Demine dreams

Sri Lanka set ambitious target to be 'mine-free' by 2020:

by Dilrukshi Handunnetti

On March 2, Sri Lanka pledged to endorse the Ottawa Convention, better-known as the International Mine Ban Treaty. The once mine-infested island now intends to become 'mine-free' by 2020, an ambitious yet possible target to achieve, according to those who mind the mine action work.

But the announcement, made in Geneva by Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, at the First International Pledging Conference for the Implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, intends achieving a vital target necessary to have the island 'mine-freed': International funding that has sharply decreased with donor attention shifting to more conflict-ridden places in the world than the Indian Ocean island.

Once adopted, Sri Lanka will be the 163rd State Party to the Ottawa Convention, carrying with it, a number of State responsibilities in mine risk reduction.

According to the Mine Action Group here, some 64km2 remain contaminated, making the final phase of mine clearance in mine-littered Sri Lanka, both time consuming and laborious.

"Following the intense mine clearance program, thousands have been able to return home, in the North in particular. But it is not an easy task as jungle clearance is done manually," said a top military officer associated with the demining initiative.

Contamination

Sri Lanka's status as a heavily mined country is globally known. According to the Landmine Monitor - which monitors global progress in the elimination of landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war -over 22,100 Sri Lankans have been killed or injured by landmines or explosive remnants so far.

On the other hand, there is a sharp decline in contamination levels - with the Sri Lankan Ambassador Ravinatha Ariyasinha referring to 64km2 left for demining work to end.

Sri Lanka's own plan for freeing the island of landmines in the next four years will be officially launched on April 4 -the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

The scale of the ambition apart, achieving the target may not be too accurate, deminers working on the ground say, for very different reasons.

According to the military, the final phase of landmine clearance 'proved more difficult than anticipated" due to topography. The terrain is difficult, including jungle patches, requiring manual clearance.

"What remains to be cleared are the difficult stretches. This requires special skill and time, as they are mostly demined manually, with minimum use of machines," the source explained, adding that there had been good progress but the expectations are high while the clearance is slow, due to valid practical reasons.

Bar to resettlement

Despite the difficulties, there is much hope riding on the island's new commitment to be free of anti-personnel mines and to ensure return of the families that fled a raging war between government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Much hope also rides on the possibility of unlocking the door to international funding to achieve that target.

The Minister of Rehabilitation and Resettlement, M. S. Swaminathan identifies the need for demining of the remaining area as a vital step to complete the process of resettlement. "Several hundred thousands of people had been displaced, sometimes on multiple occasions. They are eager to return. We hope people will soon be able to enjoy normalcy," he said.

Mine clearance in Sri Lanka is operationalised by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in collaboration with several foreign and local agencies. Areas identified for resettlement in the aftermath were cleared by 2012, though at that point, not all lands under cultivation were completely demined.

"There had been some delays. The first target of clearing identified locations by 2015 failed as the remaining areas proved more difficult due to their topography, which includes shrubs, jungle and mangroves. They had to be manually demined and that continues," added the military source.

Deminers also know that there is no 100% fool proof method when it comes to manual demining. There is always a risk. Irrespective of the safety mechanisms in place, there is a risk. Manual demining is necessary to clear areas that are considered difficult to demine mechanically. It naturally slows down the rate of clearance."

According to Jaideep Singh, a former member of the Indian demining team Sarvatra that concludes its clearing operations in 2013, "Manual demining is a must for thick-forested areas or areas with shrubs and mangroves."

Engaged in demining work in the once heavily mined Mullaitivu is Lance Corporal Priyath. He carefully clears the soil, using only a metal detector. The process takes time but he remains patient. "It is a tedious task. But this level of concentration is necessary to clear the area properly. We wear protective equipment consisting of a helmet and jacket, but the area below the knee is vulnerable to injury," he explained.

On a regular day, demining work begins around 6.00 a.m. in what is referred to as 'the hazard area.'

Patterns of demining

Assigned teams of two members clear a demarcated area of 25 m, but success depends on the concentration of mines, especially if there are buried anti-personnel mines. The success rate depends on not just the low concentration of mines but soil and weather conditions as well.

UNICEF statistics show that some 16 people were killed due to uncleared objects in 2014 where as in 2015, there is a decline, with the number of killed being six.

Deminers are quick to point out that 'mine mapping' contributes to success. While the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has buried the mines according to an identifiable pattern, the availability of these records contributes to the success of the demining operations.

"Not so when it comes to demining areas once held by the LTTE: There are no maps or clues. That also means, higher levels of risk for deminers," added a military officer associated with the co-ordination of demining operations in the island's North.

Strange as it may be, the Army had used imported explosives of Pakistan and Chinese origin, the LTTE had relied on their own local explosives, though considered extremely powerful - and destructive.

Fewer countries have dealt with landmine contamination to the extent that Sri Lanka had.

Seven years after the war, though it may appear paradoxical to find Sri Lanka ready to adopt the Ottawa Treaty due to its own reliance on mines during the years of war, the island appears ready to go to the next level: A mine-free country by 2020.