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OTHER

EAST TIMOR

Indonesia invaded the former Portuguese colony of East Timor in 1975 and annexed it the next year, setting off years of armed struggle with Fretilin rebels. On 30 August 1999, the people of East Timor voted in a referendum to become independent of Indonesia. This touched off a rampage with massive abuses by pro-Jakarta militia from West Timor supported by Indonesian soldiers. UN peacekeeping forces arrived on 20 September and restored calm.

East Timor is now recognized internationally as independent of Indonesia. It is being governed by the United Nations under a "transitional administration." It is expected to be able to assume full self-governing functions by late 2001 or early 2002.

There is no evidence that East Timorese Fretilin fighters ever used, produced, or possessed antipersonnel landmines. (See Indonesia country report regarding government use of AP mines in the 1970s).

During the violence in 1999, there were allegations of use of mines in East Timor by the militia from West Timor.114 However, when peacekeeping forces arrived, they did not encounter antipersonnel mines. Canadian and Australian soldiers in the peacekeeping mission were equipped with command-detonated Claymore-type mines, which are not prohibited by the Mine Ban Treaty.115

Mrs. Yeny Rosa Damayanti of Solidamor (Solidarity for East Timor), based in Jakarta, visited Dili, East Timor from 1 July-12 September 1999 to monitor the vote. She visited all district areas and regencies except Los Palos, and never heard any reports of landmine use.116 Mr. Saut Sirait, a Christian priest from KIPP (Independent Committee for Monitoring Election) in Jakarta was also sent to East Timor from 20 August-12 September 1999 to monitor the vote. He visited small towns and district areas and talked with many East Timorese, but he never heard reports of landmine use.117

There has been no statement yet on mine ban policy from East Timor officials. Jose Ramos Horta, who received the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve independence for East Timor, and is often mentioned as the likely first Foreign Minister, has spoken out strongly in favor of a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel mines.

East Timor is not mine-affected.

TAIWAN

Key developments since March 1999: For the first time, a senior official made a clear statement of support for a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel mines. Mine clearance continued on Kinmen Island.

Mine Ban Policy

On 10 July 1999, Vice President Lien Chan said, "Hereby I would like to declare that the government of the Republic of China will give all-out support to ban production, use, storage, and transportation of landmines."118 Taiwan is not eligible to sign the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. It is not a member of the United Nations.

Production, Transfer, Stockpiling, Use

In March 1999, a National Defense Ministry official told Landmine Monitor that Taiwan has stopped use and production of antipersonnel mines.119 In the past, the company Hsing Hua produced copies of U.S. M16A1, M2A4, M3, and M18A1 mines.120

There is no evidence that Taiwan has exported antipersonnel mines. Taiwan has imported 36,747 antipersonnel mines from the United States, including 2,592 ADAM scatterable mines in 1992.121 It is not known if Taiwan imported mines from other nations. Details on Taiwan's stockpile are not available. See the Landmine Monitor 1999 report for details of the mine dumps on Kinmen (Quemoy) Island.122

An official of the Ministry of National Defense told Landmine Monitor in March 1999 that Taiwan has stopped use of antipersonnel mines.123

Landmine Problem

Most parts of Kinmen Island were mined in the 1950s due to its strategic location. Former military personnel have said that other small islands including Tongyung, Yuchou, Liantou, Siyian, Urtong, Tatong were also mined, although Kinmen Island is most heavily mined.124 As one press account put it, Kinmen "has been plagued by the danger posed by landmines for over four decades."125 A Mine Clearance Planning Agency report states, "Landmines from the coastal areas have not yet been cleared. A number of mine incidents involving civilians have taken place in the past. The island is currently being developed to be a National Park for tourist attractions. However, the presence of mines is a serious problem faced by the local residents and will discourage tourists."126

Mine Action

The Ministry of National Defense conducted a minefield survey in Kinmen Island from January to April 1996 and specified two prioritized areas: (1) six mine dumps in the vicinity of Lee Kuan-Chian Temple in Hsiputou village and (2) Shuang-Ju-Shan and Hou-Pan-Tsun minefields.127

The Ministry of National Defense decided to put out clearance contracts worth NT$304,716,000 (approximately U.S.$10 million) for the fiscal years 1998, 1999 and 2000.128

