Resource information
Burma/Myanmar has suffered
from two decades of mine
warfare by both the State Peace
and Development Council and
ethnic-based insurgents. There
are no humanitarian demining
programmes within the country.
It is no surprise that those states
in Burma/Myanmar with the most
mine pollution are the highest
IDP- and refugee-producing
states. Antipersonnel mines
planted by both government
forces and ethnic armed groups
injure and kill not only enemy
combatants but also their own
troops, civilians and animals.
There is no systematic marking
of mined areas. Mines are laid
close to areas of civilian activity;
many injuries occur within half
a kilometre of village centres.
Although combatants have
repeatedly said that they give
verbal warnings’ to civilians living
near areas which they mine, no
civilian mine survivor interviewed
by the International Campaign
to Ban Landmines reported
having had verbal warnings...