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Reports
on Nepal's Civil War: Landmines
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Reports
on Landmines in Nepal
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Explosive
Remnants of War and Landmines in Nepal: Understanding the Threat
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Situation
analysis and recommendations for future action
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December
2006
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Exerpt
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| During
2005, Handicap International Nepal, through our project "Access to Physical
Rehabilitation Services for People with Disabilities in the different regions
of Nepal", became aware of the need to have a better understanding of the
situation regarding people wounded and disabled by victim-activated explosions
of landmines and other remnants of the conflict. |
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Information
like this can help better identify people injured by the explosions and
in need of the services on offer at the physical rehabilitation centres
run by our partner organisations and supported by our Rehabilitation project
in each of the development regions of the country. In addition, it can
also help identify actions that aim to prevent victimactivated explosive
incidents and the disabilities that so often occur as a result.
The
Informal Sector Service Centre in Nepal has, for several years, had a nationwide
data collection system reporting on the Human Rights situation. It came
to our attention that this system would be a good mechanism to provide
detailed information about the explosions of landmines and other remnants
of war, and the victims of these incidents.
INSEC's
data collection system, proved extremely reliable, efficient and helpful
to us in our work. However, it soon became obvious that a permanent and
more comprehensive system of surveillance and reporting on victim activated
explosions, could easily be developed and maintained within INSEC's structure
and with limited additional means.
In
June 2006, INSEC thus initiated an active surveillance system, the results
of which are presented in this report. The system provides regular detailed
reports on all the incidents related to victim-activated explosions of
landmines, unexploded ordnance and other improvised explosive devices,
as well as the casualties and victims of these explosions. This has proved
to be an invaluable source of essential information not only for all the
organisations involved in the rehabilitation of people with physical disabilities
victims of these explosions, but also for various stakeholders working
on the prevention of casualties and damage caused by these explosive devices,
legacies of the recent armed conflict in the country. This publication
which is directly based on the results of the surveillance system and previous
media information comes perhaps at an opportune time for Nepal. It speaks
to key stakeholders by:
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taking stock of and providing a real picture of the situation and the risks
and threats posed by these explosive remnants of the conflict
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providing accurate and consistent information on the victims of these explosions;
essential for the organisations and centres working in the field of physical
rehabilitation, in order for them to best answer the needs of people with
physical disabilities, direct victims of the conflict
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providing recommendations to all actors involved in the prevention and
reduction of the risks posed by these legacies of the conflict, and to
tackle the remaining, long-lasting threat to the civilian population
I
believe that this publication will make an essential contribution to the
current massive efforts jointly undertaken by a multitude of governmental
and non-governmental actors working to reduce the remaining threats and
danger resulting from the recent conflict and to mitigate the effect on
victims.
Sincere
congratulations to INSEC and its outstanding teams across the country for
the tremendous work achieved during the last years that, from our initial
limited request for basic data, finally led to this publication. Special
thanks as well to the stakeholders involved in the fields of physical rehabilitation,
disability, mine action and risk prevention who have inspired or directly
supported this publication.
Jean-Bertrand
Lebrun
Country
Director, Nepal Programme, Handicap International
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Explosive
Remnants of War and Landmines in Nepal: Graphics
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Executive
summary
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RAOnline
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Download
from INSEC
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| Nepal
has one of the highest numbers of civilian casualties from victim-activated
explosions in the world. From January to October 2006 the Informal Sector
Service Centre (INSEC) registered 132 casualties (27 dead, 105 injured)
in 79 incidents. This is almost as high as numbers recorded in 2005 by
the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) with 142 casualties (40 dead,
102 injured) registered in 47 incidents.
In
the aftermath of the cease-fire of 26 April 2006, which ended a decade
long conflict between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Nepal
government, incidents from victim-activated explosions continued on an
average of six per month.
Nearly
90 percent of the incidents from victim-activated explosions stem from
Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), mainly from Maoist fabricated "socket
bombs" ? improvised hand-grenades made from galvanized plumbing joints.
Maoists did not use victim-activated landmines. They did, however, produce
IEDs with anti-handling devices and booby-traps that can indiscriminately
injure or kill.
The
then Royal Nepal Army also produced IEDs from existing ordnance to arm
its defensive perimeters as well as for aerial bombardments. In 2001/2002
it laid Anti-personnel landmines (AP mines) around 39 key positions using
imported victim-activated landmines which are banned by more than 150 States
party to the anti-personnel Mine Ban Treaty ("Ottawa Treaty"). These AP
mines and unexploded IEDs, which mostly stemmed from aerial bombardments
by the Army, caused some casualties.
Although
mined areas are mapped, they are often not properly fenced and marked and
the nearby population is often not properly informed of the risk. Nepal
is not a signatory to the Ottawa Treaty or to other legally relevant frameworks.
There are, however, promising signs in this respect. Following an advocacy
initiative of the Ban Landmines Campaign Nepal (NCBL) after the ceasefire,
nine political parties have signed a Deed of Commitment to abide by the
Ottawa principles.
