Vietnam

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Last updated: 04 August 2017

Summary: Non-signatory Vietnam has expressed support for the convention’s humanitarian objectives, but must overcome its concerns with key provisions of the convention before it can accede. Vietnam has participated as an observer in the convention’s meetings, but abstained from a key UN resolution on the convention in December 2016.

Vietnam states that it has never used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions. The United States (US) used air-delivered cluster munitions extensively in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s.

Policy

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Vietnam supports the humanitarian objectives of the convention, but says it cannot join until it can ensure it is able to meet the convention’s obligations.[1] In November 2015, Vietnam stated that, “A number of important obligations under the Convention remain of concern to us. The Convention still lists its proportional responsibility for victim assistance and remnant clearance first in affected countries, most of which are developing countries. Another difficulty is the ability to meet the clearance obligation under article 4 of the Convention.”[2]

Since 2008, Vietnam has expressed concern at its 10-year deadline to clear areas contaminated by cluster munition remnants, which it has estimated could take it “decades, even a hundred year[s] to fully complete.” Vietnam says the convention lacks a “mechanism” for ensuring international support and cooperation and wants certain states to join the convention, namely “cluster munitions users, producers and exporters” that “must be responsible for assisting affected countries.”[3]

Officials regularly state that Vietnam is studying the convention and the implications of acceding.[4]

In December 2016, Vietnam abstained from the vote on a key UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that calls on states outside the Convention on Cluster Munitions to “join as soon as possible.”[5] Vietnam also abstained from the vote on the first UNGA resolution on the convention in December 2015.[6]

Vietnam participated in two of the international Oslo Process conferences to develop the convention text, but attended the formal negotiations in Dublin in May 2008 and the Oslo Signing Conference in December 2008 only as an observer.[7] It participated in a regional conference on cluster munitions in Bali, Indonesia, in 2009 and an international conference in Santiago, Chile, in 2010.

Vietnam has participated as an observer in almost every Meeting of States Parties of the convention, including the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in September 2016.[8] It attended the convention’s First Review Conference in 2015 and intersessional meetings in 2011–2014.

Vietnam is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty. Vietnam signed the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) in 1981, but never ratified.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

In September 2012, Vietnam informed States Parties, “We do not produce, store, use or encourage to [sic] use cluster munitions.”[9]

In the past, some officials have said that Vietnam does not stockpile cluster munitions, but others were less certain.[10] A May 2010 position paper states that “foreign reports” show that Vietnam has never used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions.[11]

However, Jane’s Information Group cites the Vietnam Air Force as possessing KMGU submunition dispensers.[12]

The US used air-delivered cluster munitions extensively in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, creating a legacy of contamination.



[1] In September 2012, Vietnam informed States Parties of its “strong support for the humanitarian goal of the Convention” but said it would “not be in a position to complete clearance under the Article 4 deadline of ten years.” Vietnam said “states who have produced, used or abandoned cluster munitions must be accountable for the implementation of obligations under the Convention, including the clearance and destruction of cluster munitions.” Statement of Vietnam, Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Meeting of States Parties, Oslo, 11 September 2012. In December 2011, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized that “Viet Nam believes that those responsibilities should be laid with countries that had produced, used and exported cluster munitions. Only when this matter is resolved in a fair manner can we assure the universalization and effective implementation of the Convention.” He also expressed concern with the convention’s ten-year deadline. For Vietnam as a state that is “seriously affected by cluster munitions and with limited resources.” Statement by Le Luong Minh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the workshop on Joint Efforts in Mitigating the Consequences of Bomb and Mine Remnants of War, Hanoi, 5 December 2011.

[2] Explanation of Vote on UNGA Draft Resolution L.49/Rev.1, Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, General Assembly, Official Records, 70th Session: First Committee, 24th Meeting, New York, 4 November 2015.

[3] Statement of Vietnam, Convention on Cluster Munitions Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, 7 April 2014.

[4] For example, in a February 2014 interview in The People’s Army Newspaper, Deputy Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, said that before Vietnam can accede to the convention it must “research and have an overall evaluation on interests, limits, roadmap, time frame and the most important thing: the resources to implement the contents of that convention.” “Mine clearance needs both domestic, international resources,” Vietnam News Agency, 12 March 2014.

[5]Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions,” UNGA Resolution 71/45, 5 December 2016. 

[6]Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions,” UNGA Resolution 70/54, 7 December 2015.

[7] For more details on Vietnam’s cluster munition policy and practice up to early 2009, see Human Rights Watch and Landmine Action, Banning Cluster Munitions: Government Policy and Practice (Ottawa: Mines Action Canada, May 2009), pp. 261–262.

[8] Vietnam did not attend the convention’s Fifth Meeting of States Parties in San Jose, Costa Rica, in September 2014.

[9] Statement of Vietnam, Convention on Cluster Munitions Third Meeting of States Parties, Oslo, 11 September 2012.

[10] During the CMC mission in May 2010, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said there were no stocks, but a Ministry of Defense official was not clear on the issue. Thomas Nash, “Report on Cluster Munition Coalition Visit to Vietnam, 10–11 May 2010.”

[11] “Vietnam’s Position on Cluster Munition Convention,” undated, provided to Aotearoa New Zealand CMC on 26 May 2010.

[12] Robert Hewson, ed., Jane’s Air-Launched Weapons, Issue 44 (Surrey, UK: Jane’s Information Group Limited, 2004), p. 848.


