Final signature count:
9,196
9,196 signatures
toward our 15,000 goal
With thousands of casualties and incalculable humanitarian costs each year, it's time to finally sign...
For over twenty years, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) has pursued a mine-free world. Despite their tremendous efforts, however, landmines continue to threaten individuals and communities, claiming over 4,000 victims in 2011 alone. The majority of these casualties are non-combatants, including hundreds of children.
The humanitarian costs are even greater. Landmines are frequently found near roads, in farmers’ fields, and around schools, rendering these areas inaccessible and slowing development, especially in post-conflict regions.
The Mine Ban Treaty, the ICBL’s signature success, counts 160 countries as party to its terms. The United States is not one of them, keeping company with other hold-outs such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and China.
Let’s tell the President to send a new message by finally signing the treaty and banning this archaic and indiscriminate weapon system.
<p>As reports continue to trickle in from all corners of the globe, an obvious trend emerges: land mines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) remain a weapon of choice for anti-government groups and militant organizations. Good only for destabilizing regions and terrorizing civilian populations — not to mention exposing soldiers to unnecessary harm — these indiscriminate weapons should not be granted any legitimacy.</p><p>A few recent examples of the devastating impact include:</p><ul><li><strong>05/17/13:</strong> Another report from the UN confirms that land mine casualties are on the rise in Myanmar, where both rebel fighters and government soldiers use the indiscriminate weapons. According to one surgeon, "The number one injury is caused by landmines, with both Burmese troops and Kachin soldiers mistakenly stepping on their own mines." Worse yet, many of the country’s 80,000 displaced civilians cannot return to their homes due to the risk of recently placed mines.</li><li><strong>02/18/13:</strong> New analysis from the UN succinctly illustrates the risks posed by landmines in former conflict areas. In Somalia, where a tentative peace has taken hold after decades of fighting, civilians continue to face the threat of these military remnants from past conflicts. Even still, retreating militants use the indiscriminate weapons to carry on their struggle against government forces. And children pay the price.</li></ul>