Since
the cease-fire, one mined area has been cleared, IEDs are being removed
from positions of the Security Forces (SF), and clash sites are also being
cleared from unexploded devices. The Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal
(EOD) team is currently looking for proper training to speedily clear the
remaining 38 mined areas. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed by both
parties on 22 November 2006 declares in point 5.1.4 that "both sides shall
assist each other to mark landmines and booby-traps used during the time
of armed conflict by providing necessary information within 30 days and
defuse and excavate it within 60 days." |
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Nepal
has been listed by the Landmine Monitor as one of the three remaining countries
in the world that produce victimactivated "Anti-personnel landmines". Even
though this claim was made by the Nepal government itself, it is most likely
that it refers to the production of improvised command-activated devices
using ordnance from its stock such as mortar shells and Anti-vehicle mines.
Full transparency on this issue as well as on available stockpiles should
be provided as agreed in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. This applies
also to stockpiles in the possession of the Maoists, not only to booby-traps
already planted. Maoist cadres should, for both humanitarian and confidence-building
purposes, provide all available information on devices placed for subsequent
ambushes, hidden caches and production facilities. This information would
allow for surveying high-risk areas to prioritize rapid explosive ordnance
disposal where needed. All IEDs should be immediately removed, AP mines
should be cleared, and those areas that have been cleared should be handed
over to the communities in a confidence-building measure. The 60 day time
period as stipulated in the Peace Agreement for this, is perhaps overly
optimistic given the many challenges involved.
Imprecise
terminology about explosive devices used in Nepal and the circumstances
leading to casualties (victimactivated explosion or not) has made data
collection and the interpretation of data a particular challenge. To address
this issue, UNICEF initiated a process to define a common terminology (in
English and in Nepali), whilst also training journalists on the issue and
analysing media-based surveillance. In late 2005, INSEC was approached
to start active surveillance on civilian casualties from victim-activated
explosions. INSEC staff, including data gatherers from all 75 districts,
received training on the issue and on how to prepare monthly reports. Active
surveillance started in June 2006. The information available on each incident
is now much more reliable.
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Key
findings based on INSEC surveillance (January to October 2006)
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132
people were killed or injured from victim-activated explosions in 79 incidents.
Of the 132 casualties, 27 died (20%).
An
analysis by age and sex shows:
58 percent of casualties were children (76 out of 132) under 18 years of
age.
70 percent of casualties were male, and 42 percent of casualties were boys.
79
incidents occurred in 71 communities in 45 districts of all five regions
of Nepal. This resembles a very widespread contamination; it is not concentrated
along a confrontation line or a border as in other countries.
The
main locations where explosions occur are 'home/village' (43%), 'road/path'
(24%), 'farmland' (9%), and 'forest/jungle' (8%). Whereas incidents on
'road/path' show a marked tendency to decrease after the cease-fire, incidents
occurring on 'farmland' and 'forest/jungle' have increased significantly
since the cease-fire. While the former can be explained by the absence
of any new booby-trapped roadblocks and clashes/ambushes, the latter is
perhaps indicative of greater freedom of movement and increased use of
the forests/jungles.
Main
risk-taking activities which led to the explosion are linked to deliberate
tampering (38%) basically out of curiosity and only in one case linked
to selling or bartering scrap metal. Forty four percent of the activities
were part of livelihood activities making it difficult to mitigate the
risk through mine risk education alone.
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Explosive
Remnants of War: Painful Reminder of Past
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Decade-long
violent conflict has come to an end. But the reminders of the conflict
are lying around us. Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), one such reminder,
are still inflicting sufferings to the people. Government should launch
an effective campaign with the support of international donor agencies
and in coordination with the NGOs.
One
of the main issues to tackle during the arms and armies monitoring, as
the country moves through transitional period from violence to peace, is
to locate, identify and dispose the ERW. For this, former warring parties
should inform each other about their devices. The Agreement on Monitoring
of the Arms and Armies deals with the issue under provision 4.1.2 where
it is said that, "Both sides shall assist each other to mark landmines
and boobytraps used during the time of armed conflict by providing necessary
information within 30 days and to defuse and remove/lift and destroy them
within 60 days. Taken as over ambitious statement, it did address the serious
condition owing to ERW in the country.
According
to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Nepal is one of the countries
seriously affected by the problem of explosive devices. But, there was
lack of reliable information related to incidents which, in turn, has hampered
the proper initiation towards dealing with the problem.
INSEC
joined the initiative to relieve the people of such indiscriminating weapons
by best utilising its over-10 years of experience of Human Rights information
collection and dissemination. It is clear from the information gathered
by INSEC- ERW is a big problem for today's Nepal which is heading for lasting
peace.
Data
from INSEC Surveillance System operational from June 1 and UNICEF media
reports reveal that in 2006, there were 169 civilian casualties in 98 victim
activated explosion.
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Source:
INSEC, 2007
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Informal
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INSEC
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