Landmine Survivors Bicycle Rally

(Wednesday 23 April 2003 Bangkok, Thailand)

Stockpile Destruction in Thailand, photo by ICBL.

Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC), in partnership with Thailand Campaign to Ban Landmines (TCBL) and its network of NGOs: Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, Handicap International -Thailand; Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC); Jesuit Refugee Service Asia Pacific (JRSAP); General Chatchai Choonhavan Foundation; and Nonviolence International (NI), has organized a bicycle rally from Bangkok to Lopburi during the period of 22-24 April 2003. The event is being held to congratulate the Royal Thai Government on the final destruction of anti-personnel mines from stockpiles under the obligation of the Mine Ban Treaty, and to promote the Fifth Meeting of States Parties (5MSP) to the Mine Ban Treaty that is going to take place in Bangkok in September 2003.

Thailand has been active in the international arena in supporting a ban on landmines and has worked for universalization of the Ottawa Convention in ASEAN and the Asian region. The country signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and deposited its instrument of ratification on 27 November 1998, and the treaty entered into force on 1 May 1999. Since entry-into-force of the Treaty, a gradual series of destructions of stockpiled landmines have been undertaken, moving towards the 1 May 2003 deadline for destruction of all stockpiles as set out in the treaty. At present, Thailand is completing its stockpile destruction, and the final destruction is going to take place on 24 April 2003 at the Royal Thai Army Artillery Field, Khao Phu Lone, Lopburi province.

Thailand is also the first Asian nation to play host to the Fifth Meeting of State Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty that will be held in Bangkok from 15-19 September this year. Representatives from the 146 signatorories/accessions nations and about 150 non-government organizations are expected to participate.

The bicycle rally by a group of 55 persons, consisting of 35 landmine survivors from the most landmine affected eastern border provinces- Trad, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaeo, Buriram, Surin, Srisaket and Ubon Ratchathani, together with 20 supporters from the Bicycle Club for Health and other organizations, is organized to congratulate the Royal Thai Government and celebrate these two occasions. The event also aims at raising mine awareness among Thai people. Mine ban campaign leaflets will be distributed to communities along the route.

For more information please contact:

• Colonel Surapon Suwanawong
  Assistant Director (Operations)
  Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC)
  Tel: (o) +66 02-929-2112, +66 02-929-2121, (c) +66 09-530-5655
  Fax.+66 02-929-2002 email:mai_mas5@hotmail.com or Visit: http://www.tmac.go.th
• Siriphen Limsirikul
  TCBL Ban Landmines Officer
  Tel: (o)+66 02 279 1817; (o)+66 02 278 4182; (m)+66 01 914 4155
  Fax: +66 02 2713632 Email:landmine@jrs.th.com