RI agrees to sign pact on landmines

RI agrees to sign pact on landmines

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia announced yesterday that it has
decided to sign a convention which will ban the stockpile,
export, production and use of anti-personnel landmines.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Indonesian
government yesterday decided to attend the Ottawa conference on
Dec. 2 through Dec. 4 and sign the treaty on the ban of anti-
personnel mines.

"The decision to sign the convention is proof of the
Indonesian government's commitment to the basic aims of the
convention," the statement said.

Indonesian foreign minister Ali Alatas is expected to lead the
Indonesian delegation to the conference in the Canadian capital.

The Ottawa conference comes on the heels of a series of Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Vancouver which will end
on Nov. 26.

More than 100 countries are expected to sign the treaty which
will effectively ban anti-personnel mines in most parts of the
world.

At least 40 signatories must ratify the treaty in order for it
to become internationally binding.

Despite international enthusiasm for the ban, one of the
world's major producers of landmines, the United States, still
refuses to commit itself to the treaty.

Washington maintains it will only sign the treaty if there is
an exemption allowing it to keep using landmines to defend South
Korea.

Landmines kill some 26,000 people every year and maim
thousands more for life, mostly civilians. (mds)