In the afternoon of October 8th, a land mine exploded at a plantation in the Mount Cho-Chin area near Ah-Lea Sa-Khan village in Yephyu Township, Tanintharyi. A local resident suffered a leg injury.
“It [was a] hand made mine and caused no serious injuries … Perhaps, a person’s leg could be sore and swollen, ” said Nai Thin San, Ah-Lea Sa-Khan village Administrator.
Around 3 p.m on October 8, two brothers were harvesting (Wa Ou) elephant foot yam at their plantation. One of the brothers, Nai Mon Chan, stepped on a landmine and suffered non-life threatening injuries from the blast.
The injured person’s elder brother Nai Shaan, told Mon News Agency that “I looked back as soon as I heard the explosion and saw my brother collapsing on the ground.”
Nai Mon Chan was transferred to Ye Town Public Hospital for treatment.
Landmine victim Nai Mon Chan
The Village Administrator expressed concern that no evidence has been found as to who may have planted the landmines. The incident has been reported to the respective government authorities.
The area is jointly controlled by the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Karen National Union (KNU).
Landmines have frequently exploded in the Kyaung Shar Kwin area and local villagers have called on the KNU and NMSP to remove the landmines. While both parties have held a series of negotiations to address this issue, no action plan to remove landmines has yet to be developed.
The Tenasserim Joint (Ceasefire) Monitoring Committee (JMC) has also not been successful to resolve the problem.
Between October 15, 2018 and January 7, 2019, there were 7 landmine blasts in the Kyaung Shar Kwin area. Due to the frequent landmine blasts, villagers have been afraid of going to their plantations, resulting in financial losses.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines has documented that both the military and various Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) have used landmines since 2017 in Myanmar.
According to the publication Land Mine & Cluster Munitions Monitor, the Myanmar authorities have denied reports that government forces used antipersonnel landmines in 2017 and 2018, despite evidence from the United Nations (UN) and others.
In 2018 Myanmar attended, as an observer, the Seventeenth Meeting of State Parties to the Antipersonnel Landmine Ban Convention held in Geneva. The attending government representative to this meeting made the statement, Myanmar “recognized the importance of the convention in putting an end to the human suffering caused by antipersonnel landmines and in saving lives, returning hope and human dignity.”
The United National Mine Ban Treaty is one of the world’s most widely accepted treaties: over 80% of the world’s countries are States Parties to the Treaty. Myanmar is not yet a signatory to the Treaty.
However, the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) which includes 10 ethnic armed organizations (RAO’s) agreed to undertake de-mining activities to clear mines laid by troops from all sides.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines has noted that the use of these weapons indiscriminately maims or kills civilians and landmines impede social and economic development by preventing communities from fully utilizing their lands and resources. The placement of landmines also deters internally displaced persons and refugees from returning to their homes.
