Youth Against War Treaty Targets India and Pakistan!

The Youth Against War Treaty Action Alert can now be downloaded in:  English, Français, Español, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu. Please note that Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the Hindi file.

Learn more about the Youth Against War Treaty, the Kashmir conflict, landmines in India and Pakistan and how YOU can take action!

Youth Against War Treaty

So what is the Youth Against War Treaty?

As governments were signing the Mine Ban Treaty at the December 1997 Ottawa Conference, Song Kosal and Canadian youth Lindsay Wilcox publicly launched the People’s Treaty, named for the huge swell of public support for a total ban on landmines. People who sign the People’s Treaty are invited to monitor government progress in areas of ratification, compliance, clearance and victim assistance, and they are encouraged to take part in advocacy campaigns to ensure that governments join the treaty.

In 1998 Kosal started the Kids Against War Treaty, a version of the People’s Treaty for youth to sign, promising to work toward a mine-free world. Later in 1998 the Kids Against War Treaty was renamed the Youth Against War Treaty and Mines Action Canada agreed to work with Kosal to promote the Youth Against War Treaty worldwide. By 2001, because of this tremendous effort, more than a quarter of a million signatures had been collected.

In March 2001, the petition signatures were delivered to the United States government, urging the United States to join the Mine Ban Treaty. Kosal and youth around the world are now collecting signatures urging India and Pakistan to join the Mine Ban Treaty.

Signing the Youth Against War Treaty is one way to show governments that youth are actively working for a peaceful, mine-free world.

Who started the Youth Against War Treaty?

Cambodian landmine survivor Song Kosal started the Youth Against War Treaty. When she was six years old, Kosal stepped on a mine while working in the rice paddies with her mother and lost her right leg.

At age 12 she became active in the Cambodian Campaign to Ban Landmines. After campaigning extensively in Cambodia, she traveled to Austria and Canada to address delegates at international conferences. Kosal has taken her message to Spain, Australia, Japan, United States, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Mozambique, Morocco, Belgium, Switzerland and France. She has met with heads of states and dignitaries around the world. In 2001 Kosal was named ICBL Youth Ambassador.

As ICBL Youth Ambassador, Kosal represents youth campaigners and survivors at events worldwide. Kosal has succeeded in putting a face to the many lesser-known child landmine survivors around the world. In her role as ICBL Youth Ambassador she continues to raise awareness around the world, while pursuing high school studies in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

India, Pakistan and the Youth Against War Treaty

Why have India and Pakistan been chosen as the new Youth Against War Treaty target?

India and Pakistan have been chosen as the new Youth Against War Treaty target countries. Both countries have used mines in the past and continue to use mines along their borders. These two powerful South Asian countries have the capacity to send a strong message to their neighbors in South Asia and indeed throughout the world by joining the Mine Ban Treaty. The ICBL has prioritized working to achieve universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty in South Asia by 2004. Join the ICBL and Mines Action Canada! Add your voice to the thousands of youth worldwide who are urging India to join the Mine Ban Treaty!

How can I get involved in promoting the Youth Against War Treaty in my community?

• Learn more about the landmines situation in India and Pakistan. Read the information in this kit. For further information read the ICBL’s 2001 2001 Landmine Monitor Report on India and the 2001 Landmine Monitor Report on Pakistan. Visit the ICBL Website for updated information and action alerts.
• Translate the Youth Against War Treaty into your local language.
• Gather signatures or fingerprints in your community. Be creative and target places where youth spend time including schools, mine awareness classes, community centers, markets and shopping centers, sporting events, tourist attractions, bus stations, places of worship and community festivals.
• Since the target countries are India and Pakistan, approach the South Asian community in your area through local temples, mosques, schools and community centers.
• Hold awareness-raising events about the landmines situation in India and Pakistan 
• Download a printable version of the English India kit here. This is a PDF file and you will need Adobe Acrobat to view.
• Download a printable version of the English Pakistan kit here. This is a PDF file and you will need Adobe Acrobat to view.
• Download a full version of the English kit here.  This is a PDF file and you will need Adobe Acrobat to view.

Landmines in Pakistan

How many landmines are in Pakistan?

There is a reserve of about six million landmines in Pakistan.  The numbers are not exact because they have not been confirmed or denied by the Pakistani government.  What is known is that the existing landmines are being converted from non-detectable anti-personnel landmines to detectable ones - a process that is done while it is being placed (a metallic disc is placed in the mines while placing the mine.), meaning they still exist and have not been destroyed as of yet.

Where have they been used in Pakistan?