Mine Ban Policy

Last updated: 24 October 2017

Policy

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Vietnam still considers antipersonnel mines as a legitimate weapon of self-defense and has cited national security concerns, especially border security, as reasons for not joining the Mine Ban Treaty.[1]

In September 2012, a military officer noted that Vietnam had been studying the treaty, but said that stockpiles of mines held by countries outside the treaty were of concern to Vietnam since they could be used at any time.[2] In June 2011, a representative from Vietnam said it was unlikely that the country would join the Mine Ban Treaty because they were still using mines on their borders “as a form of defense.” The representative added that Vietnam was not necessarily laying new mines, but it was actively maintaining them.[3] However, in an apparent review of policy, in 2013 a Ministry of Defence official stated to the Monitor that there was no longer any political reason to maintain minefields on its border with China, and that border minefields were being removed along with demarcation to ease economic activities with neighboring countries.[4]

Vietnam sent an observer delegation to the Twelfth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in December 2012, but did not make any statements. It has not attended any meetings since. Vietnam made its only statement to States Parties during intersessional meetings in June 2008, where it stated, “We support the humanitarian aspects of the Ottawa Convention of Anti-personnel Landmines but we could not sign it yet as it regrettably does not duly take into account the legitimate security concerns of many countries including Vietnam.”[5] Vietnam did attend the Bangkok Symposium on Enhancing Cooperation & Assistance in June 2013 in Bangkok.

On 5 December 2016, Vietnam abstained from voting on UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 71/34 calling for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, as in previous years.

Vietnam signed, but has not ratified, the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW).

Production, stockpiling, transfer, and use

Vietnam has not made any new official statements regarding its continued need, or capacity, for the production of antipersonnel mines and has not made any new statements regarding the types and quantities it holds in stockpile.

Vietnam produced antipersonnel mines in the past.[6] In 2008, officials said that Vietnam has not produced mines since the Mine Ban Treaty came into force, but also emphasized that it reserves the right to produce mines in the future.[7] Until Vietnam issues an official public statement that it does not currently and will not in the future produce antipersonnel mines, the Monitor will continue to list Vietnam as one of the few remaining global manufacturers.

In 2003, an official confirmed the existence of a stockpile of antipersonnel mines, saying, “Vietnam does not keep large stores of landmines, but we have enough to protect our country against invasion.”[8] In September 2012, a military officer stated that in the past two years (2011–2012), Vietnam destroyed 287 tons of stockpiled antipersonnel mines as well as destroying a limited number of antivehicle mines. While unable to provide a stockpile figure, the officer stated that “significant amount of mines stocked in Vietnam have been destroyed” and that each year Vietnam destroys around 100 tons of mines. The officer also stated Vietnam needs new technology for the destruction of munitions and support from the international community.[9]

Vietnam told States Parties in June 2008, “we strictly observe our policy not to export” antipersonnel mines.[10] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously wrote to the Monitor, stating, “Vietnam has never exported and will never export mines.”[11]

Vietnam is not thought to have used antipersonnel mines since its occupation of Cambodia in the 1980s, but it has said it reserves the right to use antipersonnel mines in the future.[12]



[2] ICBL meeting with Sr. Col. Phan Duc Tuan, Vice-Commander of Engineering Command, Ministry of Defence, Oslo, 14 September 2012.

[3] CMC meeting with Phan Hai Anh, Assistant Director General, Department of International Organizations, in Geneva, 27 June 2011.

[4] Monitor interview with Col. Nguyen Tanh Ban, Head of Bomb and Mine Department, Ministry of Defence, in Lusaka, 13 September 2013.

[5] Statement of Vietnam, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on General Status and Operation, Geneva, 2 June 2008; and see, Landmine Monitor Report 2008, pp. 1,050–1,051.

[6] In the past, Vietnam produced copies of Chinese, Soviet, and United States (US) mines. The only mine Vietnam has reportedly produced since the 1990s is the “apple mine,” which is a recycled version of the BLU-24 (cluster) submunition dropped by the US during the Vietnam War. See, Landmine Monitor Report 2006, p. 1,115; and Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 513.

[7] See, Landmine Monitor Report 2008, p. 1,051. In 2005 and 2006, officials from the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs told visiting delegations that Vietnam no longer produces antipersonnel mines. See, Landmine Monitor Report 2007, p. 1,023.

[8] Interview with Lt.-Gen. Vu Tan, Ministry of National Defense, Hanoi, 13 May 2003. The Ministry of Defence told the ICBL in 2006 that the stockpile consists only of mines recovered from cleared minefields. See, Landmine Monitor Report 2007, p. 1,024. In May 2008, an army official informed a Canadian government delegation that Vietnam’s stockpile of antipersonnel mines will expire in a few years. He stated that Vietnam has gradually started to destroy the mines “lot by lot.” See, Landmine Monitor Report 2008, p. 1,051.

[9] ICBL meeting with Sr. Col. Tuan, Ministry of Defence, in Oslo, 14 September 2012.

[10] Statement of Vietnam, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on General Status and Operation, Geneva, 2 June 2008.

[11] Letter from Nguyen Manh Hung, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 8 March 2001. An internal policy document provided to the Monitor by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “The Question of Antipersonnel Mines,” 2 March 2000, also stated that Vietnam has not and will never export antipersonnel mines. Despite the denial of past exports, it appears Vietnam provided antipersonnel mines to Cambodia, perhaps until the early 1990s.


