Intl. non-profit proposes joint civilian-military effort to remove mines from DMZ

Valon Kumnova, chief of staff of the international non-profit HALO Trust, speaks at a symposium on mine removal in the DMZ at Yonsei University on Nov. 15. (provided by the Peace Sharing Forum)

HALO Trust has helped remove mines from regions such as Iraq, Somalia and Laos

“Clearing the mines allows the creation of sports fields where children can run and play. Towns will return, and people will live together again,” said Valon Kumnova, 42, chief of staff of HALO Trust, on Nov. 16.

HALO Trust is a British-based nonprofit organization that has worked to remove mines in a range of countries such as Iraq, Somalia and Laos. This international NGO is endorsed by the likes of Britain’s Prince Harry and US movie star Angelina Jolie.

“Mine removal is a humanitarian activity that saves the lives of children,” Kumnova said. Born in Yugoslavia, Kumnova joined the cause of mine removal after witnessing the horrors of war in Kosovo. “If South and North Korea are to succeed in their current mine removal work, they need to take advantage of the international community’s experience,” he said.

Kumnova was one of the representatives of international NGOs invited to attend a symposium at Yonsei University on Nov. 15 about removing mines in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between South and North Korea. He also visited the South Korean Ministry of National Defense to meet with experts from international NGOs that have traveled to conflict regions around the world to work on mine removal.

In accordance with a military agreement reached on Sept. 19, South and North Korea have been clearing mines as part of efforts to recover the remains of soldiers at Arrowhead Hill (Hwasalmeori), in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province. It’s estimated that 1.27 million mines are buried in the DMZ, which would make it the most mine-saturated region in the world.

The South Korean government is concerned that clearing the mines will require an astronomical amount of time and money. According to some estimates, removing all the mines that are buried throughout South Korea, including the DMZ, will cost 1.34 trillion won (US$1.19 billion) and take 469 years.

Colonel Li An-bang (right) of the Taiwanese army shares his experience in a successful mine removal project in Kinmen County that involved both military and civilian experts during a symposium on mine removal in the DMZ at Yonsei University on Nov. 15. (provided by the Peace Sharing Forum)

DMZ mine clearance would only take 5 years if IMAS standards were applied, Kumnova says

But Kumnova sees things differently. “The time and cost could be greatly reduced by using the international community’s International Mine Action Standards, or IMAS. The Mines Advisory Group apparently estimated that it would only take five years to clear mines from the DMZ if IMAS were applied.

IMAS, which was developed by the UN Mine Action Service in 2001, lays out the international norms for mine removal activities. It defines each stage of the mine removal process, from planning to completion, and provides information about training programs and technical matters.”

Just as in other countries, Kumnova argued, the participation of civilian experts is essential for efficiently clearing mines from the DMZ. He points out that South Korea has delayed joining the Ottawa Treaty, which bans the use of anti-personnel mines, because of the division of the Korean Peninsula and that the army has a monopoly on mine removal work.

Kumnova said that Taiwan is a classic success story. After adopting IMAS in 2006, Taiwan worked with civilian experts to clear all of the mines from the islands of Taiwan’s Kinmen County in just seven years. This project only cost US$84 million, and not a single person was injured.

Kinmen County (formerly known as Quemoy), comprises two groups of islands 200km from Taiwan and a mere 1.8km from mainland China, and served as the frontline of Taiwan’s defense against China during the Cold War. The islands were indiscriminately shelled by Chinese forces throughout the 1950s.

After the war, large numbers of mines were laid here to prevent Chinese troops from landing. More than 120,000 mines and unexploded shells were later removed from the islands.

“Service members and civilian experts were put on separate teams to do the work. The experience of the civilian experts was very helpful,” said Li An-bang, 49, a colonel in the Taiwanese army who attended this international symposium.

By Yoo Kang-moon, senior staff writer

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