Key developments since May 2004: The Minister of Foreign Affairs
served as President of the Fifth Meeting of States Parties until the November
2004 Review Conference. The Master Plan on Humanitarian Mine Action of Thailand
for 2005-2009 was launched; this does not refer to the Article 5 deadline of 1
March 2009 for clearance of all mined areas. Less than one percent of
mine-contaminated area has been cleared after six years. In 2004, over two
square kilometers of land were cleared and area-reduced, with a further 500,000
square meters cleared in January-May 2005. The government contributed
US$965,000 to mine action within Thailand, and international donors provided a
similar amount. TMAC’s plans to create a fifth demining unit were
postponed due to lack of government funding. During the reporting period, more
than 120,000 people received mine risk education. In 2004, TMAC recorded fewer
mine casualties than in 2003. A national plan for mine victim assistance was
under development. At the First Review Conference, Thailand was identified as
one of 24 States Parties with the greatest needs and responsibility to provide
adequate survivor assistance.
Mine Ban Policy
The Kingdom of Thailand signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997,
ratified on 27 November 1998, and became a State Party on 1 May 1999. Thailand
has not enacted comprehensive domestic legislation to implement the Mine Ban
Treaty, and there has been no apparent progress toward adoption of any national
implementation measures.[1] Thailand
submitted its seventh annual Article 7 report on 25 April 2005, covering
calendar year 2004 and including voluntary Form
J.[2]
The Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Suwat Liptapanlop, led the
country’s delegation to the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty
in Nairobi in November-December 2004. In his statement during the high level
segment of the meeting, he noted, “While plans and priorities of
individual countries are necessary to address mine-related problems, close
partnership and shared experiences between States as well as with NGOs and
international organizations are essential parts of the solution. It is
imperative that mine action becomes a part of the regional agenda so that
countries can better help one another through cooperation. In this regard, each
and every country has a role to
play.”[3]
At the Review Conference, Thailand formally concluded its position as
President of the Fifth Meeting of States Parties, a role carried out by then
Minister of Foreign Affairs (now Deputy Prime Minister), Dr. Surakiart
Sathirathai. At the outset of the Review Conference, Dr. Sorajak Kasemsuvan,
the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, read a statement on behalf of Minister
Sathirathai that focused on the progress made during Thailand’s
Presidency, as well as the challenges ahead, and called for the establishment of
a global fund for humanitarian mine action as a means to enhance resource
mobilization.
The Minister’s statement said, “Looking back at the success so
far of the Convention, we owe it not only to the firm commitment and tireless
efforts of States Parties, but to many NGOs and volunteer organizations, most
importantly the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the
International Committee of the Red Cross, and the landmine survivors themselves
through the Landmine Survivor Network. However, a lot still remains to be done
to realise our shared goal of a mine-free world. Looking ahead, I wish to
emphasise the following priorities: Firstly, we must continue to uphold
multilateralism, under the framework of the United Nations, as the best way to
contribute to the further success of the Convention. Secondly, we must continue
to promote regional initiatives and encourage countries to make landmines an
important part of the regional agenda. Thirdly, we must ensure that the United
Nations, the World Bank, international financial institutions, and regional
organisations integrate mine action into their programmes. Fourthly, we must
ensure that sufficient resources are mobilised to assist the implementation of
the Convention, particularly in capacity building for the poorest mine-affected
States. Lastly, as the Convention is an exemplary model of partnership between
the State, NGOs and the international organizations, we must continue to
encourage enhanced interaction and cooperation between
them.”[4]
Thailand has said that during its Presidency, “We have spared no
efforts in the areas of universalization, victim assistance, resource
mobilization and other elements of the
Convention....”[5] In a
particularly notable initiative, Minister Sathirathai led a delegation of the
Resource Mobilization Task Force to meet with the President of the World Bank at
its Washington, DC headquarters on 20 September 2004 to discuss cooperation
between the World Bank and the mine action community. It was agreed that
antipersonnel mines are a developmental as well as humanitarian issue, with
significant socioeconomic implications. The World Bank expressed its readiness
to fund mine action projects with a sound developmental
basis.[6]
Thailand has continued to promote universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty.
Its Vice Minister and the Advisor of Foreign Affairs visited Bhutan, Bahrain,
Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Ukraine, Mongolia, Palau and Tonga
during Thailand’s presidency to encourage them to accede to the Mine Ban
Treaty and to participate in the First Review
Conference.[7] Thailand, along with
other States Parties, sent joint démarches regarding the treaty to
countries such as Singapore and
Vietnam.[8]
Thailand attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings held in June
2005, where it made interventions on the country’s problems, plans,
progress and priorities for mine action and victim assistance. The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs hosted a regional workshop on mine clearance and victim
assistance challenges from 30 August to 1 September
2004.[9]
Thailand has not engaged in the extensive discussions that States Parties
have had on matters of implementation and interpretation related to Articles 1,
2 and 3. Thus, Thailand has not made known its views on issues related to joint
military operations with non-States Parties, antivehicle mines with sensitive
fuzes or antihandling devices, and the permissible number of mines retained for
training.
The Thailand Campaign to Ban Landmines (TCBL), a coalition of 11 NGOs,
continued its advocacy of the antipersonnel mine ban and rights of landmine
survivors. Activities in 2004 included advising the Thailand Mine Action Center
(TMAC) on its national master plan on victim assistance. TCBL members, jointly
or singly, are engaged in programs which support and empower landmine survivors
in Thailand, and lobby the authorities to universalize the Mine Ban Treaty and
ensure full implementation within Thailand.
Production, Transfer and Use
Thailand states that it has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines,
including Claymore mines.[10] In
the past, it appears that Thailand imported antipersonnel mines from China,
Italy, the United States and former
Yugoslavia.[11]
On 6 April 2005, the National Chief of Police of Thailand was reported as
saying that police stations in the country’s southern provinces should
erect barriers and even “plant landmines around their perimeters to block
car bombs and insurgent attacks.” The remark received widespread media
coverage and generated many expressions of
concern.[12] The TMAC Director met
with the Police Chief, who claimed his comments were “threats as a
deterrent” and indicated there was no intention to approve use of
landmines; he added that the police did not possess any stocks of the weapon.