The Pakistani military has used landmines in wars with India in 1947, 1965, and 1971. In addition Pakistan used landmines in its 1979 conflict with the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Pakistan continues a policy of using landmines as a way to defend its borders. Landmines have been used by the Pakistani military in past conflicts with Indian forces to defend the regions of Jammu and Kashmir (the North Eastern part of Pakistan) and continue to use them in case of future danger.  They have also been used in the Kohlu District in the province of Baluchistan (in the Western part of Pakistan.)
 
Pakistan has been accused of continuing to use landmines by India.  386 antipersonnel and antitank landmines have been recovered from militants in Kashmir in 2000 and another 46 mines were recovered in 2001 as of May 31.  There continues to be allegations of mines (either company bought or home-made) being used, not only in nation war as a tool of defence but also in interpersonal and intertribal conflicts.

How severe is the problem in Pakistan?

The government states that Pakistan is not a mine-affected country.  It does admit that certain problems are encountered along the areas near the border of Afghanistan since these area continue to experience disturbance and fact that the Pakistani military do not have a complete hold in the area due the accessible nature of its borders with Afghanistan.  Landmines in Pakistan have caused hundreds of casualties and a serious socio-economic epidemic.   Many of the casualties have been caused by what is known as a "Butterfly" mine that tends to look like a toy.  Many of them were scattered by Soviet and Afghan forces in large quantities from aircraft and helicopters wide areas of ground.  

There has been 599 victims since 1980, 261 (44%) were killed and 253 (42%) had to get amputations.  35% of those victims were women who worked in agriculture activities and 29% were children under the age of 18.  40% of the accidents happened while farming/grazing animals/crossing fields and 21% were when people were just out walking.  In Mamund, in the Bajaur Agency, accounted for 78% of victims identified in the region.  In the year 2000, 31 people were killed or injured in the Banjaur Agency. 

Does Pakistan produce landmines?

Pakistan has a state-owned Pakistan Ordnance Factories that produces six types of antipersonnel landmines.  As of 1 January 1997 only detectable mines were being produced. The production of what is known as a "fragmentation mine" was abandoned.  On December 1999 all detectable hand-emplaced remotely delivered mines were replaced with self-destruct and self-deactivating mechanisms.

Does Pakistan export landmines?

It is said that as of 1991, Pakistan has not exported landmines.  In 1997, there was a unilateral moratorium on exports and finally on February 1999 there was a total ban on the export of antipersonnel landmines.  However, antipersonnel and antitank mines with the Pakistan Ordnance Factories seal were spotted and photographed by a South Asian researcher during an interview with Indian Border Security Force officials and Indian Army officials.

Why has Pakistan not joined the Mine Ban Treaty?

Pakistan states that reason that it is unable to join the Mine Ban Treaty based on their policy of using all tools available to them to protect their border and sovereignty and its expression of concern in the long-standing conflict with its neighbour India over the disputed region of Kashmir.  The Pakistan government states that it will be difficult to join the Treaty unless other methods for defence are made available. 

The Kashmir Conflict

Who's involved in the dispute over Kashmir?

The territory of Kashmir was hotly contested even before India and Pakistan won their independence from Britain in August 1947. Under the partition plan provided by the Indian Independence Act of 1947, Kashmir was free to become part of India or Pakistan. The Maharaja, Hari Singh, wanted to stay independent but eventually decided to accede to India, signing over key powers to the Indian Government - in return for military aid and a promised referendum. Since then, the territory has been the flashpoint for two of the three India-Pakistan wars. In 1999, India fought a brief but bitter conflict with Pakistani-backed forces that had infiltrated Indian-controlled territory in the Kargil area. In addition to the rival claims of India and Pakistan to the territory, there has been a growing and often violent separatist movement fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir since 1989.

What are the rival claims?

Islamabad says Kashmir should have become part of Pakistan in 1947 because the majority of people living in the region are Muslim. Pakistan also argues that Kashmiris should be allowed to vote in a referendum on their future, following numerous UN resolutions on the issue. India, however, doesn't want international debate on the issue, arguing that the Simla Agreement of 1972 provided for a resolution through bilateral talks. India points to the Instrument of Accession signed in October 1947 by the Maharaja, Hari Singh. Both India and Pakistan reject the so-called "third option" of Kashmiri independence.

What is the Line of Control?

A demarcation line was originally established in January 1949 as a ceasefire line, following the end of the first Kashmir war. In July 1972, after a second conflict, the Line of Control (LoC) was re-established under the terms of the Simla Agreement, with minor variations on the earlier boundary.

Is the UN involved?

The UN has maintained a presence in the disputed area since 1949. Currently, the LoC is monitored by the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) whose mission is to "to observe, to the extent possible, developments pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire of December 1971".

