Photo exhibition about landmine survivors held in Beijing
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Despite the warnings, family tragedies like this happen again and again, as villagers like Kien Le need money, and in poor areas, there is no chance to get richer. "Voices from the Ground," a report released at the exhibition press conference, found that children accounted for 32 percent of all victims of landmines, totaling 73,000 people dead or injured during the past decade.
In 2008, the recorded number of victims was 5,197, but the number did not include unreported deaths and injuries in poor remote areas. The report assesses the struggle of landmine survivors in 26 countries where people remain threatened by the horrors of war long after the fighting ends.
"Although we have made great progress around the world, further efforts are still needed," said Wetter. "The only way to solve the problem is to prohibit the use of weapons like these."
The Mine Ban Treaty, or the Ottawa Treaty, is the first international treaty completely banning all anti-personnel landmines, and also dedicated to reintegrating landmine survivors back into society.
More than 80 percent of countries around the globe are signatories to the treaty, each promising to be landmine-free in 10 years or longer.
However, huge nations like the United States, Russia and China are not parties to the treaty.
"We hope these countries join the treaty as soon as possible," said Van Wetter.
"Their commitments to be landmine-free are of particular importance in setting examples for other countries in the world."
He said that although China has made no formal promises to be landmine-free, the country has helped clear mines and reduce stockpiles.
"With a long boundary line, China is still in need of landmines to protect its own borders from being invaded," explained Zhai Dequan, deputy secretary-general of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association.
"Besides, as landmines played an important role in resisting the attack of Japanese troops during the Resistance War against Japanese Aggression (1937-45), therefore, many Chinese generals have a special feeling toward them."
China stopped producing and exporting landmines after 1996, and is gradually destructing stockpiles each year, which Zhai said represents huge progress in solving the problem.
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