Academics, professionals and activists demand banning landmines

Vidya Abhayagunawardena  (centre) is seen handing over the petition on behalf of the SLCBL 
Picture courtesy: President's media

The Sri Lanka Campaign to Ban Landmines (SLCBL) on August 25 handed over a petition entitled “Ban Anti-personnel Landmines and Cluster Munitions in Post-war Sri Lanka”  to President Maithripala Sirisena.  The petition was signed by members of the academia, professionals, business community and civil society.

The Sri Lanka Campaign to Ban Landmines (SLCBL) comprising concerned citizens of Sri Lanka appeals to the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for Sri Lanka’s immediate accession to the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT), widely-known as the Ottawa Convention and the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).

 
Anti-personnel (AP) landmines and cluster munitions are considered as inhumane weapons and are outlawed by the International humanitarian disarmament community with its use being widely condemned.   

The Post-war Sri Lanka’s 54 sq km area of land is still contaminated and has to be cleared of AP landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). This contaminated land area belongs to the Northern and Eastern Provinces and the two districts of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Allegations have been levelled against the GoSL over the use of cluster munitions at the last stage of the conflict  in Sri Lanka.  

Innocent civilians (mostly children, women and men in the prime of their lives) and animals (particularly wild elephants) are either maimed or killed due to AP landmines, despite the end of the conflict in our country. Accession to the MBT and CCM will definitely contribute to resource mobilization and will strengthen political commitment for the ongoing mine-action programme in Sri Lanka. This will directly help to resettle over 60,000 people displaced due to war and will definitely strengthen the ongoing reconciliation process in post-war Sri Lanka winning the hearts and minds of many affected parties.  

Accession to both conventions will be a guarantee for future generations that these indiscriminate weapons will not be used on Sri Lankan soil; thus joining hands with the world humanitarian disarmament community. Further, the Government has taken significant steps to assure the world that we are acting in consonance with International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law. Acceding to these conventions would be further evidence of this and would greatly enhance global respect for Sri Lanka.   

Therefore, we, the undersigned, endorse this petition and support all the endeavours of the SLCBL for a total ban of landmines and cluster munitions, speedy clearance of contaminated land and assistance to the survivors.