. UNDP told Landmine Monitor that it investigated
and confirmed that there were no newly laid minefields, or old minefields in the
area.[16]
In a response to Landmine Monitor, an Army Commander denied the allegations
and stated that the allegations were investigated by UNDP–Mine Action and
found to be untrue. He reasserted that the Army has not laid any mines since
the signing of the
cease-fire.[17] Likewise, in
February 2004, Sri Lanka told Mine Ban Treaty States Parties that security
forces have not used mines since the
cease-fire.[18]
In August 2004, the LTTE said that two of its members were killed by a
landmine recently laid by an armed group with Sri Lankan military
support.[19]
Production, Transfer, and Stockpiling
There is no evidence that the Sri Lankan government has produced or exported
antipersonnel mines. The Sri Lankan government will not disclose the number or
types of antipersonnel mines it has stockpiled, but previous Landmine Monitor
reports stated that government troops used Pakistani P4, Chinese Type 72, and
Italian VS/50 antipersonnel mines. This information is currently being
confirmed during demining
operations.[20]
The LTTE has produced several types of antipersonnel mines, including the
“Jony” mine (a small wooden box mine), a plastic mine designated
Rangan 99 (which resembles the Pakistani P4 mine), and a Claymore-type
directional fragmentation mine, as well as an antivehicle mine designated Amman
2000MK1. The LTTE is also considered expert in making improvised explosive
devices (IEDs).[21] The current
status of the LTTE’s landmine production facilities is not known.
Landmine Problem, Survey and Assessment
After two decades of armed conflict, landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
constitute a serious impediment to reconstruction and resettlement. Landmines
are a threat to the refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who return
to areas highly impacted by conflict. The conflict displaced around 800,000
people from the North and the East; according to UNHCR, at the end of 2003,
386,104 persons remained
displaced.[22] The
Premier’s Office reported in 2004 that hundreds of internally displaced
persons had returned to previously mined lands that had been
cleared.[23]
There are no reliable figures regarding the total number of antipersonnel
mines planted. In July 2003, an Army official for the first time revealed that
the Army used about one million mines during the
conflict.[24] Government
officials now commonly estimate that both sides planted a total of 1.5 million
mines.[25] Earlier government
estimates ranged from 700,000 to 1 million, while the LTTE estimated that more
than 2 million mines were
planted.[26]
General surveys conducted by HALO, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and the
Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) indicate that about 200 million square
meters of land is suspected to be mine-affected; it is likely this number will
be reduced once technical surveys are
undertaken.[27] On the basis of
partial minefield records provided by the Army, UNDP estimates that the Army
mined about 50 million square meters of
land.[28] According to a media
report, the UNDP-operated Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA)
database had records of over 3,000 dangerous areas and minefields as of December
2003.[29]
In February 2004, Sri Lanka declared, “The Government of Sri Lanka has
embarked on a comprehensive humanitarian mine action programme with a broad
objective of making Sri Lanka a mine free country by the end of
2006.”[30] A UNDP
“Briefing Paper” given to Landmine Monitor in March 2004 stated,
“The country aims to have all high priority areas cleared by
end-2006.” Others have expressed the view that what is attainable by end
of 2006 is the demining of all high-priority
areas.[31]
Two NGOs, FSD and MAG, conducted Community Impact Surveys in this reporting
period. From October 2002 to March 2004, FSD gathered information in over 360
villages and produced Impact Survey Reports, Dangerous Areas Reports, and
Incidents and Casualties Reports. In the same period it conducted a technical
survey of 46,000 square meters of
land.[32]
MAG surveyed 112 villages in Baticaloa district from July 2003 to March 2004.
It also undertook risk assessment and technical survey of areas where 13 polling
booths were to be located in April 2004. In the Vanni region, 30 percent of the
72 communities surveyed reported known or suspected minefields, and 33 percent
were contaminated by UXO. The survey found that the type of land mostly heavily
affected is agricultural land and land for housing. One survey team is
specifically tasked to respond to requests from NGOs and local authorities for
threat assessment and subsequent mine action
activities.[33]
In June 2002, HALO Trust initiated a Technical Survey and Demarcation
project, which included collection of socio-economic data. The survey,
concluded in December 2002, identified minefields in an area of 14.49 million
square meters, including a total of 3.83 million square meters categorized as
high priority.[34] As of April
2004, HALO continued to conduct technical surveys in Vavuniya, Manar,
Anuradhapura, Tricomalee, Batticaloa, and
Ampara.[35]
In late 1997, the UNDP conducted a feasibility study which concluded that
there was a serious landmine problem and recommended the establishment of a mine
action program. The UN Mine Action Project started in July 1999 and a Level One
Survey was initiated at the beginning of
2000.[36] The survey was 35 to
40 percent completed when it was stopped in April 2000 due to the escalation of
the conflict in the Jaffna peninsula. The total area identified as mined or
suspected to be mined was 20,242,485 square meters.
UNDP manages the Sri Lanka Mined Area Database, which uses the Information
Management System for Mine Action. The IMSMA database was first installed in
2000, then upgraded in 2002 and again in May 2003. Additional IMSMA terminals
have been supplied to each Area Mine Action Office. The Army stated that it has
given UNDP all of their minefield records except those relating to High Security
Zones.[37] There have been no
reports of the LTTE providing any minefield records.
