ACTION ALERT - Albanian Campaign to Ban Landmines is launching a week of action against landmines 31 August - 5 September 1998

URGENT ACTIONAppeal from the Albanian Campaign

1) urgent appeal from the albanian campaign:

" We think that we have to strenthen the voice.
We have to take further steps and to make clear that we want to use
all the appropriate means for the proibition of mining actions. We
need to say "stop" to the use of mines in the end of this century.
The antimining Friends Committee of Albania,which has the honour to
be member of ICBL,appeals to all the organizations all over the
world to strenthen the voice for the proibition of these criminal
acts towards civilian population...The committee of anti-mines
friends is preparing a memorandum to release the crises of mines in Kosovo by
taking powerful preventive measures, which will be presented to all
the concerned institutions. " and re the stamps: "During the first day
of the national week against mines (31 August) will be circulated
one postal emission named " Diana against Mines".This emission will
be composed of 2 postage stamps, one with princess Diana and one other
Diana with Mother Theresa.One C.M (carte maximum, a postal cart
with a post stamp of the same picture) will be also circulatad.The
third element will be FDC ( first day cover).In the CM is published
one photo of princess Diana with a mine dedector. The last day of our
WEEK action( 5 September) will be circulated one other postal
emission (joint albanian-italian publication for Mother Theresa.These
2 publications will be done in the corresponding days of the
death(anniversary) of these brilliant persons. Perthaps the first
publication is the only one wordwide with the theme of the action
against mines.Due to this fact, perhaps from your sidesomeone would
have interes to order a quantity.If so ,please try to order in
advance,because the quantity is too limited for some elements.The
prices are : postal emission 1.8 usd, FDC and CM 2.8 usd. If you
have intention to order, I,ll kindly ask you to tranfer the money to
this acc.nr:

TIRANA BANK Tirana Albania
Acc.Nr. 51.00.00.01-001-000755.01 Pasholli
SWIFT code TIR BALTR
Correspondent acc. Bank of New York,Deutche Bank AG,Union Bank of
Switzerland,
Societe Generale,Cariplo,Westmnister national Bank PLC.

2) sample letter to Robin Cook re mines laid in Kosovo:-

The Rt Hon. Robin Cook
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH

28 July 1998

re: mines laid in Kosova

Dear Secretary of State,

I would first like to take this opportunity to thank you and your
staff for your efforts to ratify the Ottawa Convention banning the
development, production, trade and use of anti-personnel mines. We
feel sure that this will encourage other countries to follow in the
footsteps of the United Kingdom leading to a strong and well-supported
addition to International Law.

There are concerns about elements of the Landmines Bill, as I am sure
you are aware. Nevertheless, this should not prevent us from working
constructively towards our common objectives: a world free of
landmines.

It has today come to my attention that, on July 17, while crossing
into Albania seeking refuge from the conflict in the Kosova region of
former Yugoslavia, 28 refugees were injured by mines planted in the
border areas. Some of these people may now have died from their
injuries. Other press reports have also in past weeks noted possible
mine-laying in the Kosova region by the former Yugoslav forces.

In a region so close to us all, where the European Community has
invested so much energy and resources, this situation as it begins to
come to light is quite unacceptable. New mines are being laid on our
continent with no apparent regard for either the Inhumane Weapons
Convention or the Ottawa Convention which are designed to protect
civilians. The use of indiscriminate weapons and of weapons which
cause unnecessary suffering is prohibited under International Law. The
British government agrees with these fundamental principles which are
enshrined in the Ottawa Convention.

I believe that the British government has an important role to play in
resolving the current situation in the region, and therefore we would
urge you to take all necessary measures to ensure that the conflict in
Kosova is ended rapidly; that no further mines are laid anywhere in
the Balkans; that all minefields are immediately cleared; that the
victims of these mines are properly cared for.

I will be glad to hear from you what measures you might take on this
issue, and remain

Yours sincerely,

Tim Carstairs

3) press release from Swiss Campaign from 14 June 98

PRESS RELEASE
The Swiss Campaign against antipersonnel mines
and The Swiss Foundation for Landmine Victims Aid
are willing to spread the following piece of information :

