ANTI-PERSONNEL LAND MINE STOCKPILE DESTROYED

UNCLAS DHAKA 001247 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM BG SUBJECT: ANTI-PERSONNEL LAND MINE STOCKPILE DESTROYED ¶1. On March 8, the MFA sent us a diplomatic note stating that as of February 28, 2005 it has destroyed all if its anti-personnel mines, while retaining some for training purposes as provided by the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and their Destruction. Under the provisions of the Convention, anti-personnel mines were to be destroyed by March 1, 2005. ¶2. Last Fall 2004, Bangladesh started destroying its 200,000 anti-personnel mines under a UN Anti-Personnel Mine Treaty signed in Ottawa 1997, according to media accounts. Bangladesh acquired the landmines from China, Iran, India, Pakistan, the US, the former Yugoslavia with many mines left over from the 1971 war of independence with Pakistan. Bangladesh will keep 15,000 landmines for training purposes including UN peace keeping assignments. ¶3. Landmines reportedly remain along a 200-kilometer stretch of the Burmese border in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the Ukhia and Ramu sub-districts of the Cox's Bazaar District and the Naikongchari, Alikadam and Thansi sub-districts of the Bandarban district located in the south-east part of Bangladesh. THOMAS