Mine Action Coordination
The government planned to establish a national coordination body for mine
action in Colombo in 2003, with the assistance of the UNDP and UNICEF, but this
has not yet happened. Mine clearance now takes place according to District Work
Plans that give priority to resettlement, and these plans are reviewed on a
quarterly basis.[38]
The National Steering Committee for Mine Action (NSCMA), established in the
latter part of 2002, is responsible for oversight and coordination of policy,
including national policy on mine risk education and victim assistance. Among
its functions are to review and approve national priorities for mine action, as
well as mine action
standards.[39]
At the district level, two Area Mine Action Offices (AMAO) in Jaffna and
Vavuniya[40] provide operational
coordination and develop demining priorities in consultation with relevant
authorities, including District Mine Action Committees. The AMAOs are
supervised by their respective Government Agent offices and receive support from
UNDP, as well as UNICEF for mine risk
education.[41] Mine action
focal points for the districts of Trincomalee and Batticaloa have been appointed
by the respective Government Agents and are trained by
UNDP.[42]
UNDP reported that the first priority for mine action activities is support
of resettlement, and the second priority is support for reconstruction and
development projects.[43]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization opened a Regional Mine Action Office
(RMAO) in Killinochchi in July 2003 to coordinate and support mine action
activities in the LTTE-controlled areas of the North and
East.[44] RMAO prioritizes
areas for demining and is involved in the allocation of cleared land in
consultation with international demining agencies, local government officials
and the local Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies. The priority for mine
clearance is support of the return of
IDPs.[45]
All NGOs involved in mine action must register with the Ministry of Social
Services, and in addition, must sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the
Ministry of Defense. No formal accreditation process for mine action has been
established. However, a draft accreditation procedure was submitted by UNDPto the NSCMA in March
2004.[46] National Standards
for demining activities in keeping with International Mine Action Standards
(IMAS) have been formulated.
MARC stated that it provides a forum for mine action agencies to exchange
information and discuss matters that are of common interest. In 2003, it held
seven meetings and published a directory of mine action
agencies.[47]
Mine Clearance
UNDP reported that in 2003 a total of 2,155,364 square meters of land were
cleared including manual, mechanical and battle area clearance. A total of
24,038 antipersonnel mines, 54 antivehicle mines and 13,231 UXO were destroyed.
From January to March 2004, another 629,948 square meters were cleared,
including 8,896 antipersonnel mines, five antivehicle mines and 5,883
UXO.[48]
Humanitarian mine clearance in Sri Lanka began, under the auspices of the UN
Mine Action Project, in the areas controlled by the government in the Jaffna
peninsula in July 1999. Clearance was suspended in April 2000 due to the
escalation of the conflict. During the period of operations 214,541 square
meters of land were cleared and over 1,023 antipersonnel mines
destroyed.[49] Following the
cease-fire, a new mine action project led by UNDP was initiated in the second
half of 2002.
Those involved in mine clearance in 2002 include the HALO Trust, the
Humanitarian Demining Unit, Mines Advisory Group, Norwegian People’s Aid
(NPA), Swiss Foundation for Mine Action, RONCO, and the Sri Lanka Army. All of
the mine action operators cleared a combined total of 16,356,485 square meters
of land in 2002. Of the total, the Army cleared 16,089,124 square
meters.[50] Landmine Monitor
has been told that the Army was able to achieve this very large amount because
it did not conduct clearance to international standards.
The two main agencies engaged in mine clearance in 2003 and 2004 are the Sri
Lanka Army and the Humanitarian Demining Unit, an implementing arm of the TRO.
The SLA has received training and equipment from the US State Department,
through the commercial company RONCO Consulting Corporation. The HDU has
received support from NPA, MAG, FSD, and Danish Demining Group (DDG). HALO
Trust works in the Jaffna Peninsula and in Trincomalee.
In 2003 and 2004, four additional NGOs began clearance operations: the DDG,
the Japan Center for Conflict Prevention, and two NGOs from India, Horizon and
Sarvatra Technical Consultants. Two Sri Lankan NGOs have been registered and
are in the process of setting up operations: Mine Free Planet and Planet Alive.
The Sri Lanka Army has four Field Engineer Regiments deployed in humanitarian
demining work. It started limited operations in March 2001 in support of the
government’s program for the resettlement of internally displaced persons.
According to the UNDP database, during 2003 the SLA cleared 1,205,069 square
meters of land and removed 5,306 antipersonnel mines, 15 antivehicle mines, and
1,149 UXO.[51] Landmine Monitor
was told that only part of the 2003 clearance was done to international
standards. The US government provided assistance through RONCO to upgrade SLA
humanitarian demining capacity; 280 deminers and 35 paramedics, along with 82
supervisory staff, had been trained by April
2004.[52] The SLA intends to
increase its capacity to 600
deminers.[53]
Until 2004, the SLA conducted only manual clearance. The SLA received six
mine detection dogs from the US Marshall Legacy Institute and other donors in
March 2004, and by June RONCO had trained the dogs and their
handlers.[54] The US government
also provided the Army with its first vegetation removal system in
mid-2004.[55] UNDP reported
that RONCO cleared 15,105 square meters of land removing 158 antipersonnel
mines, one antivehicle mine and 54
UXO.[56]
The Tamil Rehabilitation Organization through its mine clearance arm, the
Humanitarian Demining Unit, began demining in the Vanni area in 1999. By the
end of 2002, the HDU had cleared 120,000 landmines in the LTTE-controlled areas.
Since 2002, TRO/HDU has received assistance for its mine action operations and
it currently works in partnership with four international NGOs and employs over
850 deminers.[57]
Mines Advisory Group in partnership with the TRO/HDU conducts impact surveys,
fencing/marking, technical surveys, manual and mechanical mine clearance and
explosive ordnance disposal
(EOD).[58] In the Vanni,
MAG/HDU deploys four technical survey/fencing teams, two EOD teams and a Bozena
Miniflail mechanical clearance team. From July 2003 to March 2004, MAG reports
that it erected 18,720 meters of minefield perimeter fencing, manually cleared
21,881 square meters of land (removing 147 antipersonnel mines), mechanically
verified 81,270 square meters of suspected dangerous areas and investigated 535
UXO reports (removing and destroying over 13,685
UXO).[59] In Batticaloa
district, as part of the risk assessment of suspected dangerous areas, MAG
reports it cleared 3,151 square meters of land and removed 113 antipersonnel
mines in the period September 2003–March 2004. UNDP reported that MAG/HDU
cleared 87,759 square meters of land including 333 antipersonnel mines and 6,639
UXO in 2003.[60]
Norwegian People’s Aid reported that it provides technical assistance
to HDU in building its capacity to clear mines according to international
standards in a cost effective and sustainable
manner.[61] It applies the
“Rake” method, using a light garden rake and a heavier rake as
excavation tools, and without the use of mine
detectors.[62] In October 2003
the project reached its full capacity of 520 trained manual deminers, including
40 female deminers and 80 support staff. In 2003, NPA/HDU reported clearing a
total of 684,000 square meters of land, containing 5,403 antipersonnel mines,
nine antivehicle mines and 3,218 UXO. From January to March 2004, they cleared
175,000 square meters of land and removed 2,609 antipersonnel mines, two
antivehicle mines and 177 UXO. NPA estimates that 1,526 families directly
benefited from the mine clearance by resettling in or using the demined land.