For many years now, and with the most absolute impunity, President
Milosevic transgresses the Human Rights in Kosove and follows an
apartheid policy. As the international community never reacted with
the required firmness, in the course of the last months this
individual has been able, without a care in the world, to wage a real
war against the Kosove people, a war which drags along the roads
hundreds of thousands refugees and which has caused hundreds of dead.
Since yesterday the Serb President took one more step towards horror.
Laying antipersonnel mines between the Kosove, the Albanian and the
Macedonian borders, he shows his real determination : To kill ! Even
innocent persons ! Even children ! Actually everybody knows that
antipersonnel mines are coward weapons which attack innocent persons,
which do not make the difference between a soldier's and a child's
step. Hundreds of million mines infest the planet. 3 million of them,
laid behind them by belligerents, are waiting for a victim somewhere
in Bosnia. Millions dollars have been invested for months in order to
clear of mines, to help victims and to obtain a worldwide ban of these
weapons. It should be then unacceptable to let Mr. Milosevic proceed
without reacting. At the present time only the Canadian Government
took offence at this decision. The Swiss Campaign against
Antipersonnel Mines et the Swiss Foundation for Landmine Victims Aid
earnestly require : · all the signatories to the Convention of Ottawa
to use their influence with the Serb Presidency at once, and make
arrangements for stopping this barbarity. · all these governments to
insist on the Serb representatives leaving their territory without
delay.

· the Swiss government, who claims to be a central actor in the
struggle against mines, to intervene particularly and vigorously,
entitled to do so owing to the fact our country belongs to the ones
which have already ratified the Convention of Ottawa. · Mr. Milosevic
to be judged for his odious and murderous actions by either a national
court of Justice or an international one.

For the Swiss Campaign against Antipersonnel Mines
And the Swiss Foundation for Landmine Victims Aid

Elisabeth Reusse-Decrey

Copy to the Swiss authorities and to the Serb representatives in
Switzerland

followed by a

4) various reports:
source: unicef
Security Alert: Landmine Information on Kosovo

There is confirmed information on landmines reported by Kosovo
Diplomatic Observers Mission (KDOM) in yesterdays' security
information at UNHCR. Landmines are recognized to be both
anti-personal and anti-tank mines.

"While UNHCR cannot confirm various reports about mines in Kosovo, it
is confirmed that mines have been laid along the Albanian and
Macedonian border with Kosovo and in the areas of Lapusnik, Iglrevo,
Rakovina and the road between Rakovina and Klina."

Landmines are confirmed in the area of;

- Junik and surroundings, particularly a dirt road which goes to the
north from the village of Junik - Yugoslav-Albanian border - south of
Grevnik (south of Dolac checkpoint in Klina mun.) - southwest of
Komerane

Advice from KDOM are:

- Not to enter any trenches or bunkers;
- better to take hard-surface roads;
- use non-paved roads only used by people in the area;
- gather information from local people.

###
>
> Title: FYROM: MIC Suggests FRY Army Laid Mines on FYROM Territory
> > Document Date: 6 Aug 1998
> Citysource: Skopje MIC
>
> The Macedonian Ministry of Defense holds data that on several points
> at the Yugoslav side of the Macedonian-Yugoslav border there are
> land mines. The minefields are near the Jazince and Blace border
> crossings, stated for daily Dnevnik Peter Atanasov, spokesman of the
> Ministry of Defense. The mines were noted several days ago by the
> UNPREDEP [UN Preventive Deployment Force] patrol comprised of
> soldiers from the Nordic countries. UNPREDEP Spokesman Marc McEvoy
> claims that the mines were planted at the patrolling route of the
> peacekeepers and for these reasons it has been altered. Experts
> claim that the northern neighbor decided on such measures with the
> intention to prevent raids of armed people, fighters of the OVK
> [Liberation Army of Kosovo -- UCK in Albanian], of terrorists, and
> for preventing weapons smuggling at the Yugoslav territory. They
> add that this is the sovereign right of our northern neighbor.
> Experts exclude the possibility that the mines were planted by the
> OVK. What is completely unclear is on whose territory were these
> mines planted. The Ministry of Defense and UNPREDEP say that the
> minefields are planted at the Yugoslav territory and it is quite
> unclear how did the UNPREDEP patrol "run into" these mines, as daily
> Dnevnik writes. On the other hand, as of the begging of their
> mandate, the peacekeeping forces highlighted that due to the
> unresolved issues regarding the borderline, they are now patrolling
> slightly deeper inside Macedonian territory. It remains to be
> clarified whether the mines were perhaps planted at Macedonian
> territory. Let us remind that even though the Macedonian-Yugoslav
> border has not been delineated yet, apart from the incident at
> Cupino Brdo, the situation at the border was assessed as good. THIS
> ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. COPYING AND DISSEMINATION
> IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNERS.

###

13 aug
980813 U.S. State Dept. Press Briefing
MR. FOLEY: ...J-u-n-i-k. The Kosovo diplomatic observer mission teams
have been denied access to this area. We expect Serb authorities to
grant full access to this area. Reports indicate that the Serbs have
mined paths around the village and refugees from the Junik area, and
entering Albania and have been treated for injuries consistent with
anti-personnel land mines. Refugees also report that up to 1,000
civilians remain in the town of Junik, which is under heavy fire from
surrounding Serb forces. The United States strongly condemns the
indiscriminate use of force by Serb forces against the town of Junik
and the mining of civilian areas...