Mine Action

Last updated: 21 November 2017

Contaminated by: cluster munition remnants (massive contamination, extent unknown), landmines (extent of contamination unknown), and other unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Non-signatory to the Mine Ban Treaty

Non-signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions

The extent of mine and cluster munition contamination in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is unknown. Most clearance of mines and cluster munition remnants is conducted by the Army Engineering Corps, which did not provide data for 2016. Survey and clearance of cluster munition remnants by international operators continued to increase in 2016 with 51.99km2 of hazardous area confirmed, 0.16km2 of suspected hazardous area (SHA) identified, and 17.41km2 of hazardous area cleared, resulting in the destruction of 11,872 submunitions. Three antipersonnel mines were destroyed during survey operations.

Recommendations for action

  • Vietnam should prepare a multi-year clearance plan, including prioritization criteria and the application of efficient survey methodology.
  • Vietnam should accelerate development of a national database and make data available to operators on a timely basis.
  • Vietnam should publish comprehensive annual reports on the results of survey and clearance by all operators, national and international.

Cluster Munition Contamination

Vietnam is massively contaminated by cluster munition remnants but no accurate estimate exists, even to the nearest hundred square kilometers. The United States (US) dropped 413,130 tons of submunitions over Vietnam between 1965 and 1973, striking 55 provinces and cities, including Haiphong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, and Vinh. Vietnam’s Military Engineering Command has recorded finding 15 types of US-made submunition.[1] Most types used by the US were air-dropped, but artillery-delivered submunitions were also used in central Quang Binh and provinces to the south of it.[2]

The Military Engineering Command said in 2011 that it had encountered substantial amounts of cluster munitions abandoned by the US military, notably at or around old US air bases, including eight underground bunkers found in 2009, one of them reportedly covering an area of 4,000m2 and containing some 25 tons of munitions.[3]

Mine Contamination

Vietnam’s mine problem is small compared with its explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination, but the extent is similarly unknown. Most mines were left by conflicts in the 1970s with neighboring Cambodia and China, and affect areas close to its borders with those countries.[4] Some mines have also been found around former US military installations.[5]

Vietnam cleared an area up to 1km deep along its northern border in the 1990s under an agreement with China, but areas further inland from the border are believed to be still contaminated with mines emplaced by the military of both countries. Since 2004, military engineers have reportedly cleared around 95km² of contaminated land in the northern provinces of Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Lang Son, and Quang Ninh bordering China under a project known as “Programme 120,” destroying mainly Type 72, K58, and PPM-2 antipersonnel mines.[6] Chinese troops launched a two-year operation to clear more than 50 minefields reportedly remaining on its side of the border in 2015[7] but Vietnam has made no disclosure on the extent of remaining contamination in recent years.

Cambodian border areas were affected by randomly placed mines reflecting the more irregular nature of the fighting there,[8] but Engineering Command reported in 2013 that the problem had been eliminated.[9] Many ports and river deltas were mined extensively during the war and were not completely cleared when it ended and some sea mines have been found on the coast.[10]

Program Management

Vietnam’s mine action program has moved from military management to civilian oversight but operations continue to depend largely on the armed forces. In 2013, Vietnam announced a Prime Minister’s Decision to establish a national mine action center (VNMAC) to strengthen the direction of mine action and provide a focal point for mine action operations.[11] However, although VNMAC reports to the prime minister’s office, the decision assigned responsibility for managing and coordinating the national mine action program to the Ministry of Defense. VNMAC was given the responsibility to propose policy, draw up plans, serve as the focal point for international cooperation, lead fundraising, and “preside over” mine action information management. It is also responsible for organizing and implementing quality assurance.[12] The government appointed VNMAC’s director and two deputy directors in 2014 and the center became officially operational in February 2015.[13] Prior to this, a Prime Minister’s Decision in 2006 assigned the Ministry of National Defense to oversee mine action at the national level with clearance undertaken by the Army Engineering Corps of the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN).[14] The Center for Bomb and Mine Disposal Technology (BOMICEN), part of the Ministry of National Defense, had acted as a central coordinating body for clearance and survey by national operators.[15]

Provincial authorities also work with a high level of autonomy in managing local mine action activities. In 2016, VNMAC and government ministries worked on a decree intended to clarify its mandate and define the role of all state agencies involved in mine action to eliminate overlap. The decree has been submitted to the prime minister’s office for consideration.[16]

Strategic planning

Decision 504 approved by the prime minister in April 2010 set out a National Mine Action Plan for 2010 to 2025. The plan aimed to “mobilize domestic and international resources in making efforts to minimize and finally create impact-free environment for social economic development.” It called for clearance of 8,000km2 of ERW contamination between 2016 and 2025.[17]

Vietnam does not have a strategy specifically targeting cluster munitions.

Operators

Most clearance in Vietnam is conducted by the Army Engineering Corps. Its current strength and deployment are unknown. Officials have previously reported that it had 250 mine and battle area clearance (BAC) teams, including around 50 military companies.[18]

International operators conclude agreements to work in Vietnam with the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee but negotiate their program of operations separately with the authorities of each province. International operators active in 2016 included Danish Demining Group (DDG, in Quang Nam province), Mines Advisory Group (MAG, in Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces), and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA, in Quang Tri and Thu Thie Hue provinces), which also managed clearance operations for Project Renew. Project Renew conducts non-technical survey, Cluster Munitions Remnants Survey (CMRS), and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) in Quang Tri.[19] PeaceTrees Vietnam worked in Vietnam in 2016 but did not provide information on its activities.

