The Royal Thai Government recognizes
that landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) are a major obstacle
to development and economic growth in rural border commmunities.
The Royal Thai Army and Navy have been conducting demining operations
in areas along the borders since 1987.
Royal Thai Government signed the Convention on
the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer
of Anti-Personnel Mines in Ottawa on 3 December 1997. Thailand
deposited its ratification instrument at the United Nations on
27 November 1998, the first nation in Southeast Asia to do so.
A National Committee for Anti-Personnel Management
was appointed in 1998 to address the landmine issue under the
direction of the Prime Minister (Order No. 151/1998). In year
2000, the Prime Minister established the National Committee for
Humanitarian Mine Action superceding the earlier committee (Order
No.15/2000). This new committee is chaired by the Prime Minister
and its members include representatives of all major Ministries
and Departments of the Royal Thai Government.
Specific duties of National Committee include:
Coordination of national and international support for demining
activities;
Dissemination of information about the threat posed by landmines
and the progress made to remove that threat; and
provide a safe environment to those people affected by anti-personnel
landmines;
NMAC is responsible for monitoring Thailand's
progress toward implementing its obligation as a signatory of
the Ottawa Landmine Ban Treaty, including:
Implementation of the law prohibiting the use of anti-personnel
landmines;
Implementation of demining operations;
Establishing the minimum quantity of anti-personnel landmines
to remain in Thailand for education and demining purposes; and
the destruction of all anti-personnel landmine stocks in excess
of this established minimum.
The
Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC) was established in January
1999 to function as the central coordination agency for all landmine
issues and operations in Thailand. The mission of TMAC is to coordinate,
monitor and implement Mine Clearance, Landmine / UXO Survey, Mine
Awareness and Victim Assistance activities thoughout Thailand.
TMAC is also responsible for establishing a programme to meet
Thailand's obligations as a signatory to the Ottawa Treaty. TMAC
operates under the royal patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess
Galyani Vadhana Krom Lung Naradhiwas Rajnagarindra
TMAC offices are located at the Supreme Command Headquarters in
Don Muang, near the international airport.
Three Humanitarian Mine Action Units (HMAU) conduct
demining operations along the Cambodia-Thailand border and one
HMAU along the Laos-Thailand border:
HMAU-1 Burapha Task Force, responsible
for Sa kaeo province
HMAU-2 Chantaburi-Trat Marine Task Force, responsible for Chantaburi
and Trat provinces
HMAU-3 Suranaree Task Force, responsible for Buriram,
Surin, Si Saket and Ubon Ratchatani provinces
HMAU-4 Phamuang Task Force, responsible for Phitsanulok,
Phetchabun, Uttaradit, Nan, and Phayao provinces
Three educational programs have been established:
Demining School - located in Ratchaburi province
Mine Dog Training School - located in Nakhorn Ratchasima province
Mine Awareness School - located in Lopburi province