The Police Chief subsequently directed police stations to increase protection by
using “barriers, warning systems and other appropriate policies” and
not by planting mines. The Supreme Command Office of the Thai Armed Forces
assigned TMAC to send a letter to all security forces stressing Thailand’s
commitment to adhere to the prohibition against use of antipersonnel
mines.[13]
Stockpiling and Destruction
On 24 April 2003, Thailand completed the destruction of its stockpiled
antipersonnel mines. Thailand initially held 342,695 antipersonnel
mines.[14] From 1999 to 2003, a
total of 337,725 mines were
destroyed.[15]
Thailand kept a total of 4,970 antipersonnel mines for development and
training purposes, as permitted under Article 3 of the
treaty.[16] The number of retained
mines has remained the same since 2001, indicating that none have been consumed
(exploded) during training activities. Thailand has not yet reported in any
detail on the intended purposes and actual uses of its retained mines―a
step agreed to by States Parties in the Nairobi Action Plan that emerged from
the First Review Conference.
In November 1999, Thailand reported that it also had 6,117 M18 and M18A1
Claymore mines in stock.[17] TMAC
reiterated in 2005 that all units have been briefed that Claymore mines are to
be used only in command-detonated mode. However, no physical modifications have
been undertaken to ensure use in command-detonated
mode.[18]
During an amnesty for illegal weapons from 17 October to 15 December 2003,
individuals surrendered an unknown number of antipersonnel mines including M14s,
M26s and Claymores.[19] After the
amnesty period, more mines were found in canals, rivers, and even central
municipal areas of several
provinces.[20] No information
regarding these mines or their destruction appeared in Thailand’s May 2004
or April 2005 Article 7 reports.
Landmine and UXO Problem
Thailand is contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) as a result
of conflicts, including insurgency warfare, on all four of its
borders.[21] According to the
Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) conducted by Norwegian People’s Aid in
2000-2001, the total contaminated area covers approximately 2,556 square
kilometers in 27 provinces along the Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Malaysia borders.
A total of 531 communities in these provinces were reported to be affected.
Three-quarters of the contaminated land is in the border area with
Cambodia.[22] There is no evidence
that Thailand's mine/UXO problem has been reduced significantly since
2000-2001.
Many mine/UXO-affected areas remain unmarked. Generally, mined areas are
only marked in those areas where mine clearance activities are taking
place.[23] Mine incidents causing
casualties continued to be reported in 2004-2005. (See Landmine
Casualties section.)
Mine Action Program
The National Committee for Humanitarian Mine Action has responsibility for
matters of policy, coordination, and international aspects of mine action in
Thailand. It was set up by the Prime Minister in 2000, is chaired by the Prime
Minister and includes representatives of all major ministries and
departments.[24]
The Thailand Mine Action Center is responsible for implementation of mine
action plans. TMAC has been a military agency since it was established in 1999,
reporting to the Supreme Command Headquarters of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
In 2005, a proposal that TMAC become a civilian agency was discussed in detail;
change in TMAC status had not been announced as of September 2005.
The Director General of TMAC considered that its transformation into a
civilian agency would ensure a humanitarian approach to mine action, compliance
with the treaty obligations, allow planning of mine action in support of
socioeconomic development, and allow the development of TMAC as a regional mine
action center.[25]
Mine action is carried out by four Humanitarian Mine Action Units, which
report to TMAC but are under the direct supervision of several Army and Navy
Task Forces, whose mandate is not exclusively mine action. This structure has
hampered mine action productivity, and prompted TMAC to propose that it become a
civilian agency. TMAC reports that it lacks skilled personnel, with many
positions remaining vacant and inadequate training both for mine action
operations and use of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA)
database. It has had to rely on headquarters staff assigned on a short-term
basis only. The four mine action units which carry out demining are not
directly under its command; some are employed on a short-term basis. TMAC plans
to establish a fifth mine action unit in 2004 were postponed, due to lack of
government funding.[26]
The Master Plan on Humanitarian Mine Action of Thailand No. 2, covering the
period 2005-2009, was launched early in 2005. This stressed the integration of
the National Mine Action Plan into the National Socioeconomic Development Plan
and local plans. The master plan also places greater attention than its
predecessor on the provision of victim
assistance.[27]
TMAC’s policy priorities consist of area reduction through technical
survey accompanying mine clearance on the basis of a given area’s
relevance to civilian use and public utility. Priorities are: areas for village
farming and cultivation; public areas such as temples and schools; government
projects, economically strategic areas and border crossings with neighboring
countries.[28]
TMAC’s headquarters are in Bangkok; it also has a training center for
deminers in Ratchaburi province, a training center for mine risk education in
Lopburi province, and a training center for detection dogs in Nakhorn Ratchasima
province. TMAC provides training for civilian deminers on the condition that
they are nominated by a demining organization with clearly stated objectives.
In 2004, it provided training for Japan Alliance for Humanitarian Demining
Support (JAHDS) national staff.[29]
TMAC staff numbers decreased slightly in 2004, to 445. Its mine detection
dogs were increased from 26 to 32 in
2004.[30] The United States
field-tested mine clearance machines in Thailand in 2004 and early 2005; the
machines were not donated to
Thailand.[31]
In addition to the mine action units, TMAC supported two other mine clearance
projects in 2004. One was at Mor Ee Daeng Cliff around Kao Phra Vihan Sanctuary
Area in Si Sa Ket province, where the units worked in collaboration with JAHDS
and the Mekong Organization for Mankind. The second project was in Ban Non
Sang, Aranyaprathet District in Sa Keao province, undertaken by the General
Chatichai Choonhavan Foundation
(GCCF).[32]
Survey and Assessment
The Landmine Impact Survey conducted in 2000-2001 is the basis for all mine
action operations in Thailand, and is cited in the new plan for 2005-2009. In
order to reduce the number of mine-affected areas, TMAC intends to conduct a
“level two impact survey.” The aim is to verify which areas are
mine/UXO contaminated and to perimeter-mark affected areas, allowing effective
planning of demining operations and use of demining capacity. A pilot project
to survey 96,000 square meters was launched in Sa Keao in June
2005.[33]
Mine and UXO Clearance
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Thailand must destroy all
antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as
possible, but not later than 1 May 2009.