Quang Tri province, which includes the former demilitarized zone that separated North and South Vietnam and is one of the most heavily contaminated regions, approved the creation of a Legacy of War Coordination Center (LWCC) in February 2015. The LWCC, established by the province’s Department of Foreign Affairs with funding and technical support provided by NPA, is responsible for drawing up an annual workplan, and coordinating operations of NPA and MAG.[20]

Information management

Quang Tri province has its own database unit, which was set up by NPA towards the end of 2013 and taken over by provincial authorities in 2016, who have installed it in the LWCC. The center receives data from all operators in the province and uses it to task EOD and area clearance. Quang Binh has yet to establish a database unit and MAG maintains its own Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA)-compatible program database. In Quang Nam province, which also lacks a database, DDG similarly maintains its own program database.[21]

On a national level, data remains a challenge. Results of non-technical survey held in a BOMICEN database have proved inaccessible to international operators. VNMAC is in the process of setting up an information management unit intended to combine data on operations and victim assistance held by other national agencies. The project is supported by NPA, which provided software, hardware, and training in 2016. VNMAC also started drafting national legislation that would provide for the sharing of information and was revising the national standards for information management. Priority tasks in 2017 included populating the database with results of survey and other operations and getting the draft legislation approved.[22]

Land Release (cluster munition remnants)

The total extent of land released through survey and clearance in 2016 is unknown. VNMAC provided no information on operations conducted by BOMICEN and the Army Engineering Corps, which is the biggest operator. International NGOs cleared a total of 17.41km2 of cluster munition-contaminated area.

Survey in 2016 (cluster munition remnants)

In Quang Tri, ranked as Vietnam’s most heavily contaminated province, NPA continued to conduct cluster munition survey in a partnership with MAG, which clears the resulting confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs). In 2016, NPA confirmed 46.52km2, more than four-times the area confirmed the previous year. Impact and evidence points are first assessed, that are then investigated by technical survey teams, which define CHAs for clearance.[23]

Cluster Munition Survey[24]

Operator

Province

Areas confirmed

Area confirmed (m2)

Areas suspected

Area suspected (m2)

DDG

Quang Nam

N/A

N/A

33

161,567

MAG

Quang Binh

423

5,465,996

N/A

N/A

NPA

Quang Tri

66

46,521,355

N/A

N/A

Total

 

489

51,987,351

33

161,567

Note: N/A = not applicable.

In Quang Binh province, MAG did not conduct technical survey, however its community liaison teams collected GPS locations of submunitions cleared in earlier EOD roving tasks and used these in a system of evidence point mapping to plot “initial CHAs.”[25]

DDG, working in Duy Xuyen and Dien Ban districts of Quang Nam province, conducted non-technical survey with two two-strong teams working from village to village to identify and prioritize hazardous areas before EOD or BAC teams conduct spot tasks or area clearance. In 2016, survey teams identified 33 SHAs covering 161,567m2.[26]

Clearance in 2016 (cluster munition remnants)

Most clearance is undertaken by army engineers but VNMAC provided no information on results of operations. The amount of land cleared by international operators was 77% higher in 2016 than the previous year, reflecting in particular the progress of the US-funded collaboration in Quang Tri province between NPA, conducting technical survey, and MAG clearing the resulting polygons.

MAG’s clearance of 13.4km2 in Quang Tri in 2016 more than doubled the area it cleared in that province during the previous year. This was partly due to increasing capacity with the addition of another Mine Action Team, two vegetation cutting teams, and two EOD teams, but higher clearance rates per team also contributed to the improvement. In Quang Binh, a province with one of the highest levels of cluster munition contamination, MAG cleared 8% more area but over 30% more submunitions.[27]

Clearance of cluster munition remnants in 2016

Operator

Province

Areas cleared

Area cleared (m²)

Submunitions destroyed

Other UXO destroyed

DDG

Quang Nam

33

216,665

222

76

MAG

Quang Binh

31

3,217,822

3,372

143

Quang Tri

112

13,413,461

5,936

4,554

NPA

Thua Thien Hue

28

557,940

417

323

Total

 

204

17,405,888

9,947

5,096

 

DDG, which started BAC focused on cluster munitions in December 2015, accelerated operations to clear 0.2km2 by the end of August, but had to suspend clearance and spot EOD operations for the last four months of the year due to bureaucratic delays. DDG had extended its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Quang Nam provincial authorities for 28 months until the end of 2018, but could not conduct survey or clearance until it received approval for the extension from the prime minister’s office.[28]

NPA carried out clearance in Thua Thien Hue province in 2016 working on CHAs in two of seven districts in which it had conducted technical survey in 2014–2015. With two clearance teams and a total of 20 deminers, NPA cleared 0.56km2, destroying 417 submunitions, nearly 10-times the number destroyed in the previous year.[29]

The number of roving tasks conducted by international NGOs was 21% lower in 2016 than the previous year yet the number of submunitions and other ERW destroyed still rose, mainly as a result of MAG’s operations in Quang Binh, where teams encountered a number of tasks with large numbers of items located in a small area.[30]

