The Sinhala and Tamil versions of the ‘Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor 2018 - Sri Lanka’ section was launched by the Sri Lanka Campaign to Ban Landmines (SLCBL) on December 14, at the Public Library Auditorium in Jaffna. At the event, a documentary themed, ‘Quest for a mine-free land’ created by the Government Film Unit in collaboration with the SLCBL was screened for the first time in Sri Lanka. The documentary was first screened at the United Nations Office in Geneva on November 30, 2018 during the 17th meeting of the State Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty.
Abhayagunawardena mentioned that publishing the monitor report in Sinhala and Tamil languages is important in many ways as that will enable the general public of Sri Lanka to read and understand mine-action in their own language. The ‘Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor’ based in Geneva is the research and monitoring arm of the ‘International Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions Coalition’ which provides the latest information on problems related to landmines, cluster munitions and explosive remnants of war (ERW).
Sri Lanka acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT), which is also known as the Ottawa Treaty in 2017, the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in 2018 and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) in 2016. Sri Lanka also ratified the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Protocol (CCW) I to IV in 2004. Sri Lanka has yet to ratify the CCW Protocol V on ERW.
The chief guest of the event, Jaffna District Secretary and Government Agent Nagalingam Vethanayaham thanked the Government of Sri Lanka for acceding to the Mine Ban Treaty last year. He mentioned that, due to mines and ERWs accidents, many people have died or lost their limbs. Even after the war ended, people are still affected by mines and ERWs.
Acceding to the Treaty will make people happier and together while making Sri Lanka a mine-free country by 2020. It is important to be grateful to the Mine Risk Education organisations for their hard work which helped to reduce mine-related accidents in mine-affected areas. Vethanayaham thanked the SLCBL for conducting the first-anniversary event of acceding to the Mine Ban Treaty in Jaffna.
Abhayagunawardena informed the audience that the SLCBL is concerned about implementing of the UN CRPD, the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Sri Lanka. With regard to the UN CRPD, he mentioned that Sri Lanka ratified the convention on February 8, 2016 but relevant authorities are still struggling to develop local regulations in place to implement the convention in the country. He emphasised the importance of implementing local regulations in place without delay. Especially, the importance of maintaining barrier-free transportation, road pavements accessible for wheelchair users and others, and convenient as well as comfortable public transport (buses and trains) and buildings.
The Landmine and Cluster MunitionMonitor has been updating its reports annually. It covers the ban policy on Anti-personal Mines, Cluster Munitions and Conventional Weapons; Mine action and Support for mine action; causalities (mines and Explosive Relaxants of War -ERW), and Victim assistance and related local regulations and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
According to the latest clearance data, Sri Lanka has yet to be clear around 26 Square kilometre mine and ERW affected lands in the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Anuradhapura and Ampara. The only mine and ERW affected districts that are cleared so far Batticaloa and Polonnaruwa.
The Sri Lanka Army Humanitarian Demining Unit (SLA HDU), two local organisations (DASH and SHARP) and two international organisations(The Halo Trust and MAG) are engaging in mine and ERW clearance activities in Sri Lanka. Local and international organisations are solely dependent on international funding support. Currently, local and international demining operators are facing severe funding constraints.
The Sri Lankan Government has declared that it will clear all remaining minefields (26Sqkm) before 2020.
The Landmine Monitor has recommended the following for action in Sri Lanka.
a) Continued efforts should be made to implement efficient land release methodology and to more accurately define the size of remaining contamination.
b) Sri Lanka should implement its resources mobilisation plan to ensure mine action activities can meet the 2020 clearance target.
Sri Lanka’s section of the Monitor on casualties has mentioned in 2014, that the UNICEF reported that, since 1980 some 22,177 mine/ERW casualties have been recorded, including 1,603 civilian casualties, however, from 2006 to 2009 accurate casualty information was difficult to assess due to the ongoing conflict, likely resulting in under-reporting. In 2010, the Sri Lanka Army reported that since 1980, there were a total of 21,993 mine casualties, including 1,419 civilian returnees; 3,770 recorded amputees among the armed forces, Police and civil defence forces; and 16,804 mine casualties among the non-state armed group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). From 1999 to the end of 2016, the Monitor identified 1,185 casualties in Sri Lanka (144 killed; 577 injured; 464 unknown).
The Landmine Monitor has identified 11 organisations which include governmental, local and international organisations engaged in victim assistance activities in Sri Lanka. Those are, the Ministry of Social Empowerment and Welfare, Rana Viru Sevena Rehabilitation Centre, Jaffna Jaipur Centre for Disability Rehabilitation, Sarvodaya, Social Organisations Networking for Development, Valvuthayam Caritas, Leonard Cheshire Disability Resource Center, Meththa Foundation, Motivation, UNICEF and the ICRC. Many of these victim assistance organisations are facing severe funding constraints making it difficult to carry out important victim assistance projects. Some of them have already ceased their activities.
The Landmine Monitor reported that Sri Lanka lacked adequate legislation to protect and respect the rights of persons with disabilities. The Draft Disability Rights Bill has been amended by the Department of Legal Draftsman, and the Ministry of Social Empowerment, Welfare and Kandyan Heritage is currently reviewing the proposed amendments. It further reveals, discrimination continued to occur in employment, education, and the provision of state services, including public transportation. Access to buildings and public transportation for persons with disabilities remained rare.
Loren Persi, Victim Assistance Research Coordinator of the Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor from Geneva, Firoz Alizada, Implementation Support Officer of the Mine Ban Treaty from Geneva, Dr. J. Ganeshamoorthy, Chairperson of the Jaffna Jaipur Centre for Disability Rehabilitation, S. Senthurajah, Executive Director of the SOND, Belinda Vause, Programme Manager-Sri Lanka for the HALO Trust, Prasanna Kuruppu, Advisor of the Disability Organisations Joint Front, Nillasi Liyanage, Youth Coordinator of the SLCBL, representatives of the demining agencies DASH and SHARP, Mine Risk Education organisations, representatives of the local and international organisations and university students also participated in the event.
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