Who are the militants?

Several groups are pursuing the rival claims to Kashmir. Not all are armed, but since the Muslim insurgency began in 1989, the number of armed separatists has grown from hundreds to thousands. The most prominent are the pro-Pakistani Hizbul Mujahideen. Islamabad denies providing them and others with logistical and material support. The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was the largest pro-independence group, but its influence is thought to have waned. Other groups have joined under the umbrella of the All-Party Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference, which campaigns peacefully for an end to India's presence in Kashmir.

Indian forces announced a unilateral ceasefire against militant groups in November 2000, but violence continued. Attempts to get talks going between the government and the separatist parties have faltered over separatist demands that Pakistan should be included in any dialogue. India says there can be no discussion involving Pakistan because it sponsors violence in Kashmir. India and Pakistan failed to narrow their differences over Kashmir at a summit in the Indian city of Agra in July 2001. In December 2001-January 2002 the situation over Kashmir once again escalated, leading to increased military build-up along the India- Pakistan border, including the use of AP mines.

The Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines

The Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament Environmental Protection (IIPDEP) coordinates the Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines. IIPDEP was founded on 6 August 1993. IIPDEP is a non-political, non-profit, NGO which undertakes research, public education and awareness-raising activities throughout India.

From 1999-2001 the Indian Campaign held 12 seminars on banning landmines in various state capitals and cities throughout India. In 2000, the campaign conducted three awareness-raising workshops in border villages in Jammu and Kashmir. The ICBL sent a delegation to India in May 2001 to participate in the Indian Campaign’s 4th National Conference on Banning Landmines in New Delhi.

Youth Involvement in the Indian Campaign

The Indian Campaign has worked with almost 150 youth throughout India to educate the public about the landmine problem in their communities. During March 1997, the Indian Campaign invited youth to participate in their 1st National Conference on Banning Landmines. Youth have actively participated in subsequent workshops and regional seminars.

Upcoming Events

The Indian Campaign has a series of events organized for 2002 including regional workshops and seminars on banning landmines in cities across in India and a youth conference. They will organize an event to hand over the Youth Against War Treaty signatures to the Indian Government. More details about this event will be posted shortly.

For more information about these upcoming events and the Indian Campaign please contact:

Dr. Balkrishna Kurvey
President, Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament and Environmental Protection
Coordinator, Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines
537, Sakkardara Road, Nagpur – 440009 India

Tel: 712-745-806
Fax: 712-743664
Email iipdep@nagpur.dot.net.in

Pakistan Campaign to Ban Landmines

Pakistan Campaign to Ban Landmines (PCBL) is already involved in some of the activities with the youth, especially in colleges, schools, university students and landmine victim's children. Due to lack of resources it has not yet been given a formal shape, however the youth are involved with PCBL in different activities like their involvement in PCBL awareness activities i.e. conference, Seminars workshops etc and filling up the petition forms of Youth Against War. PCBL has the capacity to coordinate the activities of youth and in this regard the Coordinator and other staff members works on different activities related to youth.

PCBL is interested to involve the youth in anti- landmine activities more effectively. The main reason of involving youth in campaign activities is because people have sympathies, love and affection toward youth and their voice have greater effect on the mind of people. The main goal of the youth program of PCBL is to effectively carryout the campaign activities against landmines that ultimately lead to a total ban on landmines.

The Campaign Coordinator performs a leadership role in all activities of PCBL including youth activities. As the youth, especially of this part of the world is not fully aware of the landmine issue, moreover the issue of landmine is also a sensitive issue & require expertise and knowledge to address it properly in Pakistan, therefore a constant guidance is required for the youth.

Involvement is for the youth in the age group of 10-22 years. There is a membership form that is provided to youth & by filling of that he or she becomes a member of the youth Campaign.

Activities and Events

The activities related to youth in Pakistan are concerned, there are organized presentations, sports events, and exhibitions etc in various schools colleges and universities.  In addition to all these some constructive activities like essay competition, sketch competition, debates against the use of landmines will be helpful to enhance the knowledge of youth and to better understand the landmine issue around the globe.

For more information on the Pakistan Campaign, please contact:

Faiz Mohammad Fayyaz
Coordinator
Pakistan Campaign To Ban Landmines (PCBL)
154/B, Street # 02, Hassan Gari Lane, Shami Road,
Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan.
Phone: 91-285680 Fax: 91-271081
Email pakistan@icbl.org

For more information about the Youth Against War Treaty and how to get involved please contact:

Mines Action Canada
1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1210
Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7
CANADA

Tel. 613-241-3777
Fax 613-244-3410
Email yaw@icbl.org