The number of people benefiting from a mine-free environment in their village is
considerably higher.[63] The
UNDP reported that NPA/HDU cleared 627,156 square meters of land removing 5,234
antipersonnel mines, nine antivehicle mines and 2,733 UXO in
2003.[64]
The Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) is involved in General Mine Action
Assessment (impact survey), Technical Survey, Manual Clearance, Battle Area
Clearance and Explosive Ordnance
Disposal.[65] FSD has an
operational strength of 80 local and five expatriate personnel. From October
2002 to March 2004, FSD reports clearing 57,000 square meters of land and 13,000
square meters of battlefield area, and over 4,300 antipersonnel mines and 2,200
UXO were destroyed. FSD signed a contract with the Japanese government in
January 2004 to strengthen its mine clearance operations, including provision of
a mini-flail machine.[66]
According to the UNDP database, FSD cleared 93,127 square meters of land and
removed 2,925 antipersonnel mines, seven antivehicle mines, and 2,092 UXO in
2003.[67]
The Danish Demining Group (DDG) began mine clearance in November 2003 with
one Manual Demining Team (MDT) in Jaffna, two MDTs in partnership with HDU in
the Vanni and in Trincomalee, and two Quick Response
teams.[68] In 2003, it reports
clearing 13,292 square meters, destroyed 270 antipersonnel mines, one
antivehicle mine and 16 UXO. From January to March 2004, DDG cleared 33,022
square meters of land and removed 545 antipersonnel mines and 89 UXO. The UNDP
database recorded that in 2003 DDG cleared 11,196 square meters of land, removed
335 antipersonnel mines, one antivehicle mine and 45
UXO.[69]
HALO Trust works in government-controlled areas and provides special
assistance on request in LTTE-controlled areas. HALO’s activities include
manual mine clearance, mechanical mine clearance, marking, area reduction,
survey and explosive ordnance
disposal.[70] HALO employs 250
local staff and intends to increase to 450 in 2004. From October 2002 to March
2004, HALO reported clearing 230,000 square meters of land and removing 24,000
landmines and 1,500 UXOs. The UNDP database recorded HALO clearing 61,977
square meters of land and removing 8,071 antipersonnel mines, eight antivehicle
mines, and 506 UXO in 2003.[71]
The Milinda Moragoda Institute for People's Empowerment (MMIP), in
collaboration with two Indian NGOs (Horizon and Sarvatra), conducted mine
clearance activities in government-controlled areas. MMIP/Horizon began in May
2003 and MMIP/Sarvatra in September
2003.[72] Each NGO deployed a
team of 50 personnel (30 Indian and 20 Sri Lankan). UNDP reported that in 2003
MMIP/Horizon cleared 23,750 square meters of land, 1,667 antipersonnel mines and
six UXO and MMIP/Sarvatra cleared 30,225 square meters of land and nine
antipersonnel mines, two antivehicle mines and 10
UXO.[73]
The Japan Center for Conflict Prevention (JCCP) started manual mine clearance
operations in March 2004 in the Vavuniya district. A team consisting of 44 Sri
Lankan personnel had been trained by a technical advisor seconded from the DDG
and two Japanese technical
advisors.[74]
Mine risk education (MRE) activities continued to expand during 2003. More
than 200,000 people attended MRE sessions. This represents a significant
increase over UNICEF’s estimate of 100,000 to 150,000 beneficiaries in
2002.[76] UNICEF coordinates
MRE nationally in collaboration with the UNDP Mine Action Office, and it works
in conjunction with several local and international NGOs and the Ministry of
Education.
UNICEF started MRE activities in Jaffna in 1998, and conducted MRE, with a
focus on schoolchildren, under the UNDP Mine Action program from 1999 until the
program’s suspension in April 2000 due to
hostilities.[77] Limited MRE
was carried out from that point until after the February 2002 cease-fire, when
UNICEF and NGOs greatly increased MRE
activities.[78] Since then, MRE
activities have been closely linked with resettlement of IDPs and with mine
clearance, with MRE operators acting as liaisons between communities and
demining teams before, during and after clearance operations, ensuring two-way
information and mutual understanding.
Mine risk education was incorporated into school curricula in 2004under a national school-based MRE program. UNICEF established in late
2003a MRE training capacity, including a “Training of Trainers of
MRE” program that targets NGO field officers and MRE management training
coordinators. National standards for MRE were finalized in July 2004 and are
being integrated into the Sri Lanka National Mine Action
Standards.[79]On 4
December 2003, the National Steering Committee on Mine Action launched a media
campaign titled, “Your Safety, Mine Action, Our Future,” to raise
awareness of the issues surrounding
landmines.[80]
At the district level, UNICEF has four coordinators for MRE and Survivor
Assistance based in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Killinochchi and Trincomalee, who
coordinate and plan all MRE and survivor assistance activities in accordance
with district mine action programs. They also monitor quality assurance of
MRE.
In Jaffna, MRE activities are carried out by three NGOs: Tamil Refugee
Rehabilitation Organization (TRRO), Sarvodaya, and White Pigeon. From January
2003 to March 2004, Sarvodaya conducted 45 programs for 4,511 participants,
TRRO’s theatre group ran drama programs for 2,966 participants, and, White
Pigeon conducted MRE activities in 442 communities and 167 schools for a total
6,787 participants. With the collaboration of the Jaffna District Mine Action
Office, UNICEF organized a “MRE Week” in September 2003.
