LANDMINES The Arms Project A DIVISION OF HUMAN RIC.HTSWATCH Human Physicians for Rights This On© Copyrightedmage ) TITLES OF RELATED INTEREST & Landminesin ElSalvador Nicaragua TheCivilian Victims(1986) Americas Watch Landminesin Cambodia TheCoward's War(1991) AsiaWatch & Physicians forHuman Rights Hidden Death Landminesand CivilianCasualtiesin IraqiKurdistan (1992) Middle EastWatch HiddenEnemies Landminesin Northern Somalia (1992) Physicians for Human Rights LandminesinAngola (1993 Africa Watch LANDMINES A Deadly Legacy The Arms Project ofHuman Rights Watch Physicians for Human Rights Human Rights Watch NewYork • Washington • Los Angeles • Lc •nil Copyright•October 1993byHuman RightsWatch andPhysicians forHumanRights Allrightsreserved. Printedinthe UnitedStatesofAmerica. LibraryofCongressCatalogCard Number: 93 80418 ISBN 1-56432-113-4 Coverphotoshowsacollectionofantipersonnelandantitanklandmines in Iraqi Kurdistan. Copyright • R. Maro; courtesy of Medico International (Germany). THE ARMS PROJECT OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH TheArms ProjectofHuman Rights Watch was formed in 1992 with a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for the purposesofmonitoring andseeking to preventarms transfers togovernmentsororganizations that either grossly violate internationally recognized human rights or grossly violate the laws ofwar. It also seeks to promote freedom of informationandexpressionaboutarms transfersworldwide. TheArms Projecttakesaspecialinterestinweaponsthatareprominentinhuman rightsabuseandtheabuseofnon-combatants. ThedirectorofdieArms Projectis Kenneth Anderson andits Washingtondirectoris StephenD. Goose. BarbaraBakerandCesarBolanosareNewYorkstaffassociates, and Kathleen Bleakley is the Washington staff associate. Monica Schurtmaniscounsel. Members ofthe international advisory committee ofdie Aims Project are: Morton Abramowitz, Nicole Ball, Frank Blackaby, Frederick C. Cuny, Ahmed H. Esa, Jo Husbands, Frederick J. Knecht, Andrew J. Pierre, Gustavo Gorriti, Di Hua, EdwardJ. Laurance, Vincent McGee, AryehNeier,JanneE.Nolan,DavidRieff,KumarRupesinghe,JohnRyle, Mohamed Sahnoun, GarySickandTom Winship. HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH HumanRightsWatchconductsregular,systematicinvestigationsofhumanrightsabusesin some sixty countries around the world. It addresses the human rights practices of governmentsofall politicalstripes, ofall geopoliticalalignments, and ofallethnicand religiouspersuasions. Ininternalwarsitdocumentsviolationsbybothgovernmentsand rebelgroups. HumanRightsWatchdefendsfreedomofthoughtandexpression,due oflawandequalprotectionofthelaw;itdocumentsanddenouncesmurders,< j torture, arbitrary imprisonment, exile, censorship and other abuses of recognizedhumanrights. HumanRightsWatchbeganin 1978withthefoundingofHelsinkiWatchbya groupofpublishers,lawyersandotheractivistsandnow maintainsofficesin NewYork, Washington,D.C., LosAngeles,London,Moscow, Belgrade, BucharestandHongKong. Today,itincludesAfricaWatch,AmericasWatch.AsiaWatch,HelsinkiWatch,MiddleEast Watch,andfourcollaborativeprojects,theArmsProject,PrisonProject,Women'sRights Project, and the Fund for Free Expression. Human Rights Watch is an independent, nongovernmental organization, supported bycontributionsfrom privateindividualsand foundations. Itacceptsnogovernmentfunds,directlyorindirecdy. TheexecutivecommitteeincludesRobertL.Bernstein,chair;AdrianW.DeWind, vicechair;RolandAlgrant,LisaAnderson.PeterD.Bell,AliceL.Brown,WilliamCarmichael, DorothyCullman.IreneDiamond,JonathanFanton,AlanFinberg,JackGreenberg,AliceH. Henkin,StephenL.Kass,MarinaPintoKaufman,AlexanderMacGregor,PeterOsnos,Bruce Rabb,OrvilleSchell.GarySick,andMalcolmSmith. The