Spot/Roving Clearance and EOD in 2016[31]

Operator

Province

Roving tasks

Submunitions destroyed

Other UXO destroyed

DDG

Quang Nam

251

1

603

MAG

Quang Binh

3,321

1,528

8,283

Quang Tri

1,693

110

2,602

NPA

Quang Tri

1,608

184

3,918

Thua Thien Hue

106

102

472

Total

 

6,979

1,925

15,878

 

Land Release (mines)

The Ministry of Defense had announced a two-year VND74 billion (US$3.5 million)[32] project to clear a 6.6km2 area of mines and ERW in Cao Bang and Lang Son provinces, starting in November 2013. VNMAC said mine clearance operations in these provinces would continue in 2016 but has provided no further information.[33]

Among international operators, DDG reported destroying three antipersonnel mines in the course of conducting non-technical survey in two districts of Quang Nam province. MAG, working in Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces, and NPA, conducting cluster munition remnants survey in Quang Tri and BAC in Thu Thien Hue province, did not report any clearance of landmines.[34]

Deminer safety

In May 2016, a Project Renew/NPA searcher died in an incident during technical survey operations that injured a second deminer.[35] In April 2016, one MAG searcher was injured.[36]

 

The Monitor acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review (www.mineactionreview.org), which has conducted the mine action research in 2017, including on survey and clearance, and shared all its resulting landmine and cluster munition reports with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.


[1] “Vietnam mine/ERW (including cluster munitions) contamination, impacts and clearance requirements,” presentation by Sr. Col. Phan Duc Tuan, Deputy Commander, Military Engineering Command, People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN), in Geneva, 30 June 2011.

[2] Handicap International, Fatal Footprint, the Global Human Impact of Cluster Munitions (Brussels, November 2006), p. 15.

[3] Interview with Sr. Col. Phan Duc Tuan, PAVN, in Geneva, 30 June 2011.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Landmine Action, Explosive remnants of war and mines other than anti-personnel mines (London, March 2005), p. 181.

[6] Information provided by Sr. Col. Phan Duc Tuan, PAVN, in email received from Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), Hanoi, 24 September 2012; and in interview in Geneva, 30 June 2011.

[7] X. Wei, “Mine clearance mission on China-Vietnam border,” China Daily, 3 November 2015; and Z. Tao, “China launches 3rd mine clearance mission along China-Vietnam border,” China Military Online, 2 December 2015.

[8] Interview with Sr. Col. Phan Duc Tuan, PAVN, in Geneva, 30 June 2011.

[9] Interview with Sr. Col. Nguyen Thanh Ban, Head of Bomb and Mine Department, Engineering Command, Hanoi, 18 June 2013.

[10] Landmine Action, Explosive Remnants of War and Mines Other than Anti-personnel Mines (London, March 2005), p. 181.

[11] Interview with Maj. Gen. Pham Quang Xuan, Director, VNMAC, in Geneva, 31 March 2014.

[12] Prime Minister’s Decision 319/QD-TTg, 4 March 2014.

[13] Information provided by Do Van Nhan, Deputy Director General, VNMAC, received by email from the VVAF, 19 June 2015.

[14] Prime Minister’s Decision No. 96/2006/QD-TTg, 4 May 2006.

[15] Email from Col. Nguyen Trong Dac, Ministry of National Defense, 6 August 2006.

[16] Interview with Dang Van Dong, Deputy Director General, VNMAC, in Geneva, 7 February 2017.

[17] Prime Minister, “Decision on Approval of the National Mine Action Plan Period 2010–2025,” Hanoi, 21 April 2010.

[18] Interview with Sr. Col. Nguyen Thanh Ban, Hanoi, 18 June 2013; and email from Executive Office of the National Steering Committee, 6 August 2012.

[20] See the LWCC website; and email from Le Nah Thu, Project Officer, MAG, 9 May 2016.

[21] Emails from Resad Junuzagic, Country Director, NPA, 7 April 2017; from Simon Rea, Country Director, MAG, 11 April 2017; and from Clinton Smith, Country Director, DDG, 23 March 2017.

[22] Interview with Dang Van Dong, VNMAC, in Geneva, 7 February 2017; and email from Resad Junuzagic, NPA, 7 April 2017.

[23] Email from Resad Junuzagic, NPA, 7 April 2017.

[24] Ibid.; from Clinton Smith, DDG, 23 March 2017; and from Simon Rea, MAG, 11 April 2017.

[25] Email from Simon Rea, MAG, 11 April 2017.

[26] Email from Clinton Smith, DDG, 23 March 2017.

[27] Email from Simon Rea, MAG, 11 April 2017.

[28] Email from Clinton Smith, DDG, 23 March 2017.

[29] Email from Resad Junuzagic, NPA, 7 April 2017.

[30] Email from Simon Rea, MAG, 11 April 2017.

[31] Emails from Resad Junuzagic, NPA, 7 April 2017; from Simon Rea, MAG, 11 April 2017; and from Clinton Smith, DDG, 23 March 2017.

[32] Exchange rate of US$1=VND21,129 on 1 January 2015, oanda.com.

[33] Information provided by Dang Van Dong, VNMAC, received by email from the International Centre, VVAF, Hanoi, 23 June 2016; and T. Van, “Bomb and mine clearance starts in Cao Bang and Lao Song starts,” VNMAC, 13 March 2014.