In Vavuniya and Mannar, the NGO Community Trust Fund (CTF) provided MRE to
around 25,000 IDPs through presentations, cultural programs, home visits and
group discussions in 2003. Prior to the introduction of MRE in the school
curricula, CTF conducted MRE programs in schools. Since October 2003, CTF has
being targeting children not attending school who cannot be reached through the
national school-based MRE program. It also provides training to in-service
advisors and teachers to implement the national school-based program. By March
2004, more than 7,000 teachers had been trained to impart mine risk
education.[81]
In the LTTE-controlled districts of Killinochchi and Mullaitivu, White Pigeon
with the support of UNICEF deploys 10 MRE teams. From January 2003 to March
2004, White Pigeon carried out MRE programs in 175 schools and 75 preschools,
reaching about 3,500 children. In addition, street dramas, local newspaper
advertisements, and radio messages reached about 5,500 communities. It also
distributed MRE material such as posters, leaflets and brochures in 290 schools
and 20 preschools, and placed billboards along the newly opened A9 highway
linking Vavuniya and Jaffna. The White Pigeon MRE teams collected information
about disabled persons, including mine survivors, and provided mine/UXO reports
to the Humanitarian Demining Unit.
In Batticaloa district, MAG in partnership with TRO provided mine risk
education to 2,697 people, and in partnership with White Pigeon in the Vanni
delivered MRE to 2,731 beneficiaries from July 2003 to March
2004.[82]
In the Trincomalee district, UNICEF works with Save the Children, White
Pigeon and Community Trust Fund. Save the Children, in partnership with 14
children’s clubs and 20 schools, provided basic mine risk education for
teachers, and held child-to-child workshops. White Pigeon and CTF have been
conducting MRE sessions in many communities, and in 2003 distributed 6,000
pocket calendars containing MRE messages drawn by children, and 6,000 wall
calendars with MRE messages.
MRE agencies, as part of their data collection and dissemination activities,
had forwarded to demining agencies 50 mine/UXO reports from the Jaffna peninsula
and 250 reports from the Killinochchi and Mullaitivu districts, as of March
2004.
MARC reported that it had developed and distributed a mine risk education
leaflet in all three languages in early 2003, and that in late 2003 it assisted
MAG in publishing a leaflet in the Tamil
language.[83]
UNICEF commissioned in late 2003 a Mine Risk Education impact evaluation in
Jaffna and the Vammi region, which was completed in early 2004. It found that
nearly 99 percent of the target communities were aware of the landmine and UXO
threat, while areas that had not received MRE showed a higher rate of mine/UXO
incidents and a lesser number of people aware of the real risk of mines. The
evaluation concluded that mine-safe behavior resulting from mine risk education
might have contributed to the decrease in the mine incident rate registered
since 1998, although this cannot be confirmed. The evaluation also revealed
that “in spite of MRE, unauthorized de-mining and UXO tampering continue
to be reported in some of the project areas.” It called for the
“conceptual framework on de-mining in conflict affected countries to be
revisited with a view to address the problem of survival de-mining by untrained
people.”[84]
Despite the MRE programs, one media report stated that about 2,000 markers
identifying minefields or dangerous areas in Jaffna had been
removed.[85]
Mine Action Funding
There has been a major expansion of mine action funding for Sri Lanka since
the cease-fire took effect in February
2002.[86] According to
information provided to Landmine Monitor by 13 donors, contributions to mine
action in Sri Lanka in 2003 totaled about US$15.8
million.[87] This compares to
about $6 million from eleven donors in 2002. Most mine action activities and
mine action funding had halted in 2000 and 2001 due to the escalation of
fighting; international donors were reluctant to support mine action as both the
government and the rebels continued laying landmines. In both 2002 and 2003,
additional funding was provided by international agencies, NGOs and other
institutions.
Australia: A$1 million ($652,000) to UNICEF and UNDP;
Canada: C$105,676 ($76,932) to CIDC-FDC clearance; UNDP advocacy; Landmine
Action, Geneva Call, Sri Lanka Campaign to Ban Landmines for workshops;
Denmark: DKK12,000,000 ($1,823,700) to DDG for survey and mine/UXO
clearance;
European Commission: €5,719,000 ($6,471,000) for mine clearance, MRE,
surveys and victim assistance;
Finland: €162,274 ($183,600) to HALO and MAG for mine clearance;
Japan: $1,195,000 for advocacy and prevention, and HALO, MAG, NPA, JICA mine
clearance;
Netherlands: $465,987 to HALO for mine clearance;
New Zealand: $78,300 to UNDP Mine Action Program;
Norway: NOK6,211,840 ($877,100) to NPA for mine clearance;
Sweden: SEK 4,000,000 ($494,900) to MAG for mine action and mine risk
education;
Switzerland: $520,000 for an advisor for the Mine Action Center and for FSD
demining;
United States: $2,424,247 for mine clearance, equipment, training, and
support to the national mine action center, and MRE;
World Bank: $570,000 for the UNDP Mine Action
Program.[89]
In January 2004, the European Commission stated that it had contributed
€8.1 million ($9,165,150) toward mine action in Sri Lanka since the
cease-fire in February 2002.[90]
UNICEF reports that in 2003 it received a total of $860,000 for MRE and
Survivor Assistance: ECHO $360,000; UK (DFID) $150,000; Sweden (SIDA) $100,000;
Canada (CIDA) $100,000 and the United States
$150,000.[91] Mine action
operators also reported receiving funds from Italy and the United Kingdom in
2003, although neither government reported funding for Sri Lanka mine action in
2003.