staff includes Kenneth Roth, executive director; Holly J. Burkhalter, Washingtondirector; Gara LaMarche,associatedirector; Ellen Lutz,Californiadirector; Susan Osnos, press director; Jemera Rone, counsel; Michal Longfelder, Development director;StephanieSteele,operationsdirector;AllysonCollins,researchassociate;Joanna wescnier,rrison rrojectdirector, KennetnAnderson,Arms rrojectdirector, uorotnys^- Thomas, Women's Rights Project director; and Gara LaMarche, the Fund for Free Expressiondirector. TheexecutivedirectorsofthedivisionsofHumanRightsWatchareAbdullahiAn- Na'im,AfricaWatch;JuanE.Mendez,AmericasWatch;SidneyJones,AsiaWatch;JeriLaber, HelsinkiWatch;andAndrewWhitley,MiddleEastWatch. AddressesforHumanRightsWatch 485FifthAvenue 1522KStreet,N.W.,#910 NewYork,NY 10017-6104 Washington,DC 20005 Tel:(212)972-8400 Tel:(202)371-6592 Fax:(212)972-0905 Fax:(202)371-0124 email:[email protected] email:[email protected] 10951WestPicoBlvd..#203 90BoroughHighStreet LosAngeles.CA 90064 London,UKSE1 ILL Tel:(310)475-3070 Tel:(071)378-8008 Fax:(310)475-5613 Fax:(071)378-8029 email:[email protected] email:[email protected] Copyrightedmaterial PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PhysiciansforHumanRights(PHR)isanorganizationofphysiciansand other health professionals that brings the knowledge and skills ofthe medical sciences to the investigation and prevention of violations of internationalhuman rightsand humanitarian law. PHRworkstoapply thespecialskillsofhealthprofessionalstostoptorture,"disappearances" andpoliticalkillingsbygovernmentsandoppositiongroups;toreporton conditionsandprotectionofdetaineesin prisonsand refugeecamps; to investigate the physicaland psychologicalconsequencesofviolationsof humanitarian law and medical ethics in internal and international conflicts; to defend the right of civilians and combatants to receive medicalcareduringtimesofwar;toprotecthealthprofessionalswhoare victims ofhuman rights abuses; and to prevent medical complicity in tortureandotherhuman rightsabuses. Since 1986,PHRhassentoverfortyfact-findingandemergencymissions to over twenty-five countries. PHR bases its actions on die Universal DeclarationofHumanRightsandotherinternationalhumanrightsand humanitarianagreements. Theorganizationadherestoapolicyofstrict impartialityand is concerned with the medical consequences ofhuman rightsabusesregardlessoftheideologyofdieoffendinggovernmentor group. H. Jack Geiger, M.D. is President; Carola Eisenberg, M.D. is Vice President; Eric Stoveris Executive Director; Susannah Sirkin is Deputy Director;KariHannibalisMembershipandEducadonCoordinator;Gina VanderLoopisDevelopmentDirector;BarbaraAyotteisSeniorProgram Associate; ShanaSwiss, M.D. is DirectorofWomen's Program; Vincent Iacopino, M.D. isWestern Regional Representative;and ClydeC. Snow isSeniorForensicConsultant. PhysiciansforHumanRightscanbereachedat100BoylstonStreet,Suite 702, Boston, MA 02116;Tel: (617)695-0041; Fax: (617)695-0307. Copyrightedmaterial CONTENTS Prefaceby Senator PatrickJ. Leahy xi L. AWeapon ofMass Destruction in Slow Motion 3 2. The Developmentand Use ofLandmines 16 3. Global Production and Trade in Landmines 35 4. Transparency in the Production andTrade in Landmines 107 5. Overview ofthe Medical and Social Consequences ofthe Use ofLandmines 117 6. Country Case Studies ofthe Landmines Problem Global Overview 141 Angola 149 Cambodia 165 El Salvador 184 Iraqi Kurdistan 188 Mozambique 204 Nicaragua 216 Northern Somalia 221 7. Mine Clearance , 234 Copyrightedmaterial 8. International Law Governing Landmines 261 9. Initiatives toControl Landmines 319 10. The Future ofLandmines 332 11. Conclusion 350 Appendices 357 Bibliography 485 Acknowledgements 509 Copyrightedmaterial