[34] Emails from Resad Junuzagic, NPA, 7 April 2017; from Simon Rea, MAG, 11 April 2017; and from Clinton Smith, DDG, 23 March 2017.

[35] Email from Resad Junuzagic, NPA, 7 April 2017; and Project Renew, “Mine Action Alert: RENEW deminer dies from injuries after cluster bomb incident,” 19 May 2016.

[36] Email from Le Anh Thu, MAG, 25 May 2017.


Support for Mine Action

Last updated: 11 December 2017

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is heavily contaminated by explosive remnants of war (ERW), mainly unexploded ordnance (UXO) dating back to the war with the United States (US) in the 1960s and first half of the 1970s. Vietnam contains some of the most widespread and extensive contamination from cluster munition remnants in the world.[1]

In 2016, as in previous years, Vietnam did not report national contributions to mine action, but it was reported in the media that Vietnam was spending $30 million per year on mine clearance work.[2] The lack of transparency and legislative oversight makes tracking government expenditures for mine action difficult. In April 2010, Vietnam released its 2010–2025 National Mine Action Plan. Although the plan did not include projected costs, a media article at the time of the plan’s release reported Vietnam “annually invests hundreds of billions of dong on disposing UXO [sic] and supporting victims.”[3]

In 2016, five donors contributed US$12.3 million for clearance, victim assistance, and risk education; this was $3 million less than in 2015 (a 20% decrease).[4] As in 2015, the US provided the largest contribution with a total of $10.7 million, which represents 87% of total international assistance provided in 2016.

International contributions: 2016[5]

Donor

Sector

Amount (national currency)

Amount (US$)

US

Various

$10,709,000

10,709,000

Norway

Clearance and victim assistance

NOK5,611,177

668,507

Japan

Clearance

¥62,537,090

575,530

United Kingdom

Clearance and risk education

£157,073

212,912

Ireland

Clearance and risk education

€100,000

110,720

Total

 

 

12,276,669

 

International contributions to mine action in Vietnam have totaled some $59 million since 2012, representing an average of $12 million per year.

Summary of contributions: 2012–2016[6]

Year

Amount (US$)

% change from previous year

2016

12,276,669

-20

2015

15,255,098

+6

2014

14,329,784

+59

2013

8,990,313

0

2012

8,960,550

+14

Total

59,812,414

 

 



[1] For more details, see, Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, “Country Profile: Vietnam: Mine Action,” updated 11 August 2017.

[2]VN calls on donors to help with clean up of explosives,” Vietnam News, 15 March 2014.

[3]PM approves programme on unexploded ordnance,” Vietnam News (Hanoi), 29 April 2010. The equivalent of VND100 billion is approximately $5.28 million. Average exchange rate for 2009: US$1=VND17493.10, Oanda.com, Historical Exchange Rates.

[4] Ireland, Convention on Conventional Weapons Protocol II Annual Report, Form E, and Annex 1, 30 March 2017; Japan, Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2017; United Kingdom, Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2017; and emails from Ingrid Schoyen, Senior Adviser, Section for Humanitarian Affairs, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 31 May 2017; and from Steve Costner, Deputy Office Director, Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State, 30 October 2017.

[5] Average exchange rate for 2016: €1=US$1.1072; NOK8.3936=US$1; £1=US$1.3555; ¥108.66=US$1. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 4 January 2017.

[6] See previous Monitor reports. Totals for international support in 2015 and 2014 have been rectified as a result of revised US funding data. Total for 2012 has also been rectified as a result of database clean-up.


Casualties

Last updated: 04 October 2017

Casualties Overview

All known casualties by end 2015

Approximately 105,000 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties

Casualties in 2016

9 (2015: 7)

2016 casualties by outcome

2 killed; 7 injured (2015: 3 killed; 4 injured)

2016 casualties by device type

9 unexploded submunitions

 

Details and trends

Nine new casualties were recorded in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 2016, all caused by unexploded submunitions. Seven casualties in Quang Binh province were recorded by Mines Advisory Group (MAG) (four men, two boys, one woman). One was killed and six were injured.[1] One of the casualties was a MAG deminer, who was injured.

In Quang Tri province, one deminer was killed and one injured during an accident on a cluster bomb site.[2]

Data on casualties caused by mines and ERW has not been collected systematically in Vietnam.[3] The nine casualties recorded for 2016 is a slight increase on the seven recorded for 2015. These last two years represented a significant decrease from the 24 casualties reported for 2014,[4] 50 in 2013, and 73 reported in 2012. However, with no nationwide data collection mechanism, it was not possible to confirm if this was in fact a trend of casualties decreasing annually.

At least 105,059 mine/ERW casualties (38,970 killed; 66, 087 injured; and two unknown survival outcome) have been recorded in Vietnam. It was reported that from 1975 to the end of 2007, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) recorded 104,701 mine/ERW casualties (38,849 killed; 65,852 injured).[5] In Quang Tri, the only province where there was a mine action database of casualties, 8,526 casualties (3,425 killed; 5,101 injured) were recorded to May 2016. These casualties may be included in the cumulative total.[6]

Cluster munition casualties

At least 2,134 casualties from incidents involving cluster munition remnants were reported as of the end of 2016. However, one estimate put the likely total of such casualties as high as 34,000.[7] In many cases, the type of explosive remnants causing casualties could not be determined and all these were recorded as ERW casualties, although there were likely many among them caused by unexploded submunitions.[8] In addition, numerous casualties during cluster munition strikes have been reported.[9] A 2012 study of data for the period 1975–2009 found that 1% of the population of Quang Tri province had been involved in mine/ERW incidents and that unexploded submunitions were the main cause.[10]



[1] Email from Le Anh Thu, MAG, 22 May 2017.