Landmine Casualties
In 2003, UNDP recorded 99 landmine/UXO casualties, including 24 killed and 75
injured. Of the total casualties, 18 were female and 23 were children under
18-years-of-age; only three were military personnel. The majority of casualties
occurred in Jaffna, with two people killed and 50 injured. Landmines caused 44
casualties, UXO 32, and the cause of 23 casualties was
unknown.[92] This represents a
significant reduction from the 142 new mine/UXO casualties (27 killed and 115
injured) recorded in 2002, and the 201 new mine/UXO casualties in
2001.[93]
In 2003, six deminers were injured during mine clearance operations; at least
four were injured in 2002.[94]
Since March 2001, more than 40 Sri Lankan Army deminers have been killed or
injured in mine clearance
activities.[95]
Casualties continue to be recorded in 2004. From January to June, 33 new
mine/UXO casualties were recorded, including 19 people killed and 14 injured.
The majority of casualties were caused by UXO (61
percent).[96]
Since 2003, 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.[97] At least 724
new landmine/UXO casualties have been recorded since
1999.[98] The database contains
records of 958 civilian mine/UXO casualties from 1995 to 10 February 2003, of
which 139 people were killed, and 819
injured.[99] The current status
of the database was not made available to Landmine Monitor. UNDP believes that
the actual number of casualties is higher than currently
recorded.[100] In addition, Sri
Lanka reports 3,005 military and police casualties attributable to
landmines.[101]
Survivor Assistance
According to a UN Mine Action Service mission in June 2001, Sri Lanka has
sufficient transportation and medical infrastructure to provide the necessary
medical care to civilian landmine casualties; however, infrastructure was likely
to be less adequate 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.[102] Since
January 2003, the District Mine Action Office has coordinated mine survivor
assistance activities in the Jaffna
district.[103]
Since 1999, the ICRC, working with the Sri Lankan Red Cross and the Canadian
Red Cross, has provided basic health services in remote areas through support to
up to 28 public health centers and six mobile clinics. The ICRC has also
organized three training seminars on war surgery in collaboration with the Sri
Lankan College of Surgeons and the Sri Lanka Army’s medical services since
2001; 80 surgeons participated in
2003.[104]
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) supported medical and surgical
facilities in the LTTE-controlled area until 2003, by which time the cease-fire
had improved the situation considerably.
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, with financial assistance from several national and
international organizations, including the ICRC and the UK NGO Motivation.
The ICRC supported the Jaffna Jaipur Disability Rehabilitation Center
(formerly Friends-in-Need Society) with the introduction of polypropylene
technology, materials, and on-the-job training for technicians between 1999 and
2003. Prostheses are also made with the traditional aluminum technology. At
least two technicians also received training at the ICRC Prosthetic-Orthotic
Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Since March 1999, the center produced more
than 1,201 prostheses (662 for mine survivors) and 184 orthoses (at least three
for mine survivors), and distributed 338 crutches and 149 wheelchairs. This
includes in 2003 at least 273 prostheses (145 for mine survivors), 32 orthoses
(one for a mine survivor), 48 crutches and seven wheelchairs. Motivation has
now taken over support of the
center.[105]
Other centers providing prosthetics and physiotherapy include the Jaipur Foot
Center in Mannar which produced 64 prostheses for mine survivors in
2003,[106] and the Kundasale
Jaipur Center for Disability, which produced 199 prostheses for mine survivors
in 2003.[107] The Jaipur Foot
Centers in Kundasale and Mannar produced 285 prostheses for mine survivors in
2002.[108] In 2001, the
Friends-in-Need Society’s Colombo prosthetic workshop provided prostheses
to 343 security forces personnel and 17 civilians injured by
landmines.[109] Other facilities
provided 189 prostheses for mine survivors in
2001.[110]
A British NGO, Hope for Children, works in partnership with the Colombo
Friends-in-Need Society to assist child landmine survivors by fitting artificial
limbs and providing physical and psychological assessment. Assistance is also
available to attend school or vocational training programs. In September 2001,
Hope for Children introduced an artificial limb manufacturing and fitting
vehicle that travels to remote and isolated areas. The project was supported by
the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial
Fund.[111]
The NGO White Pigeon operates two prosthetic workshops in the LTTE-controlled
area. In 2003, 540 prostheses were produced and 152 crutches and 75 wheelchairs
provided, primarily for mine
survivors.[112] In 2002, 343
prostheses were produced. The workshops also distribute crutches, wheelchairs
and tricycles. Nine male and two female prosthetic technicians are employed;
two are amputees. White Pigeon also provides vocational training for persons
with disabilities in sewing, weaving and typing. 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.[113] The
workshops have been supported by UNICEF and the
ICRC.[114] In 2001, White
Pigeon reported that there were over 400 amputees on the waiting list for
prostheses.[115]
In April 2002, Motivation started a five-year Disability Support Program in
Sri Lanka with the aim of improving the quality of life of persons with
disabilities, including mine survivors. Motivation works with local NGOs and
associations in the areas of physical rehabilitation, production of prosthetics,
orthotics and other assistive devices, socio-economic reintegration, and
advocacy. Since 2002, staff from nine local organizations enrolled in a
three-year prosthetics and orthotics course, three more are taking courses in
rehabilitation therapy, together with on-going training for technicians and
physical therapy assistants. The program is funded by the US government’s
Leahy War Victims Fund.[116]
UNICEF supports psychosocial 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.[117] AROD provides
rehabilitation treatment and physiotherapy including home care, as well as
distributing wheelchairs, tricycles and crutches, and limited psychosocial
support. AROD also provides school kits, small grants and some vocational
training.[118] The Family
Rehabilitation Center provides physiotherapy treatments at their
clinic.[119] The NGO Shanthiham
conducts assessments at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for mine survivors soon
after the mine incident and provides psychosocial support during their stay in
hospital and after returning
home.[120]
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 includes vocational training, training in
managing a small business, and start-up loans for small
business.[121] In 2003, the
DMAO Jaffna conducted a two-day training seminar for organizations involved in
income generation programs for mine
survivors.[122]
Assistance for income-generating activities is provided by several
organizations. The local NGO Sarvodaya provides loans of up to $120 to set up
small businesses; 100 mine survivors benefited from the program in 2003. Of
these, 81 families received a $30 grant for the education of their
children.[123] 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.[124] AROD
provided grants for small business to at least 30 mine/UXO survivors in
2003.[125] The Jaffna Jaipur
Disability Rehabilitation Center provides loans of up to $10 for
income-generating activities and grants of $2.50 per month for disabled school
children.[126] TRO provides
small business loans of up to $50; 200 landmine/UXO survivor benefited from this
scheme in 2003.[127]
Two landmine survivors participated in the Raising the Voices program held
during the May 2003 intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva.
