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Site Admin <webmaster2@icbl.org> .
Monday 10 December 2007
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) has declared that it will not use antipersonnel landmines, Swiss-based NGO Geneva Call announced in a press release on 5 December 2007.
The PDKI has carried out political and armed activities aimed at an AutonomousKurdishRepublic. The group states that it halted all armed activities in 1997, but - according to the press release - it maintains a militia. Two other Kurdish armed groups, Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) and Komalah are actively involved in armed insurgency in Iran.
Geneva Call quoted the Secretary General of the PDKI, Mustafa Hijri, as stating: “The Kurdish populations have suffered the most, in life and financial losses as the consequence of the use of landmines. Our Party considers the use of antipersonnel mines, which results in killing and maiming innocent people as an inhuman act, and strongly condemns it.” The PDKI signed Geneva Call’s Deed of Commitment (DoC) – a pledge to refrain from mine use and cooperate in the clearance of mines which others may have laid previously in their areas of operation.
The PDKI’s declaration that it will forego the use of antipersonnel mines is the first by an armed group in Iran. The group has not been reported in the Landmine Monitor Reportto use antipersonnel landmines. The Landmine Monitor reports that Kurdish and other areas along the western border of Iran remain affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war from the 1980-1988 conflict with Iraq. Iran is not a party to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty.