Thailand has cleared less than one percent of the total contaminated area in
the six years since it became a State Party; on this basis, the government may
not meet its clearance
obligation.[34] Thailand's
strategic plan 2005-2009 does not clarify this issue. The Director General of
TMAC, Major-General Tumrongsak Deemongkol, refers to organizational constraints
and inadequate funding as factors which may hamper Thailand's fulfillment of its
Article 5 obligations.[35] However,
in a presentation to the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in June
2005, Thailand stated that it was “determined to fulfill its obligations
despite limited resources and
manpower.”[36] On 22 June
2005, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that Thailand would honor its Article 5
obligation.[37]
In 2004, a total of 2,011,210 square meters was cleared by the four mine
action units and by JAHDS, according to
TMAC.[38] However, the Article 7
report for 2004 states the total area cleared to be 2,418,691 square meters,
which TMAC explained as a
miscalculation.[39] During clearance
in 2004, TMAC destroyed 243 antipersonnel mines, eight antivehicle mines and 86
UXO.[40]
In 2003, a much smaller area (718,910 square meters) was reported cleared.
However, according to TMAC, comparison with 2003 may be misleading as many areas
were cleared but not verified and therefore not included in the 2003 results
reported. TMAC’s acceleration in verification and handing over of cleared
land in 2004 also accounts for a significant amount of the increase in total
area cleared, as do increased amounts of area
reduction.[41] TMAC handed over a
total area of 2,298,457 square meters to authorities in 2004 and an additional
143,103 square meters between January and March
2005.[42]
In January-May 2005, an additional 522,568 square meters were reported as
cleared.[43] In the first quarter
of 2005, TMAC found and destroyed 31 antipersonnel mines and 13
UXO.[44]
The first phase of demining operations by JAHDS at the Mor Ee Daeng Cliff in
August 2004-July 2005 cleared 318,202 square meters. The operation was able to
continue into 2005 as Japan for the second time granted financial support to
JAHDS in July 2004.[45] JAHDS also
conducted survey in preparation for the second phase of operations in
2005.[46] According to the Kao Phra
Vihan National Park and the Si Sa Ket provincial plan, JAHDS’s working
site at the Mor Ee Daeng Cliff is intended for the development of camping and
trekking tourism. With the support of three mine detecting dogs, two Hitachi
Brush Cutters and four Bozena machines, demining operations at Mor Ee Daeng
Cliff were carried out jointly by 24 JAHDS deminers and 15 officers from the
third mine action unit. The target for clearance in 2005 is 357,755 square
meters.[47]
GCCF did not conduct demining operations in 2004. From February to May 2005
it cleared 48,926 square meters in Ban Non Sang and Sa Kaeo. These figures are
not included in TMAC reporting for 2005 at present. The Sa Kaeo area has seen a
recent influx of Thai villagers and new cross-border trade is taking
place.[48]
No demining accidents were reported in Thailand in
2004.[49]
Mine Risk Education
In 2004 and in the first three months of 2005, the four mine action units and
three NGOs―Handicap International-Thailand (HI-Thailand), Catholic Office
for Emergency Relief and Refugees (COERR) and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
(ADPC)―conducted mine risk education (MRE), which reached a total of
123,485 people. This included 108,574 people reached by the
units;[50] 13,078 by
HI-Thailand’s Disability and Development and Burmese Border
Programmes;[51] 1,533 by
COERR;[52] 300 by
ADPC.[53]
The humanitarian mine action units' mobile MRE teams reach out to people in
communities through community leaders where they organize group training
sessions and then place warning signs jointly with the trainees. The teams
visit each community for seven days and other topics for training, such as
producing organic fertilizers to substitute for chemical fertilizers, may be
included.[54]
In April 2005, HI-Thailand completed a one-year MRE project in the Si Sa Ket
and Ubonratchathani provinces with support from UNICEF. HI trained teachers
from 31 schools in eight districts in the two provinces. Risk education on mine
danger was given to students in grades 4-6 by the mobile MRE team. An MRE local
curriculum was developed and integrated into schools near the border areas. The
project will benefit 31 school directors, 35 trained teachers and supervisors,
3,512 students and other villagers reached by the mobile MRE team. Around 3,500
more people were exposed to public MRE
campaigns.[55]
Teachers became the informal leaders of the community liaison team as they
were able to link MRE in student groups to mine awareness for parent groups and
other villagers, including groups of landmine survivors. As a result, the
community network in mine action in mine-affected communities of Si Sa Ket and
Ubonratchathani is expanding.[56]
HI-Thailand also conducted MRE and trained more than 6,000 people in refugee
camps in the Tak, Mae Hong Son, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces bordering
Burma, with support from UNHCR and
ECHO.[57]
In 2004, with funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, COERR implemented
an MRE program to train 35 teachers and 1,498 primary school students in 13
schools in Ta Praya, Aranyaprathet and Koksoong Branch district in Sa Kaeo
province. It also facilitates community liaison for mine action by inviting and
including the mine action units, landmine survivors, teachers and community
leaders to participate in their
activities.[58]
In 2004, ADPC conducted a program, Mine Risk Education Program for School
Teachers in Mine-Impacted Communities along the Thai-Myanmar Border, for 300
participants, including schoolteachers, school directors and supervisors in Mae
Hong Son and Chiang Mai
provinces.[59]
Funding and Assistance
International donors reported contributing funding totaling $964,945 to mine
action in Thailand in 2004, which is a decrease from $1.2 million reported in
2003.[60] International donors in
2004 included:
European Commission: €250,000 ($310,950) for MRE and victim assistance
for refugees on the Thai-Burma
border;[61]
Japan: ¥70,200,000 ($649,099), consisting of ¥67 million
($619,510) for mine clearance and ¥3,200,000 ($29,589) to GCCF for
MRE;[62]
Norway: NOK33,000 ($4,896) to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a
mine
conference.[63]
TMAC reported that it received no direct funding from international donors in
2004.[64] In the Thai fiscal year
2005 (1 October 2004-30 September 2005), TMAC received Baht 38.3 million
(US$957,500) from the government, in addition to seconded
staff.[65] Approximately Baht 30
million (US$750,000) of TMAC’s budget was allocated to mine clearance,
with only small amounts for victim assistance and MRE. TMAC dealt with victim
assistance and MRE indirectly by coordinating other agencies providing victim
assistance and by integrating other agencies' MRE staff into operational
demining teams.[66]
Landmine Casualties
In 2004, TMAC’s four Humanitarian Mine Action Units (HMAUs) recorded 24
new mine casualties; three people were killed and 21
injured.[67] This represents a
decrease from 29 new mine casualties recorded by TMAC in
2003.[68] Landmine Monitor also
identified casualties from outside the HMAU operational areas. In June, in
Narathiwat province near the Malaysian border, two landmines injured four
policemen providing security for teachers during the civil unrest in the
province.[69] In 2004, 10 amputees
from the border area of northeastern Thailand, including three Cambodians, and
five amputees from the southern part of Thailand were transferred to the
Phramongkutklao Hospital in
Bangkok.[70] Although not
confirmed, they are likely to be landmine survivors.
