Landmine Treaty: NGO Urged The Authorities To Ratify

A local NGO, Humanitarian Mine Action Initiative Myanmar, urged the Government to ratify the Mine Ban Treaty on Saturday. 

162 countries ratified the Mine Ban Treaty 1997 and it came into effect on 1st March 1999. Myanmar, along with other 33 countries hasn’t signed the Treaty yet. The country cannot sign the Treaty by the outbreak of 68 years long civil war and due to its consequences, people in conflict areas become landmine victims that lead to face poor living standard, the organizer said. 

President, Humanitarian Mine Action Initiative Myanmar, Thant Zin: Even if the civil war can’t be stopped, landmine shouldn’t be used in fighting. But ending the civil war and getting peace is the best. That’s why mine clearance is the priority and important thing to start in the country and looking after the lives of landmine survivors’ as well.

The organizer added that though the country didn’t sing the Treaty, mine clearance actions have been carried out by the Military and Ethnic Armed Organizations like Karen National Union (KNU). Kayin State is the top that suffered the most causality by landmine followed by Bago Region and Kachin State in 2015. Myanmar is the third worst countries in landmine after Afghanistan and Columbia in 2012.