Team:Edinburgh/mapxmlsingapore



Singapore <![CDATA[The Republic of Singapore has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. In March 2008, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated that Singapore is supportive of all initiatives to overcome the humanitarian consequences of the use of landmines, but reserves the right to use landmines for its self-defense.

Singapore has consistently voted in favor of the annual UN General Assembly resolution calling for the universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, including Resolution 62/41 on 5 December 2007. In the explanation of its vote, Singapore stated that it “supports and will continue to support all initiatives against the indiscriminate use of anti-personnel landmines, especially when they are directed against innocent and defenseless civilians… At the same time…Singapore firmly states that the legitimate security concerns and the right to self-defense of any State cannot be disregarded. A blanket ban on all types of anti-personnel landmines might therefore be counterproductive.”

Singapore has said that its army only uses landmines for training, but that it must retain the option to use mines for self-defense.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told Landmine Monitor in March 2008 that Singapore is not in a position to disclose any information on the numbers in its stockpile for defense and security reasons. The official stated that Singapore applies stringent and strict controls on its stockpile management system and all mines are destroyed after their expiration date.

Singapore has long acknowledged that it produces antipersonnel mines, but officials declined to confirm if production lines were currently running.

Singapore declared a moratorium on the export of all antipersonnel mines in February 1998, which remains in force.

]]> <![CDATA[]]>