The TMAC database does not include all landmine casualties in Thailand. TMAC
continues to develop a nationwide data collection mechanism; however, casualty
information continues to be derived from HMAUs which cover only 16 provinces
located mainly on the Thai-Cambodian border, with some information also obtained
from the Ministry of Public
Health.[71] It is estimated that
there are about 100 new mine casualties a year in
Thailand.[72]
Casualties continued to be reported in 2005. HMAU 3 reported one person
killed in January, and HMAU 2 and 3 each reported one person injured in February
2005.[73] Other reported casualties
include incidents on 20 March and 16 April, when one villager lost both legs and
one villager lost one leg in landmine explosions. Both had gone into the forest
to collect vegetables.[74] In a
separate incident on 16 April, two teenage boys and a former soldier were killed
by an M79 landmine while tampering with the device in Sadao, Songkhla
province.[75] On 19 April, a
13-year-old boy lost an arm and leg after he picked up an M79 landmine at a
military camp near the Thai-Cambodia border in Chanthaburi province while
looking for food in the forest.[76]
On 9 May in Sa Kaeo, a man lost a leg and the sight in one eye in a landmine
incident; he received assistance from other villagers and border patrol police.
On 14 May in Mae Hong Son a villager lost their leg in a mine explosion; ICRC
covered the cost of medical
assistance.[77]
The most comprehensive data collection on casualty remains that of the
nationwide Landmine Impact Survey, which ended in May 2001. The survey recorded
a total of 3,468 mine/UXO casualties, of which 1,497 people were killed and
1,971 injured.[78]
Survivor Assistance
At the First Review Conference, Thailand was identified as one of 24 States
Parties with significant numbers of mine survivors, and with “the greatest
responsibility to act, but also the greatest needs and expectations for
assistance” in providing adequate services for the care, rehabilitation
and reintegration of survivors.[79]
As part of its commitment to the Nairobi Action Plan, Thailand has outlined
some of its objectives for the period 2005-2009 to address the needs of mine
survivors which include: increasing the registration rate of persons with
disabilities by 80 percent, and including information on the cause of
disability; organizing a training workshop for emergency and medical care;
training survivors and their families in “self-help” for physical
therapy; building up the sustainable development of physical and psychosocial
rehabilitation services with an emphasis on community participation; extending
vocational training and income generation opportunities in the mine-affected
areas, including through a fund to promote self-employment; developing and
improving effective legislation to protect the rights of mine survivors and
other persons with disabilities; stimulating the public and private sector to
implement laws that promote the capacities of persons with disabilities; setting
up action plans in coordination with local authorities; improving coordination
mechanisms between all relevant actors; developing better quality of life and
care for landmine survivors.[80]
Thailand submitted the voluntary Form J with its annual Article 7 report,
with information on its regional workshop on challenges in mine clearance and
victim assistance.[81]
TMAC includes victim assistance in its mine action program and has taken on
the role of coordinator for activities of government agencies and NGOs; however,
it does not include provisions for victim assistance in its budget allocations.
Progress is being made on the development of a master plan on mine victim
assistance. Victim assistance was discussed at the two seminars held in
August-September 2004 and March 2005. In May 2005, TMAC hosted another meeting
of representatives from government agencies and NGOs to develop the details of a
plan of action. The aim is to integrate victim assistance into the National
Socioeconomic Development Plan (2007-2011). TCBL, in collaboration with other
NGOs is drafting a strategy to present to TMAC. Mine survivors participated in
all meetings.[82] In 2004, TMAC
provided 37 wheelchairs for mine survivors in the Thai-Cambodian border
provinces.[83]
Generally, medical assistance available to landmine survivors is adequate;
however, most incidents involve poor marginalized farming families who
experience difficulties coping with the costs of care and rehabilitation.
