Humanitarian relief organisations call for a ban of anti-vehicle mines
Berlin (Reuters) - The German Initiative to Ban Landmines urged the German Government to ban anti-vehicle mines. The German government should firstly impose an export moratorium on anti-vehicle mines and should remove this mines from the stockpiles of the German Armed Forces, demanded Thomas Gebauer on Wednesday in Berlin on behalf of the German Initiative to Ban Landmines - an alliance of 17 humanitarian relief organisations.
At the Second Meeting of State Parties of the Ottawa-Convention on Banning Anti-personnel mines at 11 - 15 September the German government should play a driving role in the struggle against anti-vehicle mines, which threaten also persons.
In 1996 Germany supported the Ottawa-process installing an export ban on anti-personnel mines. According to the German Initiative to Ban Landmines around 20 percent of all landmines laid in the ground world-wide are anti-vehicle mines, which are designed to repulse tank units. However, this mines also block important trade routes and cause deadly incidents. "The danger of a mine depends on the effect not on the label", said Gebauer. While Italy and Canada have already decided to destruct certain anti-vehicle mines, the German government judged so far that these weapons are safe. The German Initiative urged the German government to increase significantly the funds for humanitarian mine action.
(Unofficial translation of Markus Haake, GIBL)
