Boonhome.net - Landmines Problem in Thailand

About 20 years ago, Thailand had ideology conflict. The internal war between government and communist party of Thailand employed both weapons and landmines for defensive and offensive purposes. The fighting battle was not only that when our neighbor country-Cambodia-began to have internal conflict. There were fighting and trespassing onto our border areas intentionally and unintentionally depending on the situation. The fighting was thus spilt over in our territory that borders Cambodia; from Chantaburi, Trad, Sakeao, Buriram, Surin, Sri Saket, and some parts of Ubonratchatani province.

Thailand is philanthropic nation; always being fond of helping neighbor countries-especially Cambodia-since in the past history. Seeing innocent civilians suffering the inhumane war created, Thailand allowed Cambodians to come and stay in our border areas as refugee, with some kinds of help provided by internal communities.

Not only innocent refugees coming to stay in border areas of Thailand, troops of some Cambodian factions also disguised among them. Thus, some fighting battles were inevitably took place in our border areas of those mentioned provinces. It was annihilated war between people in same nation; using every kind of weapons and millions of millions of landmines for protecting themselves and killing opposite side.

Either temporary stronghold or individual ambush, those worriers needed to burry landmines to protect themselves from careless enemy who might have lost organs if step on them. Other weapons such as mortar, bullets, etc. were also buried in a small hole as their mobile arsenal. These buried landmines would have been moved away, weapons would have been dug out to fight enemy, had its owners not forgotten them or died in the battle or just lazy and ignore them without having been aware that they would have an adverse impact to the life of people in border areas.

The war has ended, border areas come back to peace. Such philanthropic country as Thailand had helped reconciliation among Cambodian different factions. They could have the first democratic general election and eventually could form government; later on living peacefully.

Many border areas of Thailand where refugee camps used to settles, militia post used to erect are still left with many million of landmines. The same fact is true with Cambodia border areas adjacent to Thai. These landmines are buried silently in the ground, waiting for innocent people to step on them, and if so they will honestly, indiscriminately kill those victims; regardless children, woman, and old people. Landmine will destroy all including it owner as it can not remember him.

Seeing people in border areas suffering, Thailand sought international help to solve the problem that she did not make it alone. Thus, Thailand applied to become member of Mine Ban Treaty (signed in Ottawa). In May 1999, she could become the “State Party” and could get support of the “Level One Landmine Survey” that took place in the following year. That survey was carried on during March 2000 to May 2001, in conjunction with Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC), and financially supported by many countries such as England, Norway, USA, Denmark, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the internal organization namely The Japan Alliance for Humanitarian Support (JAHDS).

The survey reveals that 27 border provinces of Thailand are affected by landmine problem. There are 934 landmine contaminated areas in these provinces with total affected area of 2,557 square kilometers in which 534 villages are settling, and 504,303 people are living. These people, thus, are suffering landmine problem. The survey also reveals that ever year there are about 150 landmine victims. Most of landmine affected areas are in Cambodia border (about 60%) where there were fighting battles.

In present, the Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC) is mandated by the Thai government to act as the focal body that is responsible to manage landmine problem (don’t be confuse the term “landmine” with “terrorist mine”). TMAC is now hardly working “Mine Actions”; be it the landmine clearance, mine risk education for people in border areas, mine marking, and landmine victim assistance. Luckily, there are many organizations assisting TMAC in Mine Actions. One of them is the Japan Alliance for Humanitarian Demining Support (JAHDS-Thailand) that the author is working for. JAHDS-Thailand now is clearing landmines at Pha Mo EE Daeng area of Khao Pravihan National Park, Sri Saket province.

Humanitarian landmine clearance is the hard work, slow process that needs pain taking effort, knowledge and well-versed experience. It is slow as deminer (people who clear landmine) must follow every steps of safety procedures that is required or die. However, we need to clear or remove landmines and every dangerous objects from our soil so as to assure the safety of our local people who live close to contaminated areas, who need to enter forest (where landmines present) to collect forest products for daily consumption, and for sale as they poor and have no choice.