Medical and rehabilitation services in Thailand are available through the
national health insurance
scheme.[84]
The Sirindhorn National Medical Rehabilitation Center is the main
coordinating organization for the care of people with disabilities. In 2004,
the center distributed 4,543 prostheses, 4,389 wheelchairs and 642 crutches; the
number of mine survivors benefiting is not
known.[85]
The Prosthetic Foundation, under the royal patronage of the late Princess
Mother Sri Nagarindhra, continues to provide mobile prosthetic services in
remote areas. In 2004, 1,800 prostheses were provided to 1,500 beneficiaries;
about 25 percent are mine
survivors.[86]
In 2004, the Foundation of Artificial Limbs (Mahavajiralongkorn) at
Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok distributed 954 prostheses, 300 crutches and
100 wheelchairs to persons with disabilities in
Thailand.[87]
Handicap International-Thailand operates community-based rehabilitation and
prosthetic programs and orthopedic workshops to assist all persons with
disabilities, including landmine survivors. In December 2004, HI started a new
program, Development on Quality of Life of Children with Disabilities and
Landmine Survivors at Border Areas in Si Sa Ket and Ubonratchathani, using the
community-based rehabilitation approach, including through the setting up of
prosthetic workshops and training technicians, vocational training, support of
self-help groups, and promoting the rights of people with disabilities. The
project will end in December 2005 and is funded by the government for Baht
2,496,000 ($63,900).[88]
In 2004, the Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities (APPDI)
undertook a public collection of ring-tops from aluminum cans, which were
recycled by the Prosthetic Foundation in Chiang Mai to produce 1,000 prostheses.
APPDI also supported 10 children of people with disabilities, including two
children of landmine survivors, by providing scholarships of Baht 1,000 per year
(US$26).[89]
In September 2004, the General Chatichai Choonhawan Foundation, with partial
support from Canada and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, started the Health
Care and Rehabilitation Program for Landmine Victims. Two prosthetic centers
were set up in Tha Kham sub-district of Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province
and in Ubonratchathani province. Five landmine survivors from each province
were trained and received technical support from the Prosthetic Foundation to
produce and maintain prostheses in their areas. The centers aim to serve not
only Thai mine survivors but also Cambodian survivors living along the
border.[90]
The Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees supports the children
of landmine survivors in Sa Kaeo province through the provision of school and
sports uniforms, equipment, stationery and other supplies. In 2004, 146
children were assisted. COERR also provided two wheelchairs for mine
survivors.[91]
In 2004, the Thai Soroptimist International chapter of Dusit, a women’s
service organization, provided eight daughters of landmine survivors in Surin
and Sa Kaeo provinces with a grant of Baht 24,000 ($615) for their primary and
secondary school education.[92]
On 28 July 2004, the International Symposium on Landmine Injuries and
Rehabilitation was held via videoconference between the Phramongkutklao Hospital
in Bangkok, and the Tripler Army Medical Center and Shriners Hospital for
Children in Honolulu. The project was funded by the Freeman Foundation, with
support from the Joint US Military Advisory Group Thailand (JUSMAGTHAI).
JUSMAGTHAI also assisted in the Prosthetics Field Seminar in Pua village, in Nan
Province, from 7-15 October 2004. Two US Army prosthetic/orthopedic surgeons
from the Tripler Army Medical Center accompanied doctors from the Prosthetic
Foundation to provide new prostheses for about 300 amputees in the remote Pua
village.[93] From 25-29 October
2004, a seven-man team of Washington National Guard advanced trauma experts
(doctors and medics) exchanged expertise with 20 Royal Thai Army doctors and
medics, and Thai NGO trainers, in Aranyaprathet in the mine-affected Sa Kaeo
province, to improve first response treatment for mine
casualties.[94]
Landmine survivors from Burma seeking assistance in Thailand receive medical
care at hospitals in refugee camps and public district hospitals in the
Thai-Burma border provinces, including Tak, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Mae
Sariang, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi. The Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) in Mae Sot,
Médecins Sans Frontières, International Committee of the Red
Cross, International Rescue Committee, American Refugee Committee, Aide Medicale
International and Malteser Germany, all provide emergency medical referral in
Thailand to war injury survivors who arrive across the border. Prosthetics and
rehabilitation are also available at the MTC prosthetic department, and within
refugee camps at prosthetics workshops run by HI.
In 2004, MTC assisted 16 people with landmine injuries; all but two were
referred onward to the government hospital in Mae Sot. From January to April
2005, five new landmine survivors arrived; four were referred to the Mae Sot
hospital. MTC’s prosthetic department provided prostheses for 205 people,
including 181 mine survivors, in 2004. MTC also runs a training program for
prosthetic technicians from ethnic minority health and welfare departments. In
early 2005, six people were undergoing training in prosthetics production. Two
trainees were mine survivors from the Karenni Peoples National Liberation Front
(KPNLF), two were from the Karen National Union (KNU), one from the Burmese
Health and Welfare Department, and one from the Karen Handicap Welfare
Association. Another person from KPNLF was being trained in the administration
of a prosthetics program. The prosthetics department receives support from
Clear Path International.[95]
ICRC supported 49 landmine survivors from Myanmar for hospital care in
Thailand in 2004.[96] Srisangwal
Hospital, in Mae Hong Son, assisted eight mine casualties between December 2004
and April 2005; all were either Karenni or
Burmese.[97]
HI’s Burmese Border Programme reports that between January 2004 and
February 2005, 53 new mine casualties from Myanmar crossed the border and sought
medical services in either refugee camps or hospitals in Thailand. In 2004,
HI’s program assisted about 3,000 displaced persons through rehabilitation
activities, including 858 landmine survivors, produced and fitted 227 prostheses
and 77 other assistive devices, and distributed 37 crutches and 19
wheelchairs.[98]
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) played a coordinating role to support the
participation of landmines survivors in all landmine-related meetings in
Thailand in 2004 and 2005, and the First Review Conference in Nairobi. In 2004,
JRS supported TCBL with a full-time landmine survivor officer and a full-time
assistant to the TCBL
coordinator.[99]
Two Thai landmine survivors participated in the Survivors Summit and First
Review Conference in Nairobi in November-December 2004.