Disability Policy and Practice
The 1996 “Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Act” established the National Council for Persons with Disabilities.
However, the Act only mentions the rights of persons with disabilities to
non-discrimination in employment and
education.[128] The government
provides mine/UXO survivors with a one-time grant depending on the severity of
their disability.[129]
Military mine survivors receive rehabilitation, including prostheses,
counseling, vocational training and reemployment within the armed services, and
free bus and train
passes.[130]
In August 2002, the Ministry of Social Welfare appointed a committee to draft
a National Disability Policy. The policy includes strategies for health,
vocational training and employment, and poverty alleviation, and applies to all
persons with disabilities, including those affected by armed conflict. The
policy calls for a holistic approach involving community-based rehabilitation,
non-governmental organizations and the private
sector.[131] The Cabinet
approved the National Disability Policy in August
2003.[132]
[1] Statement by Sri Lank, Standing
Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention, Geneva, 9
February 2004. [2] Secretary to the
Prime Minister Bradman Weerakoon was quoted saying, “The government, while
being willing, could not ban the use of anti-personnel mines until the LTTE
agreed to follow suit,” in Namini Wijedasa, “Tigers must agree to
ban mines too,” The Island, 7 December 2003. See also, Bandula
Jayasekera, “LTTE has not fully co-operated with Mine Action
Programme,” The Island, 19 December 2003; Landmine Monitor Report 2003,
pp. 685-686. [3] Sri Lanka did not
attend the 2001 Meeting of States Parties in
Nicaragua. [4] Statement by Sri Lanka,
Standing Committee on the General Status, 9 February
2004. [5] The Island, 14 July 2004,
p.2; The Daily Mirror, 14 July 2004,
p.4. [6]
Ibid. [7] “Australian aid for
Lanka’s landmine action project,” The Daily News, 22 March 2004, p.
3; interview with Mr. H. Onishi, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan, Colombo, 20
April 2004; telephone interview with Martin Stuerzinger, Advisor, Embassy of
Switzerland, Colombo, 30 April 2004.
[8] Email from Judy Grayson, Chief
Advisor for Mine Action, UNDP, Sri Lanka, 23 April
2004. [9] Email from MARC, 19 April
2004. In December 2001, the non-governmental Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies
established the MARC, with the objective of providing a facilitation and liaison
body for Sri Lankan and international agencies involved in mine action or
working in affected areas. See Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
749. [10] Email from Katherine Kramer,
Program Officer, Geneva Call, 19 April
2004. [11] Telephone interview with
Martin Stuerzinger, Embassy of Switzerland, 30 April 2004.
[12] IRPF is a member of the Sri
Lankan Campaign to Ban Landmines. [13]
Notes by Landmine Monitor researcher who participated and made a presentation on
behalf of IRPF. [14] Email from Tamil
Rehabilitation Organization, 11 April
2004. [15] “SLA lays new
minefield near Jaffna village,” TamilNet, 7 December 2003;
“Manalkadu villagers say SLA laid new mines,” TamilNet, 9 December
2003; “Manalkadu SLA minefield issue before HRC,” TamilNet, 11
December 2003. [16] Email from Tim
Horner, Technical Advisor for Mine Action, UNDP, Jaffna, 1 September
2004. [17] Email from Brig. Ananda
Chandrasiri, Commander, Engineer Brigade, Sri Lanka Army, 22 April
2004. [18] Statement by Sri Lanka,
Standing Committee on the General Status, 9 February
2004. [19] “Suspected Tamil
Rebels Attack Sri Lanka Patrol,” Associated Press (Colombo), 23 August
2004. The LTTE blamed members of a group of former LTTE fighters who broke away
in March 2004; the LTTE accuses security forces of supporting the breakaway
faction. [20] Telephone interview with
Elmo Anandarajah, District Mine Action Office, Jaffna, 21 April 2004; telephone
interview with Valon Kumnova, Sri Lanka Program Manager, HALO Trust, 21 April
2004. [21] See Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 577; Landmine Monitor Report 2002,
p.747. [22] Email from UNHCR, 21 April
2004. [23] Dilanthi Jayamanne,
“Sri Lanka will be mine free by year 2006,” The Island, 27 March
2004, p. 2. [24] Statement by Brig.
Ananda Chandrasiri, Sri Lanka Army, A Conference on the antipersonnel landmine
issue in Sri Lanka, Colombo, 26 July 2003. He confirmed this number in an email
to Landmine Monitor on 22 April 2004. In 2002, HALO estimated that the Sri
Lankan Army laid 900,000 mines in Jaffna and Killinochchi. HALO, “Sri
Lanka Minefield Survey Report,” Edition one, January
2002. [25] In July 2004, the head of
the National Steering Committee for Mine Action cited 1.5 million. “Sri
Lanka: Ethiopians Find Familiarity in Minefields,” Inter Press Service
(Colombo), 26 July 2004. See also, “Sri Lanka government, Tamil Tigers
urged to ban mines,” Associated Press (Colombo), 14 July 2004;
“Working in a minefield,” The Sunday Observer, 11 January 2004,
p.41; “Comprehensive humanitarian mine action programme,” The Daily
Mirror, 5 December 2003, p. 2. [26]
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. [27] Email from Matthew
Todd, Mine Area Database Manager, UNDP, 16 April
2004. [28] Only half of the
Army’s records include details on the size of the minefields laid and
these total 23 million square meters. The 50 million square meter estimate is
based on the assumption that the other half cover a similar area. Email from
Matthew Todd, UNDP, 16 April
2004. [29] Lyndon Jeffels,
“De-mining--Neutralising the risks,” The Daily Mirror, 6 December
2003, p. 7. Previously, UNDP told Landmine Monitor that IMSMA had recorded
approximately 2,577 dangerous areas and minefields at the end of March 2003.
