Briefing for Distinguished Guests To Ban Nong Ya Kaeo

(6 March 2002, Bangkok)

I am Maj. Surin preeyanupab Operation Staff Officer of the 1st Humanitarian Mine Action Unit (HMAU ? 1); I would like to present a briefing about the mine action operations of HMAU ? 1 as follows:

Areas of Responsibility
Situation of Landmines
Mission
Organizational Structure
Mine Action Operations
Operational Outcomes

1. Areas of Responsibility

HMAU ? 1 is located at Burapa Field Forces (Eastern Thailand), Wattana Nakhon district, Sa Kaeo province. It is responsible for mine detection and clearance along the Thai ? Cambodian Border in Sa Kaeo province. The impact area covering 61 square kilometers. The first active of Dimining Unit to operates at Ban Nong Ya Kaeo, Khok Sung district, Sa Kaeo province. It is about 1 kilometer away from the border and is in the area most affected by mines, covering 1.9 square kilometers.

2. Situation of Landmines in Sa Kaeo Area

I would like to tell you some detail about Nong Ya Kaeo village, the site for first humanitarian demining project in Thailand. This village use to be part of fighting area. Lots of mines were laid in both linear form along the border line and as cluster form spread over area. According to many the accidents report of Burapha Field Force, this village is on top of the list and should be clear immediately.

After attempts by combat engineer group of the force that operated base on lack of demining resource. Those kind of operation had to stop, temporally mine sings and mine awareness, those need less fund were used instead. After the creation of TMAC and Sakaeo province was decided as the first priority.

According to the survey of Norwegian People^, s Aid (NPA) in Sa Kaeo province, it was Impacted by mine contamination. The areas most affected by mines are in Ban Nong Ya Kaeo and Ta Phraya district, while the most affected occupation were scavengers who search for useful objects in the jungle, and farmers and other agricultural workers. The 195 mine contaminated areas can be divided into 3 levels: 34 small areas of less than 100 square meters each, 43 medium areas of less than 10,000 square meters each, and 118 big areas of more than 10,000 square meters each.

3. Mission

HMAU ? 1 Mission consists of 3 aspects :-

To provide local villagers with mine awareness programs and find information related to mines/UXO in the community, school, and villages along the border.

To assist mine victims by referring them to hospitals.

To locate, mark and clear mines and unexploded ordnance contaminated areas in 5 steps:-

Step 1. Level I Impact Survey ? concerns the Landmine problem, suspected mined areas, data on Mine victims, and the impact of mines on the area^,s environment and economy ( NPA?s operation under TMAC?s responsibility ).

Step 2. Level II Technical survey ? regards the development of a data base from information gained in the Level I survey to distinguish the areas actually affected by mines from those areas merely suspected of being mined. This is done by mapping, marking minefields, and examining mine ? contaminated areas to get the clear picture of mined areas

Step 3. Mine clearance is conducted involves the Mechanical assistance Teams, manual clearance tools and Mine Dog Detection Teams

Step 4. Level III completion report ? involves the marking, report and prepared land for handover

Step 5. Handover land [To day]

So far, HMAU ? 1 has operated mine detection and clearance up to step 4 and plans to handover 44,800 square meters of cleared mined areas (28 Rai) to local concerned organizations today.

4. Organization Structure

HMAU ? 1 has 99 personnel working in the following sections:
Headquarters and Supply Section
Mine Awareness Team
EOD Teams
Technical Survey Teams
4 Mechanical Assistance Teams
5 Mine Dog Teams
6 Manual clearance Teams

5. Mine Action Operations

On 3 April 2000 ? started the operation by providing mine awareness and mine victim assistance.
On 6 July 2000, began mine detection and clearance with manual clearance tool. (probing, excavation, cutting tools, metal detectors ,trip wire drills)
September 2000, received 4 mine dog teams and started integration training with manual deminers and full clearance operation in January 2001
October 2000, received 2 TEMPESTs begin training trials, evaluation and started full prepare the mine area operation in December 2000
January 2001 received 2 SDTTs begin training, trials, evaluation and started full prepare the mine area operation in Febuary 2001
May 2001 received 1 BMD ? 48 begin training, trials, evaluation and started full mine clearance operation in August 2001
July 2001, received 8 more Mine Detection Dog Teams begin integration training total of 12 dogs
On 26 October ? 20 December 2001 Clearance operation in pakchong
On 14 January 2002 received new 1 TEMPEST for test, evaluation

6. Operations Outcomes

Provided mine awareness and education programs to 37,301 people in 61 villages.
Referred 152 disabled persons for assistance, Treated and evacuated mine victims to hospital. The last mine victim on 10 February 2002
TERRAIN PREPARATION

TEMPEST used to prepare the mined area over 32,600 square meters

SDTT used to prepare the mined area and operate demining over 489,600 square meters

BDM ? 48 used to prepare the mined area and destroy mines over 88,491 square meters.

Operated mine detection and clearance to ensure safe areas of 56,184 square meters

Types of mines and UXO detected in this village

44 APLs

37 UXO

Clearance operation in pakchong

Mine/UXO detection Clearance to ensure areas of 2,800,000 m²

Mine/UXO 12,728 ea.

Summary Mine Action Operation

Mine awareness 37,301 people in 61 villages

Mine detection and clearance 2,839,587 m²

Mechanical Area Preparation over 449,114 m²

Mine/UXO 12,807 ea