Just 12 years ago, landmine-infested areas in Thailand covered a vast 2556.7 square kilometres. As of last year, after a mammoth effort to clear them, the areas have shrunk enormously to a little more than 540 sq km _ or 85% less.
A Thai deminer goes about his dangerous work on the border. Thailand has extended a deadline to clear all the mines on its territory to 2018.
The figures, at a glance, might induce a feeling of complacency. But wait.
We need to realise that the remaining affected areas, scattered in forests in 18 provinces, most of them on the border, are not off-limits to local villagers who earn their living from forest products. Anytime they get into the forest, their safety is compromised.
The most recent case was in Si Sa Ket last month when a young villager was searching for forest products near his home and stepped on a landmine which blew off his leg. By sheer good luck, that was all he lost.
The Si Sa Ket incident was not only a wake-up call, but attests to the fact that landmines continue to add to the hardships of poor villagers and that further action against them is seriously needed in order to achieve the ultimate goal of a "zero-victim, mine-free" society.
In retrospect, Thailand's track record regarding action against landmines, particularly on the international stage, has been quite positive.
Thailand was the first country in Asean to become a signatory state to the Mine Ban Convention (The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction) in 1997. Thailand ratified the convention the following year and in 1999 it was the 53rd country to become a party to the convention. That same year the Thailand Mine Action Centre (TMAC) was set up to handle mine clearance, with the cooperation of international agencies.
Thailand has played a constructive role in the international landmine community. Bangkok played host to the fifth meeting of the state parties (5MSP) in September 2003 and, this week, as co-chair of the Standing Committee on Resources, Cooperation and Assistance, the country will host an international symposium on "Cooperation and Assistance: Building Synergy towards Effective Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention Implementation". The two-day event, which kicks off this morning at a Bangkok hotel, will see a large gathering of experts and those who work at the policy level, plus people with field experience from affected countries, in a bid to enhance assistance and cooperation on mine victims and survivors.
With regard to assistance for mine victims, Thailand has plenty to show to the world. Its "made-in-Thailand" prosthetic legs are a success story. We have developed artificial legs that are made of wood. Known as the Khatiam Kaset model, which is developed by the Chiang-Mai based Prosthetic Foundation under the royal patronage of HRH the Princess Mother, the legs are more suitable for farmers _ a large group of mine victims.
Without question we are obliged to do whatever we can to fulfil our commitment in landmine-related matters.
Yet a lack of funding these days _ a very typical excuse by state agencies _ has been cited as a reason for the painful delay in TMAC's operations at home. The plan to clear at least 40 sq km of mine-infested area per year exists only on paper. We have missed the goal of "zero mines" that was initially set for 2008; and sought a nine-and-a-half-year extension which requires us to finish the clearance of the explosive substance in the next five years, or in 2018.
Whether we can do that remains a big question.
The meagre budget, at about 100 million baht a year, has demoralised the staff of the cash-strapped TMAC. Personnel turnover is reportedly high. Under such circumstances, the goal of "zero-mines" is but a distant dream.
Ploenpote Atthakor is deputy editorial pages editor, Bangkok Post.