[2] “Bomb clearance expert killed by blast during central Vietnam mission,” Thanhnien News, 19 May 2016.

[3] Email from Resad Junuzagic, Country Director Vietnam, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), 26 June 2017.

[4] Casualty data provided by Toan Quang Dang, Program Manager, Mine & Cluster Victim Assistance Program, Project RENEW, 2 March 2015.

[5] Email from Dang Quang Toan, Project RENEW, 9 August 2008. The additional casualties for 2008 through 2015 were reported by the Monitor. See the Vietnam country reports and profiles on the Monitor website. The Vietnamese government press reports that official figures show that mines/ERW caused 104,000 victims between 1975 and 2000 (42,000 killed and 62,000 injured). See, Socialist Government of Viet Nam online newspaper, “Bomb and mine clearance plan approved,” VGP News,14 May 2013.

[6] Email from Le Anh Thu, MAG, 25 May 2017.

[7] This estimate assumes that some 33% of all mine/ERW casualties reported since 1975 were likely to have been caused by unexploded submunitions. Handicap International (HI), Circle of Impact: The Fatal Footprint of Cluster Munitions on People and Communities (Brussels: HI, May 2007), p. 39; and Monitor analysis of annual casualty data.

[8] Email from Dang Quang Toan, Project RENEW, 28 June 2008.

[9] See for example, documentation on deaths and injuries caused by cluster munitions in the International War Crimes Tribunal–1967.

[10] Tran Kim Phung, Le Viet, and Hans Husum, “The legacy of war: an epidemiological study of cluster weapon and land mine accidents in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam,” Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, Vol. 43, No. 4, July 2012, pp. 1,036–1,041.


Casualties and Victim Assistance

Last updated: 22 December 2015

Summary action points based on findings

  • Adequate data collection mechanisms for the identification of victims and assessment of their needs are needed. Lack of a comprehensive and nationwide data collection system impairs accessibility and delivery of services.
  • Increased support to the rehabilitation sector is needed; it was estimated that less than 10% of mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) survivors were able to access rehabilitation programs.
  • More opportunities are needed for survivors and other persons with disabilities to participate in the development, implementation, and monitoring of coordination and planning.
  • Greater efforts are needed to provide psychological support to victims.

Victim assistance commitments

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is responsible for landmine survivors, cluster munition victims, and survivors of other ERW.

Casualties

Casualties Overview

All known casualties by end 2013

105,035 mine/ERW casualties (38,958 killed; 66,077 injured)

Casualties in 2014

24 (2013: 50)

2014 casualties by outcome

8 killed; 16 injured (2013: 17 killed; 33 injured)

2014 casualties by device type

17 ERW; 4 cluster submunitions; 2 unknown explosive device; 1 undefined mine

 

Details and trends

On the basis of incomplete data,[1] at least 24 new mine/ERW casualties were identified in Vietnam in 2014, including four from cluster submunitions. All casualties were civilians and three were female. All but one of the casualties were adults.[2] While the 2014 total represented a significant decrease from the 50 casualties in 2013 and the 73 casualties reported in 2012, with no nationwide data collection mechanism, it is impossible to say whether casualties actually decreased.

At least 105,035 mine/ERW casualties (38,958 killed; 66,077 injured) have been reported in Vietnam. It was reported that from 1975 to the end of 2007, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) recorded 104,701 mine/ERW casualties (38,849 killed; 65,852 injured).[3] A 2014 report by MoLISA indicated that there were 5,094 survivors of mines/ERW in Quang Tri province.[4] The total number of casualties is not known due to a lack of adequate data and the absence of a nationwide casualty data collection mechanism.[5] The semi-governmental organization Project RENEW recorded 8,516 mine/ERW casualties (including 3,422 people killed) between 1975 and 2015 in Quang Tri province alone.[6]

Cluster munition casualties

At least 2,123 casualties from incidents involving cluster munition remnants were reported as of the end of 2014. However, one estimate put the likely total of such casualties as high as 34,000.[7] In many cases, the type of explosive remnants causing casualties could not be determined and all these were recorded as ERW casualties, although there were likely many among them caused by unexploded submunitions.[8] In addition, numerous casualties during cluster munition strikes have been reported.[9] A 2012 study of data for the period 1975–2009 found that 1% of the population of Quang Tri province had been involved in mine/ERW incidents and that unexploded submunitions were the main cause.[10]

Victim Assistance

The total number of mine/ERW survivors is unknown but has been estimated to be between 66,000 and 100,000.[11]

Summary of victim assistance efforts since 1999[12]

Vietnam does not have a national casualty data collection system. However, a major study of survivor needs was undertaken in 2006 and updated in 2010. Clear Path International (CPI) in Vietnam transitioned to national management. CPI continued the geographic expansion of passive casualty surveillance, while providing services to new survivors. Coordination among governmental bodies responsible for the provision of victim assistance and the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities improved considerably since 2010.[13] The number of survivors that received services by both government agencies and civil society organizations or NGOs gradually increased. The NGO and local government collaboration, Project RENEW, steadily increased its services to survivors and to the capacity-building of local medical institutions. Landmine Survivors Network Vietnam (LSNV) became the first organization to include survivors in the design and provision of services and the only international NGO to successfully transition from an international to a national NGO, becoming the Association for Empowerment for Persons with Disability (AEPD) in 2010.