Interview with Alex van Roy, Chief Technical Advisor Mine Action, UNDP, Colombo,
3 April 2003. [30] Statement by Sri
Lanka, Standing Committee on the General Status, 9 February 2004. A similar
statement was in a National Steering Committee on Mine Action press release
titled, “Your safety, Mine Action, Our Future,” Colombo, 4 December
2003. [31] Lyndon Jeffels,
“De-mining–Neutralising the risks,” The Daily Mirror, 6
December 2003, p. 7. [32] Email from
Christoph Hebeisen, Program Manger, FSD, 19 April
2004. [33] Email from Abigail Hartley,
Program Manager, MAG Sri Lanka, 12 April
2004. [34] High priority includes
minefields 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; where 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. See
Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p.
688. [35] Email from Valon Kumnova,
Program Manager, HALO Trust, 21 April
2004. [36] For details see Landmine
Monitor Report 2000, p. 536. [37]
Telephone interview with Brig. Ananda Chandrasiri, Sri Lanka Army, 22 April
2004. [38] Telephone interview with
Judy Grayson, UNDP, 30 August
2004. [39] See Landmine Monitor Report
2003, p. 689. [40] The AMOA in
Vavuniya oversees the Mannar
district. [41] UNDP Briefing paper
provided to Landmine Monitor, March 2004, pp.1-2.
[42] Ibid, p.
1. [43] Ibid, p.
2. [44] Email from Tamil
Rehabilitation Organization, 11 April
2004. [45]
Ibid. [46] Email from Judy Grayson,
UNDP, 23 April 2004. [47] Email from
MARC, 19 April 2004. [48] Email from
Matthew Todd, UNDP, 16 April
2004. [49] See Landmine Monitor Report
2000, p. 536. [50] Note to Landmine
Monitor researcher from Sri Lanka Engineering Brigade, 3 April 2003; interview
with Alex van Roy, UNDP, 3 April
2003. [51] Email from Matthew Todd,
UNDP, 16 April 2004. [52] Email from
Brig. Ananda Chandrasiri, Sri Lanka Army, 22 April
2004. [53] Ibid.
[54] Telephone interview with Brig.
Ananda Chandrasiri, Sri Lanka Army, 2 September
2004. [55]
Ibid. [56] Email from Matthew Todd,
UNDP, 16 April 2004. [57] Email from
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, 11 April
2004. [58] Email from Abigail Hartley,
MAG, 12 April 2004. [59]
Ibid. [60] Email from Matthew Todd,
UNDP, 16 April 2004. [61] Email from
Harald Smedsrud, Program Manager, NPA Sri Lanka, 20 April
2004. [62] The rake method was
reviewed by senior technical staff of NPA and MAG, and SOPs were agreed for the
use of this method with the specific environment and mine types prevalent in Sri
Lanka. Email from Tim Carstairs, Policy Director, MAG, 6 October
2004. [63] Email from Harald Smedsrud,
NPA, 20 April 2004. [64] Email from
Matthew Todd, UNDP, 16 April
2004. [65] Email from Christoph
Hebeisen, Sri Lanka Program Manager, FSD, 19 April
2004. [66]
Ibid. [67] Email from Matthew Todd,
UNDP, 16 April 2004. [68] Email from
Paul Mackintosh, Program Manager, DDG, 22 April 2004. It intends to expand its
activities in 2004 with four additional MDTs and three Technical Survey
sections, and expects to obtain a mechanical vegetation
cutter. [69] Email from Matthew Todd,
UNDP, 16 April 2004. [70] Email from
Valon Kumnova, Sri Lanka Program Manager, HALO, 21 April
2004. [71] Email from Matthew Todd,
UNDP, 16 April 2004. [72] Telephone
interview with Dr. Imthiyaz Ismail, MMIP, 26 April
2004. [73] Email from Matthew Todd,
UNDP, 16 April 2004. [74] Email from
Tomoko Noda, Administrative Coordinator, Japan Center for Conflict Prevention,
Sri Lanka, 23 April 2004. [75] All
information in this section, unless otherwise noted, is from: Email from Hanoch
Barlevi, Project Officer Protection-Landmines, UNICEF, Sri Lanka, 2 March
2004. [76] Ibid, 12 July
2004. [77] See Landmine Monitor Report
2000, p. 536. [78] During the period
of expanded hostilities, UNICEF continued to support mine risk education through
government structures, the Refugee Rehabilitation Organization and Save the
Children-UK in the Jaffna peninsula under government control and through the
local NGO White Pigeon in LTTE-controlled areas. See Landmine Monitor Report
2001 and 2002. [79] Emails from Hanoch
Barlevi, UNICEF, 22 April 2004 and 12 July
2004. [80] UNDP, Mine Action
Information Bulletin, 2nd edition (no date); “Mine Action Media
campaign,” The Island, 23 December 2003,
p.2. [81] Telephone interview with
Hanoch Barlevi, UNICEF, 29 April
2004. [82] Email from Abigail Hartley,
MAG, 12 April 2004. [83] Email from
MARC, 19 April 2004. [84]
“Extract of draft MRE Evaluation Report,” emailed by Hanoch Barlevi,
UNICEF, 21 May 2004. [85] Lyndon
Jeffels, “De-mining--Neutralising the risks,” The Daily Mirror, 6
December 2003, p. 7. [86] This
section uses exchange rates from US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange
Rates (annual),” 5 January 2004, which has average rates for
2003. [87] Unless otherwise noted,
information comes from the individual country reports in this edition of
Landmine Monitor Report. In some cases, the funding was for the country’s
fiscal year, not calendar year 2003. Landmine Monitor has converted the
currencies and rounded off
numbers. [88] US dollars unless
otherwise noted. [89] Email from Nina
Kataja, Post-Conflict Analyst, The World Bank, Colombo, 22 April 2004. This was
part of a US$1 million contribution for 2002 and
2003. [90] Press Release, by the
European Union Delegation in Sri Lanka, 20 January
2004. [91] Email from Hanoch Barlevi,
UNICEF, 2 March 2004. [92] Email from
Matz Wennerstrom, IMSMA Advisor, UNDP, 17 August
2004. [93] Interview with Matthew
Todd, UNDP, 19 May 2003; email from Matthew Todd, UNDP, 18 February
2003. [94] “Summary of mine and
UXO incidents 2003,” UNDP IMSMA, 3 March 2004; Note from Tamil
Rehabilitation Organization, 3 April 2003.
