Canada Supports Sri Lanka’s Peace-Building Efforts

7/23/2019 Canada Supports Sri Lanka’s Peace-Building Efforts

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Canada Supports Sri Lanka’sPeace-Building Efforts

17 December 2015: The Canadian Government continues to support efforts

to rid the country of landmines in villages ravaged by years of Sri Lankancivil war. An effort with an end in sight.

The Government is providing CAD$850,000 in 2015-2016 to non-governmental organization Mines Advisory Group (MAG) to keep thousandsof men, women and children safe from the mines and unexploded bombsthat continue to litter the land six years after the end of the country’s longconflict.

Speaking from a minefield in the northern district of Mannar today, the HighCommissioner of Canada to Sri Lanka and Maldives, H.E. Shelley Whitingsaid: “The demining activities that we had the honour of seeing todayunderscored for me the critical importance of demining work in Sri Lanka.

“Clearance of landmines is a necessary precursor to peace and security forall Sri Lankans and is a key component of Sri Lanka’s broader plans forreconciliation and resettlement. Canada’s support to MAG is playing animportant role in helping Sri Lanka meet its objective of being mine-impactfree by 2020. Seeing MAG’s work today and noting the level of strong andconstructive coordination with government at all levels, I am confident thatthis objective will be met.”

These deadly remnants of war prevent farmers from being able to use theirland, restrict access to water sources, and hinder resettlement plans forthousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were forced to fleeduring periods of prolonged fighting.

With continued international support, MAG anticipates that the entire countrycan be free from the impact of mines by 2020. Speaking today, MAG SriLanka Country Director Alistair Moir said: “Sri Lanka remains a countrywhere MAG removes a staggering amount of landmines. Each one that isremoved brings greater safety and less fear for families who’d been living

with the daily threat of death and injury. Safe land means people can movearound freely and use farmland, which has such a sustained and positiveimpact on their lives and livelihoods.




“This is the tangible nature of our work, and we very much look forward tothe Government of Sri Lanka declaring a status of ‘mine impact free’ before2020. Canadian funds have been and remain vital in achieving this.”

During 2015, MAG removed 8,776 landmines and unexploded bombs in SriLanka. In addition, more than 25 million square metres of land has beenreleased in 2015 – either cleared of danger or deemed to be safe followingsurvey – enabling thousands of people to rebuild their lives.

High Commissioner Whiting added: “Canada’s support builds on thesignificant work already undertaken in mine clearing in the country by theGovernment of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan army and international deminingorganizations such as MAG.

“The devastating impact of landmines on civilians is without question. It ismy hope that the considerable work undertaken by the Government of SriLanka with the support of partners such as Canada, will save lives, facilitate

returns and lead to eventual accession by Sri Lanka of relevant internationaltreaties aimed at bringing an end to the use of these indiscriminateweapons.”

Additional Information:

Sri Lanka’s 25-year civil war left large areas of the Northern and EasternProvinces heavily contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO).Following the end of the conflict in 2009, this became a major impediment tothe resettlement of thousands of IDPs and was identified as the main priority

of the Government of Sri Lanka during the post-war period.

Mine action agencies, including MAG, were tasked to use all availableresources to clear residential areas and their immediate surroundings inorder to facilitate safe returns.

By the end of 2012, a total of 467,553 IDPs had come back to the north andeast. As the returning population grew, however, people set up homebeyond areas that were cleared during the emergency response, in closeproximity to hazardous areas.

Now classified as high priority for mine and UXO clearance, these sitesinclude vast areas of agricultural and forested land, on which the majority ofreturnees are dependent for food, firewood and building materials.

Sri Lanka now considers itself to be in the final phase of demining andsignificant progress has been made. It is important that momentumcontinues, and the support for international agencies over the next twoyears will be critical.

Notes for Editor:

In Sri Lanka during 2015, MAG removed and destroyed 7,342 landminesand 1,434 items of UXO.




MAG shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for its work to ban landmines.

In 2015, MAG has:- made more than 30 million square metres of land safe around the world,working in Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia- removed and destroyed more than 100,000 deadly explosive items suchas landmines and unexploded bombs- given more than 23,000 ‘risk education’ sessions, helping half a millionpeople to stay safe until land is cleared. Around 1.4 million men, women and children directly benefited from MAG’swork. Another two million more are estimated to have benefited indirectly.

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Canada Supports Sri Lanka’s Peace-Building Efforts