Disability Policy and Practice
Thailand has legislation and policies to protect the rights of persons with
disabilities. Three ministries are assigned to promote the interests of persons
with disabilities: Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS),
Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health. MSDHS has direct
responsibility for disability issues through the Office of Empowerment for
Persons with
Disabilities.[100]
In 2004, MSDHS launched a community-based rehabilitation pilot program, for
the period 2004-2006, in five provinces to address the needs of people with
disabilities in rural areas.[101]
The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand also plays a role in
survivor assistance by receiving complaints on human rights violations in
relation to landmines and Thailand compliance to the Mine Ban
Treaty.[102]
Organizations of persons with disabilities are active in Thailand, raising
awareness on their rights and needs, and lobbying the government for action. On
14 November 2004, the Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities, with
support from TCBL and other disability organizations, organized the 10th Bangkok
City Handi-Marathon; more than 600 people, including 200 people with
disabilities, participated. On 25 April 2005, the president of APPDI met with
the Minister of Social Development and Human Security and presented a policy
paper which demanded that the government allocate no less than one percent of
the budget to issues related to people with
disabilities.[103]
[1] Last year, Landmine Monitor
reported that Thailand had prepared “The Office of the Prime Minister
Regulations Governing the Implementation of the Convention” and that this
document would be used to amend existing regulations to implement the ban
treaty. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hoped to have the amendments ready by
the time of the Review Conference, but this did not occur and as of August 2005
no concrete steps had been taken. Article 7 Report, Form A, 3 May 2004;
interview with Sarun Charoensuwan, Director of Peace, Security and Disarmament
Division, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Bangkok, 18 February 2004; telephone interview with Col. Teera
Saipradist, Deputy Director of Thailand Mine Action Center, 7 September 2004;
telephone interview with Nichamon Agrasuta, Third Secretary, Department of
International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 22 August 2005.
[2] The six other Article 7 reports
were submitted on: 3 May 2004; 22 July 2003; 30 April 2002; 17 April 2001; 2 May
2000; 10 November 1999.
[3] Statement by Suwat Liptapanlop,
Deputy Prime Minister, High Level Segment of the Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free
World (First Review Conference), Nairobi, 3 December 2004.
[4] Statement by Dr. Surakiart
Sathirathai, Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Sorajak
Kasemsuvan, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Opening Ceremony of the
First Review Conference, Nairobi, 29 November 2004.
[5] Statement by Suwat Liptapanlop,
Deputy Prime Minister, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 3 December 2004.
[6] Interview with Komgrit
Varakamin, Director of Peace, Security and Disarmament Division, Department of
International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangkok, 28 April
2005; interview with Witchu Vejjajiva, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of
Thailand to the UN in Geneva, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geneva, 14 June 2005.
[7] Interview with Kittiphong na
Ranong, Director-General, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Geneva, 16 June 2005. The countries were selected based on
their potential to join the Mine Ban Treaty and their relationship with
Thailand. Five of these countries attended the Review Conference (Bahrain,
Morocco, Bhutan, Ukraine and Mongolia)
[8] Interview with Kittiphong na
Ranong, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geneva, 16 June 2005.
[9] Article 7 Report, Form J, 25
April 2005; interview with Komgrit Varakamin, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Bangkok, 28 April 2005.
[10] Interview with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, Director General, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 April 2005. A number
of sources have identified Thailand as a past producer. For details, see
Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 376.
[11] This list is based on the
types of mines in stock that Thailand later destroyed.
[12] “NSC puts country on
‘red alert’; Landmines to protect police in remote South,”
Bangkok Post, 6 April 2005; “Four killed in southern unrest as
Thailand tightens security,” Agence France-Presse (Pattani), 6
April 2005; “Thailand must restrain military to defuse crisis,”
South China Morning Post, 9 April 2005.
[13] Letters to the National
Reconciliation Commission, Army, Navy, and Air Force were sent on 20 April 2005
and the letters to the Ministry of Interior and the Police were sent on 29 April
2005. Interview with Maj. Gen. Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 April
2005. Copies of the letters were provided to the TCBL and others.
[14] Types of antipersonnel mines
in stockpile included M2, M2A4B2, M4, M14, M16, M16A1, M26, Type 66, Type 69,
Type 72, PAM2, VAR 40, VS50 and PMN. Article 7 Report, Form B, 17 April 2001.
[15] See Landmine Monitor
2004, pp. 803-804.
[16] Interview with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 April 2005.
[17] Article 7 Report, Form B, 10
November 1999. Other than this first report, Thailand has not included
information in its Article 7 reports on stockpiled Claymore mines.
[18] Interview with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, Director General, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 April 2005. Use of
Claymore mines with a tripwire is illegal under the Mine Ban Treaty.
[19] Mines were collected in at
least four provinces (Khon Kaen, Yasothon, Trang and Ranong). “Summary
results of handed in weapons and explosives between 17 October-15
December,” Matichon, 17 December 2003, p. 13; “Several types
of explosives found discarded in front of Khon Kaen Muang district hall,”
Manager (online news source, manager.co.th), 23 November 2003;
“Explosive confiscated in Trang,” Government Public Relations
Department official website (prd.go.th), 27 November 2003; “Yasothorn
police found M-26 explosive hidden in traveling bag,” Manager, 30
November 2003; “Illegal weapon surrendered to Ranong officials as deadline
draws near,” Government Public Relations Department, 11 December 2003 (in
Thai language).
[20] “Numerous explosives
and war weapons found in Khorat provincial center,” Manager, 19
December 2003; “Weapons and explosives found in Udonthani,” Thai
government website, 19 December 2003; “M26 explosive found at Chao Phraya
river bank in Samut Prakarn,” Manager, 2 February 2004.
[21] “Country profile:
Thailand,” www.mineaction.org.
[22] “Landmine Impact
Survey: Kingdom of Thailand,” Survey Action Center, 2002, p. 17;
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 804-805.
[23] Telephone interview with
Maj. Gen. Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 29 April 2005.
[24] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 806; TMAC website, www.tmac.go.th.
[25]Interview with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 15 July 2005. Interest in
developing TMAC as a regional mine action center was reiterated by Kittiphong na
Ranong, Director-General, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Geneva, 16 June 2005.
[26] Interview with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 April 2005, and telephone interview 29
April 2005. Three of the mine action units have 99 staff; the fourth has
56.