[95] Presentation by Sri Lanka,
Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education, and Mine Action
Technologies, Geneva, 14 May
2003. [96] Email from Matz
Wennerstrom, UNDP, 17 August
2004. [97] Statement by Alex Van Roy,
Chief Technical Advisor, UNDP, ICBL/Landmine Monitor Researchers Meeting,
Colombo, 27 January 2003. [98] LM
analysis of casualty data sent by UNDP in 2003, together with statistics for
2003 and 2004. [99] Email from Matthew
Todd, UNDP, 18 February 2003; Presentation by Sri Lanka, Standing Committee on
Mine Clearance, 14 May 2003. [100]
Interview with Matthew Todd, UNDP, 3 April 2003.
[101] Presentation by Sri Lanka,
Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, 14 May
2003. [102] Email from Tim Horner,
Technical Advisor, UNDP (Jaffna), 23 March 2003; UNMAS, “Mission Report:
Sri Lanka,” 4-22 June 2001, p.
10. [103] Sri Lanka UN Mine Action
Support, “Information Bulletin,” 2nd edition, December 2003, p.
8. [104] ICRC Special Reports,
“Mine Action 2003,” Geneva, August 2004, p. 35; “Mine Action
2002,” July 2003, p. 33; “Mine Action 2001,” July 2002, p. 25;
“Mine Action 2000,” July 2001, p. 23; “Mine Action
1999,” August 2000, p. 28. “Annual Report 2002,” June 2003,
p. 172; ICRC Special Report, Mine Action 2001, ICRC, Geneva, July 2002, p.
25. [105] ICRC Physical Rehabilitation
Programs, “Annual Report 2003,” Geneva, 9 March 2004, pp. 14 and 26;
“Annual Report 2002,” Geneva, June 2003; “Annual Report
2001,” Geneva, 14 April 2002; “Annual Report 2000,” Geneva, 31
March 2001; “Annual Report 1999,” Geneva, 31 March 2000, p.
11. [106] Email from S.
Shanmuganathan, Jaipur Foot Center, Mannar, 23 April
2004. [107] Telephone interview with
Sashivarni Arumugam, Accountant, Center for Disability, Kundasale, 23 April
2004. [108] Fax from S. Arumugam,
Jaipur Foot Center, Kundasale, 22 March 2003; interview with N. Sivanandan,
Administrative Secretary, Jaipur Foot Center, Jaffna, 2 April 2003; email from
Rtn. S. Shanmuganathan, Jaipur Foot Center, Mannar, 2 April
2003. [109] Fax from Rupa Jayasekera,
Administrative Secretary, Colombo Friends-in-Need Society, 27 March
2002. [110] Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 752. [111] Hope for Children,
“Annual Report 2002/03,” available at www.hope-for-children.org
. [112] Telephone interview with
Chandru Pararajasingham, Program Coordinator, Tamil Rehabilitation Organization,
29 April 2004. [113] Presentation by
S.S. Pillai, Administrator, White Pigeon, during ICBL/Landmine Monitor
researchers’ visit, Killinochi, 30 January 2003; email from Tim Horner,
UNDP, 23 March 2003. [114] Telephone
interview with Jean-Luc Bories, UNICEF, 5 April 2002; telephone interview with
Jean-Luc Noverraz, ICRC Colombo, 5 April
2002. [115] Interview with S.S.
Pillai, Administrator of White Pigeon, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 31 March
2001. [116] Motivation,
“Motif,” Newsletter, Issue 20, Summer 2004; Patrick J Leahy War
Victims Fund, “2004 Portfolio Synopsis,” USAID, pp.
54-55. [117] Email from Melanie
Reimer, UNDP (Jaffna), 2 June 2003; telephone interview and email from Jean-Luc
Bories, UNICEF, 5 April 2002. [118]
Email from Tim Horner, UNDP, 23 March 2003.
[119] Email from Elmo Anandarajah,
DMAO, Jaffna, 21 April 2004. [120] Sri
Lanka UN Mine Action Support, “Information Bulletin,” 2nd edition,
December 2003, p. 8. [121] 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. [122] Sri
Lanka UN Mine Action Support, “Information Bulletin,” 2nd edition,
December 2003, p. 10. [123] Email from
Vigneswary Kanganathan, SA Coordinator, DMOA, Jaffna, 30 April 2004; email from
Melanie Reimer, UNDP, 2 June
2003. [124] Email from Tim Horner,
UNDP, 23 March 2003. [125] Email from
Elmo Anandarajah, DMAO, Jaffna, 21 April
2004. [126] Telephone interview with
N. Sivanathan, Administrative Secretary, Jaffna Jaipur Disability Rehabilitation
Center, 22 April 2004. [127] Telephone
interview with Chandru Pararajasingham, Program Coordinator, Tamil
Rehabilitation Organization, 29 April
2004. [128] Cyril Siriwardane,
“Review Paper-Sri Lanka,” presentation to the Regional Workshop
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