Kyrgyzstan action ideas

Author/Origin: Sue Wixley wixleySPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERicbl.org

(Friday 07 November 2003 )

Write to the Kyrgyz authorities

Message to Bishkek

• Congratulate them for co-hosting a conference on landmines in early November 2003.
• Encourage them to take further their commitment to the eradication of the weapon by abandoning antipersonnel mines all together and joining the Mine Ban Treaty.
• Urge Kyrgyz leaders to do all they can to prevent further mine incidents.
• Point out that antipersonnel landmines violate international law because they do not discriminate between civilians and the military and because of the suffering they cause.
• Say that the long-term socio-economic consequences of mines outweigh any questionable military advantages.

Address your letters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Also send copies to the nearest Kyrgyz embassy

Write to the Uzbek authorities

Message to Samarkand

• Express your concern about the humanitarian and socio-economic consequences of antipersonnel mines laid in the Kyrgyz border areas.
• Point out that a Red Cross study in 1996 showed that antipersonnel mines are not indispensable from a military point of view.
• Say that the long-term socio-economic consequences of mines outweigh any questionable military advantages.
• Urge Uzbek authorities to share information on its minefields in the border region with Bishkek and to facilitate humanitarian mine action in these areas.

Address your letters to one of Uzbekistan's ambassadors: (choose the nearest or most relevant) Uzbek embassies.

Write your government

Ask YOUR government to put pressure on Bishkek, particularly if the latter has joined the Mine Ban Treaty (check here: www.icbl.org/ratification/).

Message to States Parties

• States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty should be encouraged to advance the emerging international norm that rejects antipersonnel mines and do its best to promote the treaty.
• Say that their help is needed because the central Asian region, much of which is mine-affected, is lagging behind in terms of universalisation of the treaty.
• Remind them that, with the treaty Review Conference taking place in November/December 2004, now is a good time to push countries to join the international agreement.

Address your letter to your Minister of Foreign Affairs (or similar), many of them can be found in our Government Database. If your country has an embassy in Bishkek or Samarkand send them a copy too. See this page: for embassies in Kyrgyzstan and this page: for Uzbek embassies.