Ten years ago, Chouy Kimhourn was invalided out of the Cambodian army, following a landmine accident. Today, he is a member of his country's squad taking part in the Paralympic Games in Sydney, with support from his employer, Dublin-based AlertNet member Concern. Mine action groups say that to reflect the wishes of the public, the international landmine ban treaty should not be about clearing landmines for its own sake, but reducing the harm they cause to innocent civilians, reports AlertNet's Gerard Russell. Six years ago the United Nations catapulted landmines into the media spotlight by announcing that it would take over 1000 years to clear the world of its landmines. Russia's FSB domestic security service has accused the British anti-landmine charity Halo Trust of spying and teaching Chechen rebels explosives techniques.
Campaigners call for a global moratorium on cluster bombs.
AlertNet looks at a new report, which says the weapons have a disproportionate effect on civilians by blighting agricultural land and impeding reconstruction.