In 1997, Specialist Gurkha Services UK Ltd. (SGS) won a NT$47 million (about U.S.$1.5 million) contract to clear the minefield in front of a temple in Hsiputou village. The demining was completed in May 1998 as scheduled. SGS won another contract in November 1998 to clear the remaining seven minefields in Kinmen including five dumps in the vicinity of Lee Kuan-Chian Temple (Division A), Shuang-Ju-Shan minefield (Division B), and Hou-Pan-Tsun minefield (Division C). Clearance and Disposal of mines/UXO in Division A commenced on 15 December 1998 and was completed 1 March 1999. Division C commenced on 17 February 1999 and was completed on 13 April 1999. Division B commenced on 6 April 1999 and completed on 12 May 1999.129

In a June 1999 report, SGS reflected on the difficulties it encountered and recommended the establishment of a National Mine Data Center and adoption of a nationwide clearance program:

For the entire duration of the project, including the Tendering Stage, the ROC Army was unable to provide technical data on both the Mine Dumps and the Minefields. This included data such as the type and number of mines likely to be encountered in both the Dumps and the Minefields, the pattern in which mines were laid in the Minefields and the exact dimensions and location of the actual mine areas....

One means of alleviating this problem in the future is for the ROC MOND [Ministry of National Defense] to establish a National Mine Data Center. Such a Center would hold all relevant details and data of mined areas in the ROC and would be the source of technical information and data when compiling future contracts. The necessary information would be gathered by researching information presently held by the MOND and by conducting investigative Level 2 Survey of areas believed to be mined....

The MOND could achieve savings if it adopted a Nation-Wide Clearance Programme in which several projects were run concurrently and projects flowed into each other. The key to such a programme is a long-term perspective based on accurate information on the true extent of the mine/UXO problem confronting the ROC."130

There is almost no information on mine awareness programs, landmine casualties, or survivor assistance programs. The Eden Social Welfare Foundation, a Taipei-based NGO, has promoted a series of "Love Wheelchairs for the Disabled" activities, in which more than 3,200 wheelchairs have been donated to mine victims in Taiwan, South Korea, Cambodia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Jordan, and Mozambique.131

114 "Land mines threat to peace troops," Sydney Morning Herald, 12 December 1999; "E. Timor resistance warns Dili been mined," Reuters, Lisbon, 17 September 1999. Another report indicated use of booby-traps but not mines. "Van Doos Make for E. Timor Landing," Toronto Sun, 28 October 1999.

115 "Canadian forces equipped with landmines," CP, Ottawa, 13 February 2000. "More than 1,000 Soldiers Begin International Peacekeeping Operation in East Timor," Associated Press, Dili, September 1999. This report and others indicated Australian forces brought "land mines," but it was later clarified these were Claymore-type mines.

116 Landmine Monitor interview with Mrs. Yeni Rosa Damayanti, Solidamor, Jakarta, 12 April 2000.

117 Landmine Monitor interview with Saut Sirait, Independent Committee for Monitoring Election, Jakarta, 14 April 2000.

118 Eden Social Welfare Foundation, "1999 Love Without Frontiers," p. 24.

119 Interview, Taipei, 4 March 1999.

120 Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights, Landmines: A Deadly Legacy (New York: Human Rights Watch, 1993), p. 475.

121 U.S. Defense Security Assistance Agency table, "U.S. Landmine Sales by Country," provided to Human Rights Watch, 29 March 1994.

122 Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 522.

123 Interview, Taipei, 4 March 1999.

124 Interviews, Taipei, 23 March 2000.

125 Taiwan Central News Agency, "UK Firm Wins Bid to Clear Minefields on Kinmen Island," 30 November 1998.

126 Sayed Aqa, MCPA, "Landmine Problem in Kinmen Island," January 1998. MCPA is a Pakistan-based demining organization.

127 Ministry of National Defense document issued on 24 June 1999 in response to a Senator's inquiry. NT$ is New Taiwan dollars.

128 Ibid.

129 Specialist Gurkha Services (SGS) UK Ltd., "Mine Clearance Technical Transfer Report (Contract Number TB88001 W041PE)," 12 June 1999, pp. 1-3; and, interview with Mr. Chen Chih-Cheng, ROC Representative for SGS, Taipei, 23 March 2000.

130 SGS, "Mine Clearance Technical Transfer Report," 12 June 1999, p. 13.

131 Eden Social Welfare Foundation, "1999 Love Without Frontiers," p. 27.

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