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| PRINCESS DIANA WITH LANDMINE VICTIM |
COMMENT; 24 August 2013 -- The very fact that the USA and Israel did not sign up to stop using Landmines is a very shocking fact. After all the highlights of the damage to civilian if not death was shown and proven. They soon would stop using Landmines if they were used in their own country.
We had a 'Mine Action Day' to highlight the dangerous weapon of war
which kills or maims so many people and mostly civilian. I am sure not many
people knew about the 'Mine ActionDay' and it should have been high-lighted to
draw the attention of people more to it. It is such a deadly weapon meant to
deter the advancing army but it mostly get caught by the civilian after the war
is finished because it is so well hidden.
To stop landmines was an aim very
dear to Diana's heart. Till such time the Halo Trust was very much ignored and
they appealed for her help. Of course, Diana would not turn down such a worthy
cause. To highlight it even more she put on a protection gear and went into a
mine field. She visited many victims all round the world. She tried her hardest
to stop the production and use of mine. Many people believe that it was also
part of the reason of Diana having had that ''' accident '''.
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| SOME OF A GREAT VARIET OF LANDMINES |
There are more than brave women
working in the world's most dangerous fields following the footsteps of brave
Diana. The mine hunters of Sri Lanka have been employed and trained by a
British charity the Halo Trust. An organisation so closed to Diana's heart
because she experienced the damage a mine could inflicted.
Before her death, Diana went to
Angola to highlight the charity's work.
The 'Mine Action Day' was to
celebrate the destruction of millions of mines which were all over the world,
wherever war was fought. In Sri Lanka, which had a 26 years of civil war, they
were found in the best rice-growing areas. Many women can earn £130 a month for
de-mining the areas. These mines are laid in hundred of acres of prime
rice-growing land.
They first scan a marked square metre
at the time, with a metal detector. The moments the women hear that beep they
than start a fingertip search for the landmine buried in the paddy field. One
wrong move and they get blow-up into pieces. Then follows a slow, careful dig
into the parched earth. At 9am the temperature reaches already 30C.
HOW CAN ANYONE NOT SIGNING THE
TREATY AND BAN LANDMINES AFTER SEEING ALL THESE HORRIFIC INJURIES.
ESPECIALLY, IN COUNTRIES WHERE LIFE IS HARD AS IT IS. CAN YOU IMAGINE
WHAT LIFE THEY WILL BE HAVING?
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One of the women was asked why she
decided to do this dangerous work. She is a mother and her husband was killed
in the civil war. She said that she doesn't mind the very strong and hot sun.
The other view was she can make the country safe for her people. The job was
also important to her because she can earn that money. Although the work is
hard and dangerous but she can help her family and can effort her children to go
to school and live in peace. She doesn't think about the danger. The bad time
ended and it is getting better.
Apparently, rats can sniff land mines
out and are used quite a lot.
The International Development
part-funds Halo's work.
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| RATS ARE USED TO DISCOVER LANDMINES |
The name Landmine originated from
mining with a tunnel was dug and an explosive was put in. A first this
method was use by the forces when a tunnel was dug under a fortification for it
to collapse. Later on they put a detonator in. The use of Landmines is
very controversial. It not only soldiers and civilian but after the war
ended they will be left and will kill or maim civilian only. The records
of min fields are seldom kept and if, they are very badly kept. The
danger is left there and to remove them is very slow. It also slows down
settlement, agriculture and tourism.
The International Campaign to Ban
Landmines manages to reach prohibition in 1997. It includes Stockpiling,
Production and Transferring of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction.
It is known as the OTTOWA TREATY. In 2007 a 158 nations signed the
treaty. The 37 countries who have not agreed are China, India, Israel,
Pakistan, Russia and USA.
PLEASE NOTE THAT MOST SURPRISINGLY THE USA AND ISRAEL DID NOT SIGN UP.
PLEASE NOTE THAT MOST SURPRISINGLY THE USA AND ISRAEL DID NOT SIGN UP.
Anti-personnel land mines = APLs are
considered unethical by most countries. Even by countries which have not
joined the ban agrees that they are unethical because most of the victims
are civilians.
For example, Cambodia alone had 35,000 landmines.
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