The Australian Arms Control Coalition (AACC) has called for PM Scott Morrison to publicly condemn the decision of the United States to lift restrictions on its use of landmines.
The Coalition – which includes MAPW, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other leading NGOs – calls for the Australian Government to guarantee that Australia’s military cooperation with the US will not involve the use or transport of landmines.
It also seeks a guarantee that Australia will not relax the existing ban on the manufacture and export of landmines or their components in meeting its stated ambition to become a top weapons exporter.
The AACC is deeply concerned that the shift undermines decades of international effort to protect civilians from indiscriminate explosives in conflict zones.