News from ICBL Campaigners Around the World
News from ICBL campaigners around the world
The good:
*latest count is 128 signatories, 31 ratifications - as of 6 aug
*establishment of MECOSUR Bolivia-Chile peace zone
including "Advance towards the establishment of Mercosur, Bolivia and
Chile as an area free of anti-personnel and land mines looking to
extend it to the whole western hemisphere."
* Nepal Campaign held
seminar with parliamentarians on the "ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS ON BAN
LANDMINES ."
*The International Service for Human Rights in Geneva is
giving the Human Rights Prize to Ambassador Jacob Selebi on August 12.
It is awarded to a diplomat or expert whom individual NGOs believe
merits the recognition of his or her exceptional personal contribution
to the promotion and protection of human rights.
The bad:
*confirmation of mining of the macedonian-yugoslav border
* NAM draft declaration on mines VERY weak, draft includes
sentence "elimination of landmines should take into account the
legitimate national security concern of States as well as their
legitimate rights to use appropriate measures for self defence". Urge
that this sentence and all references to national security be
dropped!!! KEEP LOBBYING especially campaigners in India, Pakistan,
Sri Lanka, Korea, Egypt, Cuba...who are pushing for this language, but
also African/Asian campaigns in signatory countries - talk to your
reps, go to the media...
The ugly...
*the bombings in nairobi and dar es salaam - friends at KCAL
volunteered to help, some had friends wounded - strength to them...
Details on some follow:
##
MACEDONIA, UN CONFIRM MINING OF BORDER
WITH YUGOSLAVIA
The Macedonian Ministry of Defense on 6 August confirmed news
reports that the Macedonian- Yugoslav border has been mined.
The previous day, a representative of the UN Preventive
Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) in Skopje said the minefields
overlap UN patrol routes. Defense Ministry spokesman Petar
Atanasov told Radio Macedonia the anti-personnel mines are on
the Yugoslav side of the border. Yugoslav forces have been laying the
mines for at least one month, the Skopje daily "Nova Makedonija"
reported on 6 A
Friends of Bosnia
47 East Street
Hadley, MA 01035
USA
Tel: 413-586-6450
Fax: 413-586-2415
fob-at-crocker-com
www.crocker.com/~fob
August 5, 1998
BC-Yugoslavia-Mines 1st Ld
Yugoslavia mines its border with Macedonia
With BC-Yugoslavia-Kosovo
Eds: SUBS to correct Jezice to Jazince in graf 3
SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) - Yugoslavia has planted mines along its border
with Macedonia in Kosovo province, apparently to prevent Albanian
militants from crossing illegally and smuggling arms, media and
foreign observers reported Wednesday.
"We have spotted the mines and we asked Belgrade and Skopje for
clarification," said Marc McEvoy, a spokesman for the U.N.
peacekeeping force in Macedonia.
The Macedonian media said the antipersonnel mines, which are banned
by some international conventions, have been placed at two spots
near Jazince, one of the main border crossings, on the Yugoslav side
of the border.
The Kosovo, 4th graf pvs.
(ds/me)
###
from John Head re MECOSUR:
To all addressees----this region has been declareed a peace zone free
from Mass Destruction Weapons. Please let me know if you want further
information.
Greetings. The Argentine Ambassador sent me a copy of the "Political
Presidential Declarations of Mecosur Bolivia and Chile as a Peace
Zone" and the Ushuaia Protocol on the Democratic Commitment in
Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile signed on the 24th July 1998 at Ushuaia.
I sent the following letter to the Chilean Ambassador and a similar
letter to the Argentinian Ambassador to support their stand on
landmines.
John Head
6 John Sims Drive
Broadmeadows
Wellington 6004
New Zealand
10 August 1998
H E Fernando Reyes-Matta
Ambassador
Embassy of Chile
P O Box 3861
Wellington
Your Excellency,
I have received a copy of the recent Political Presidential
Declarations of Mercosur Bolivia and Chile as a Peace Zone.
The establishment of the first peace zone in South America is a
significant and important step towards peace and security in general,
and the abolition of weapons of mass destruction. As Spokesperson for
the New Zealand Campaign Against Landmines (CALM) I particularly
welcome Paragraph 6 of the Declaration which states:
"Advance towards the establishment of Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile as
an area free of anti-personnel and land mines looking to extend it
to the whole western hemisphere."
This is very good news.
I was in Chile last month and met residents of Arica who
gave me a lot of information about landmines in their region. I am
sure that they too will welcome this political initiative.
Please pass on our thanks and congratulations to your President
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle for his initiative and for what he has done
to make the world a safer place.
Yours sincerely
John V Head, Spokesperson for CALM
Liz should this info be spread worldwide through your net?
Best wishes, John.
John Head
CALM New Zealand
6 John Sims Drive, Wellington 6004, New Zealand
http://www.protel.co.nz/calm/
###
Yesterday, August 8, 1998 Ban Landmines Campaign Nepal (NCBL)
organized a " Interaction Program" among the parliamentarians on
" ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS ON BAN LANDMINES ."
In that interaction program Hon. Bhim Rawal. Hon. Ganga Chaudhari,
Hon. Padma Ratna Tuladhar, Hon.Jeevan Prem Shrestha, Hon. Padma Ratna
Tuladhar, Hon. Chin Kaji Shrestha, Hon. Surendra Pandey, Hon. Shanta
Manawi, Hon. Shiva Bahadur Deuja, Hon. Mitha Ram Sharma Bajagaim, Hon.
Majhi Lal Tharu Thanet and Hon. Rajendra Prasad Pandey gave speech in
favor of banning landmines and they commited to put pressure the
government to sign the Ban Treaty and will raise voice in running
parliament. The program was chaired by Hon. Sarada Pokharel. I will
send detail report later. This time we are preparing for the
deligation to the Prime Minister with MPs and Human Rights
Organization. Thank you. Dear Liz, Please circulate the massage to all
campaigners.
Sincerely yours
Purna Shova Chitrakar
