Mailing asking people to write President Clinton and their congressional delegation and urge that the U.S. join other countries and adopt a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel landmines. The mailing says in the re-negotiation of the Convention on Conventional Weapons the U.S. should strongly support a comprehensive ban on landmines including use, production, stockpiling and export. The mailing says numerous human rights groups are working together to promote a comprehensive ban by the United States on the use, production, stockpiling and export of antipersonnel landmines. The mailing says an estimated 100 million landmines have been laid in more than 60 countries. The mailing says about one...
Mailing asking people to write President Clinton and their congressional delegation and urge that the U.S. join other countries and adopt a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel landmines. The mailing says in the re-negotiation of the Convention on Conventional Weapons the U.S. should strongly support a comprehensive ban on landmines including use, production, stockpiling and export. The mailing says numerous human rights groups are working together to promote a comprehensive ban by the United States on the use, production, stockpiling and export of antipersonnel landmines. The mailing says an estimated 100 million landmines have been laid in more than 60 countries. The mailing says about one third of these landmines are in Africa. The mailing says these landmines kill or injure 26,000 people each year. The mailing says Archbishop Desmond Tutu has called on the international community to unequivocally condemn landmines which he noted are "excessively cruel, cause horrific injuries, and - even after the cessation of hostilities - target unarmed civilians indiscriminately." The mailing says in January 1996 President Clinton signed legislation, introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Lane Evans, which imposes a one year moratorium on the use of antipersonnel land mines by U.S. forces except along international boundaries and demilitarized zones. The mailing says in his address to the United Nations on September 1994, President Clinton called for the eventual elimination of antipersonnel land mines. The mailing says internationally, 22 countries, including most recently Canada, have banned the use, production and export of antipersonnel landmines. The mailing says the U.S. has not adopted these measures, and has not argued for a comprehensive ban in the negotiation on the Convention on Conventional Weapons. The mailing says the U.S. has proposed that antipersonnel landmines should be made to "self-destruct" after a period of time. The mailing says in Angola alone there are an estimated 9-15 million landmines. The mailing says other countries where there is a significant landmine threat include Mozambique and Somalia. The mailing says even some countries that have been at peace for many years, including Namibia and Zimbabwe, have areas where landmines still need to be cleared. The mailing reprints an article "Nearly one land mine for every Angolan." The leaflet discusses the Leahy-Evans Amendment, U.S. landmine exports, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN Security Council, Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Programme of Community Rehabilitation and National Reconciliation, UN peacekeeping forces, UNAEMV-III, Norwegian People's Aid, Halo Trust, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), the lnstituto Nacional de Acção sobre as Minas (INAM), Forças Armadas de Angola (FAA), landmine clearance, action needed, and UNITA.