[27] “The Master Plan on
Humanitarian Mine Action of Thailand, No. 2, 2005-2009,” TMAC, Bangkok,
2005.
[28]Interviews with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 April and 15 July 2005.
[29] Telephone interview with
Senior Col. M.L. Ladawan Kamalasana, Chief of Special Affairs Division, TMAC, 30
May 2005.
[30] Fax from TMAC, Bangkok, 29
April 2005.
[31] Interviews with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 and 29 April 2005; TMAC, “Monthly
Events Report,” April 2004; email from Lt. Col. Scott Elder, JUSMAGTHAI, 2
May 2005.
[32] Telephone interview with
Maj. Gen. Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, 29 April 2005.
[33] Interviews with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 and 29 April and 15 July 2005; Pilot
Project: Technical & Level II Impact Survey, Sa Keao Province, www.tmac.go.th. The “level two impact
survey” may refer to technical survey/area reduction.
[34] The LIS identified 2,556
square kilometers of mine contamination. To the end of 2003, 1.16 square
kilometers had been cleared; in 2004, a further two square kilometers were
cleared. [35] Interview with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 April 2005.
[36]Maj. Gen. Tumrongsak
Deemongkol, TMAC, Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the
Convention, Geneva, 14 June 2005.[37] Interview with Police
General Chitchai Wannasathit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior,
Bangkok, 22 June 2005.
[38] Interview with Col.
Narongrit Suwanbubpha, Acting Chief of Operation Coordination Division, TMAC,
Bangkok, 15 July 2005.
[39] Article 7 Report, Form C, 25
April 2005; interview with Maj. Gen. Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 15
July 2005.
[40] Article 7 Report, Form G, 25
April 2005.
[41] Interviews with Sr. Col.
M.L. Ladawan Kamalasana, Chief of Special Affairs Division, TMAC, Bangkok, 16
May and 29 May 2005; telephone interview with Maj. Gen. Tumrongsak Deemongkol,
Director General, TMAC, Bangkok, 29 April 2005. TMAC clearance data includes
area reduction.
[42] Monthly Reports, TMAC,
January 2004-March 2005; Article 7 Report, Form C, 30 April 2005.
[43]Interview with Col.
Narongrit Suwanbubpha, TMAC, Bangkok, 15 July 2005.
[44] TMAC, “Monthly
Reports, January-March 2005,” www.tmac.go.th.
[45] Telephone interview with
Maj. Gen. Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 29 April 2005; “The
Government of Japan Provides Grant Assistance for Landmine Clearance
Project,” embjp-th.org/en/jics/press/0440.htm, accessed on 30 April
2005.
[46] Telephone interview with
Paitoon Butthasen, Manual Demining Supervisor, JAHDS, 29 May 2005.
[47] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Nattabhong Padphraphorom, Assistant Manager, JAHDS, Bangkok,
29 April 2005.
[48] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Suthikiet Sopanik, Director, GCCF, Bangkok, 20 May 2005.
[49] Telephone interview with
Maj. Gen. Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 2 August 2005.
[50] Interview with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 April 2005.
[51] Information provided by
Prapanrat Kochasena, Project Coordinator of HI-Thailand for Mine Risk Education
in Si Sa Ket and Ubonratchathani, Bangkok, 29 April 2005.
[52] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by COERR, Bangkok, 27 April 2005.
[53] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Panniya Binsri and Sirikarn Kahattha, Project Officers, ADPC,
25 April 2005.
[54] Telephone interview with
Maj. Somchai Koukool, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, Suranaree Task
Force, 29 April 2005.
[55] Information provided by
Prapanrat Kochasena, Project Coordinator of HI-Thailand for Mine Risk Education
in Si Sa Ket and Ubonratchathani, Bangkok, 29 April 2005.
[56] Information provided by
Wasita Kitpreecha, Assistant Project Coordinator for Mine Risk Education in
Srisaket and Ubonratchathani, HI-Thailand, 29 April 2005.
[57] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Timo Koster, Program Manager for the Burmese Border Program,
Mae Sot district, Tak province, HI-Thailand, 20 April 2005. UNHCR is the UN
High Commissioner for Refugees. ECHO is the European Community Humanitarian
Office.
[58] Telephone interview with
Charatkorn Mankatitham, Operations Manager, COERR, Bangkok, 29 April 2005;
response to Landmine Monitor Questionnaire by COERR, Bangkok, 27 April 2005.
[59] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Panniya Binsri and Sirikarn Kahattha, Project Officers, ADPC,
25 April 2005.
[60]Landmine Monitor Report
2004, p. 809.
[61] EC, “Contribution to
the Landmine Monitor 2005,” by email from Nicola Marcel, RELEX Unit 3a
Security Policy, EC, 19 July 2005
[62] Email from Kitagawa Yasu,
Japanese International Campaign to Ban Landmines (JCBL), 10 August 2005, with
translation of Ministry of Foreign Affairs information sent to JCBL on 11 May
2005. Average exchange rate for 2004: ¥108.15 = US$1. US Federal Reserve,
“List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2005.
[63] Article 7 Report, Form J, 28
April 2005; emails from May-Elin Stener, Department for Global Affairs, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, April-May 2005. Average exchange rate for 2004: US$1 =
NOK6.7399. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3
January 2005.
[64] Interviews with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 and 29 April 2005; “Multi-year
Activity Reports on Coordination, Integrated Mine Action, Mine Clearance, and
Victim Assistance,” UNMAS Mine Action Investments database.
[65] Interview with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 April 2005. The average 2003 exchange
rate is used here (US$1=BAHT41.564). US Federal Reserve, “List of
Exchange Rates (annual),” 5 January 2004.
[66] Interviews with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 and 29 April 2005; telephone interview
with Maj. Somchai Keukoon, HMAU 3, 29 April 2005.
[67] Fax from TMAC, Bangkok, 29
April 2005; TMAC, “Summary of Humanitarian Mine Action in Thailand of Year
2004,” www.tmac.go.th/mineclearance/clearance2004.htm, accessed 14 August 2005.
