The Mon Civil Society Organization (CSO) network released a statement on May 08, condemning landmine attacks on civilian villagers as a dreadful inhumane action.
During the last 12 months, nine civilians have suffered from amputations due to the landmine explosion in Ye Township in Mon State and Ye Phyu Township Tanintharyi Region. To date, no group has taken responsibility for the placement of these landmines.
Mi Kun Chan Non, Chairperson of the Mon Women’s Organization (MWO) said “[those responsible for these] landmines should stop their action as soon as possible. Organizations that have signed the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) should find out [who are the perpetrators] involved in these landmine blasts, — then stop it.”
Mon CSOs have called on the government, the National Reconciliation Peace Center (NRPC), the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC) and the Karen National Union (KNU) and the New Mon State Party (NMSP) to also take action to prevent further landmine explosions.
“During the time of the C-19 epidemic, we must prevent any such explosive events from happening,” added Mi Kun Chan Non, who is also spokesperson of the Mon CSO Network’s statement.
She noted the JMC is not working to resolve recurring problems amongst ethnic armed groups.
Nai San Tin, Administrator from Ah-lay-Sa-Kan village in Ye Phyu Township mentioned in an interview with the Mon News Agency (MNA) that “we informed and reported the incidents to the local Tatmadaw army. I went there to tell them to fix this. We also informed the media based in the Tanintharyi Region and JMC (Joint Monitoring Committee) in Myeik. However, nothing happened. There was no reply to us. The [landmine] explosions happen again and again. No organization has taken responsibility.”
In the Kyaung-Shar-Kwin area located in the east of Ah-Lay-Sa-Kan village, more than 400 betel nut plantations are owned by Mon people. The string of landmine explosions has led to plantation owners seeing their commodities are either being stolen or are not being harvested due to fear of the presence of landmines.
Signatories to Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) included the New Mon State Party (NMSP) Dawei District Armed Forces, and the Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 4 are active in the above-mentioned area.
Those armed groups’ troops are based in the vicinity of the Kyaung-Shar-Kwin area, where landmine explosions have frequently occured. There has been an on-going territorial dispute between the two sides in the past.
According to a 2019 International Campaign to Ban Landmines report, more than 60 townships in Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Mon, Rakhine, Shan state, and Pegu, Sagaing, and the Tanintharyi region were in danger of landmine explosions.
In 2019, over 40 people have been killed and over 160 injured in Myanmar because of landmines, according to the [Myanmar’s] Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement.