[68] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 811.
[69] “Violence in the
South,” Bangkok Post, 25 June 2004.
[70] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Col. Dr. Fusathe Jongfuangprinya, MD, Deputy Director,
Department of Orthopedics, Phramongkutklao Hospital, Bangkok, 25 April 2005.
[71] Telephone interview with
Maj. Gen. Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, 29 April 2005.
[72] Thailand presentation,
Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration,
Geneva, 16 June 2005.
[73] “Report of
Humanitarian Mine Action in Thailand of January 2005”; “Report of
Humanitarian Mine Action in Thailand of February 2005,” (Thai language
versions),www.tmac.go.th, accessed 28 April
2005; fax from TMAC, Bangkok, 29 April 2005.
[74] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Charatkorn Mankatitham, Operation Manager, Kreumas
Polpratheep, Assistant Operation Manager, and Suthipong Yamsa-Nga,
Aranyaphrathet Coordinator, Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees,
27 April 2005.
[75] “Three Killed in
Grenade Accident: M79 found at Police Training Complex,” Bangkok
Post, 17 April 2005, p. 3.
[76] “Explosion Causes Loss
of Limbs of a 13-Year-Old Boy,” www.komchadluek.net, accessed 19 April
2005.
[77] Email from Sermsiri
Ingavanija, Assistant Coordinator, TCBL, JRS Asia Pacific, Bangkok, 30 May
2005.
[78] For more details see
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 811-812.
[79] United Nations, Final
Report, First Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel
Mines and on Their Destruction, Nairobi, 29 November - 3 December 2004,
APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 33.
[80] Response by Thailand to the
Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic
Reintegration questionnaire, 28 September 2005.
[81] Article 7 Report, Form J, 25
April 2005.
[82] Interview with Maj. Gen.
Tumrongsak Deemongkol, TMAC, Bangkok, 19 April 2005; letter from TMAC,
Reference. No. Gor Hor 0320.20/219, 22 April 2005; TMAC, “Master Plan on
Humanitarian Mine Action of Thailand, No. 2 2005-2009,” Bangkok, 2005;
interview with Komgrit Varakamin, Director, Peace, Security and Disarmament
Division, Department of Foreign Affairs, Bangkok, 28 April 2005; interview with
Emilie Ketudat, Coordinator, TCBL, Bangkok, 26 April 2005.
[83] TMAC, “Summary of
Humanitarian Mine Action in Thailand of Year 2004,” www.tmac.go.th/mineclearance/clearance2004.htm, accessed 14 August 2005.
[84] For more information see
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 812.
[85] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Kanchana Boonkasem, Sirindhorn National Medical
Rehabilitation Center, 27 April 2005; see also Landmine Monitor Report
2004, p. 816.
[86] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Prof. Terdchai Chivakate, Secretary-General, Prosthetic
Foundation, Chiang Mai province, 22 April 2005; information provided by Dr.
Direk Essarangkul Na Ayutthaya, Board Committee, Prosthetic Foundation, to
Medical Demining Issues Video Conference Preparation, Phramongkutklao Hospital,
5 May 2004; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 813.
[87] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Col. Dr. Fusathe Jongfuangprinya, Deputy Director,
Department of Orthopedics, Phramongkutklao Hospital, Bangkok, 25 April 2005; see
also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 814.
[88] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Nipatta Quamman, Assistant Project Coordinator, Disability
and Development Program, HI-Thailand, Bangkok, 27 April 2005; see also
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 814.
[89] Interview with Maj. Sirichai
Sapsiri, President, APPD, 2 May 2005; APPD, Newsletter, January-December
2004.
[90] Letter from the General
Chatichai Choonhawan Foundation, No. 48/07, 7 March 2005; “Artificial
Limbs Center Opened in Sa Kaeo,” www.manager.co.th, accessed 10 April
2005.
[91] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Charatkorn Mankatitham, Operations Manager, Kreumas
Polpratheep, Assistant Operation Manager, and Suthipong Yamsa-Nga,
Aranyaphrathet Coordinator, COERR, 27 April 2005.
[92] Sermsiri Ingkawanich,
“Report on Activities of JRS Ban Landmine Project,” JRS, Bangkok, 28
April 2005.
[93] Pramongkutklao Hospital,
“International Symposium on Landmine Injuries and Rehabilitation”,
Bangkok, 27 July 2004; email from Maj. Scott Elder, JUSMAGTHAI, Bangkok, 2 May
2005.
[94] Email from Maj. Scott Elder,
JUSMAGTHAI, Bangkok, 2 May 2005.
[95] Landmine Monitor analysis of
hospital records at the Mae Tao Clinic, Mae Sot, 9 May 2005; Mae Tao Clinic
Prosthetics Department Report, January to December 2004.
[96] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Christophe Menu, Field Delegate, ICRC, Chiangmai, 1 May
2005.
[97] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Chaisri Klanarong, Srisangwal Hospital, Mae Hong Son, 27
April 2005.
[98] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire from Timo Kosters, Program Manager, Burmese Border Program,
HI-Thailand, Mae Sot, 20 April 2005.
[99] Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire from Sermsiri Ingkawanich, JRS, 28 April 2005; Interview
with Emilie Ketudat, Coordinator, TCBL, 26 April 2005.
[100] For more information see
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 816-817; see also “Current
Situation of Persons with Disabilities,” www.apcdproject.org/countryprofile/thailand/thailand_current.html
and www.dredf.org/international/thailand.html.
[101] Interview with Mayuree
Pewsuwan, Persons with Disabilities’ Capacity Promotion and Development
Division, Bureau of Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities, Bangkok, 27 April
2005.
[102] Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire from Prof. Pradit Chareonthaitawee, MD, National Human
Rights Commission of Thailand, Bangkok, 25 April 2005.
[103] Interview with Maj.
Sirichai Sapsiri, President, APPD, 2 May 2005; APPD, Newsletter,
January-December 2004; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 816.
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