By 2010, survivors had more opportunities to access free healthcare programs and inclusive education programs provided by the government and relevant organizations. Physical rehabilitation also improved in both quality and in the number of services available from existing service providers. Since 1995, the ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled (SFD) has assisted the Vietnamese rehabilitation sector to both increase the quality of its services and expand their geographical coverage to virtually the entire country, while serving the country’s most vulnerable populations.

The results of an ICRC-commissioned impact assessment of its work in Vietnam were published in March 2013 by the independent Norwegian research organization, SINTEF. Among the findings were that only 10% of those receiving services would seek prostheses if required to pay for them because of the cost compared to the quality of prosthetics available from other sources, as well as travel and time restrictions. The report also highlighted that around two-thirds of the beneficiaries link income improvement directly to access to prosthetic services.[14] The assessment further found that there was relative gender parity regarding accessibility of services.[15] The greatest improvements seen by organizations representing mine/ERW survivors and persons with disabilities since the Monitor began reporting on Vietnam in 1999 have been in the development of laws designed to protect their rights and provide access to services. Gradual improvements were made in economic reintegration by creating more employment opportunities and increasing accessibility to available services. Improvements were also noted in social inclusion activities. Poor survivors in rural areas were especially vulnerable. Reaching survivors in remote and rural areas remained difficult for service providers and generally these populations did not receive adequate assistance.[16]

Victim assistance in 2014

In 2014, services for mine/ERW survivors continued to improve in quality, quantity, and accessibility in Vietnam. However, outside major population centers, accessibility to services and activities was lacking, particularly in remote areas. A decrease in funding forced one NGO to halt operations and has had an impact on remaining service providers. A national organization, the Vietnam Association for Supporting Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)/Mine Action (VNASMA), with a mandate to support victim assistance as well as other activities was founded.

Assessing victim assistance needs

An ongoing nationwide impact survey conducted by the National Steering Committee for Mine Action (NSCMA) included information regarding casualties. The Vietnam Bomb/Mine Action Center (VBMAC), which is the secretariat for the NSCMA, also hosts the national database on casualties, which became operational in September 2011.[17] Despite these efforts, a lack of nation-wide reliable data on victims, affected communities, and their needs remained a barrier for effective victim assistance in Vietnam in 2014.[18]

MoLISA is responsible for the collection and management of information regarding persons with disabilities overall, including mine/ERW survivors.[19] A disability information system, which includes information on demographics, employment, healthcare, and education, was adopted by the Ministry of Health after a pilot project.[20]

In 2014, there were ongoing NGO activities to assess the needs of the survivors through regular implementation of projects and services.[21] During the year, Project RENEW worked with local institutions, including Health Service, Farmer’s Union, Women’s Union, Catholic Relief Services, and the Vietnamese Red Cross Society, to identify mine/ERW victims and families in need of support and what their needs were.[22]

Victim assistance coordination in 2014[23]

Government coordinating body/focal point

The Department of Social Protection under MoLISA is responsible for coordination, addressing the rights of persons with disabilities, and victim assistance

Coordinating mechanisms

The Victim Assistance Project within the National Mine Action Program (NMAP), managed by MoLISA; and the Landmine Working Group, consisting of national and international NGOs is also used to coordinate victim assistance

Plan

The National Mine Action Program includes the Victim Assistance Project.

 

Victim assistance is coordinated under the “National Mine Action Program for Vietnam Period 2010–2025,” as well as the “Victim Assistance Project for the Period 2012–2015” managed and implemented by MoLISA in cooperation with relevant local authorities. MoLISA’s Department of Social Protection is directly responsible for coordination.[24]

 The Victim Assistance Project for the Period 2012–2015 framework details key actions to be taken, responsible or cooperating agencies, and annual budgets. The project framework does not specify timeframes for the actions or the method of coordination. On 4 December 2013, MoLISA chaired the first national workshop on victim assistance in Hanoi, which gathered representatives of different ministries and governmental bodies, local authorities, foreign countries, national and international organizations, as well as three mine/ERW survivors. This event led to improved coordination and cooperation among different stakeholders in the project.[25]

The first official national coordination body of disabled persons’ organizations, the Vietnam Federation on Disability (VFD), was established in March 2011.[26] In late 2014, the VNASMA was established. The VNASMA was mandated to increase awareness of risks posed by UXO and to support victims of mines/ERW.[27] The VNASMA carried out some victim assistance activities in 2015 and laid the groundwork for expansion at the provincial level.[28]

The National Coordinating Council for Disabilities (NCCD) is responsible for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It also liaised with national and foreign organizations to provide protection, support, physical access, education, and employment to persons with disabilities, however the VFD began to take on some of its work.[29]

Non-governmental service providers also sometimes discussed the implementation of victim assistance at meetings of the Landmine Working Group.[30]

Inclusion and participation in victim assistance

The inclusion of mine/ERW survivors and persons with disabilities or their representative organizations in the planning and provision of victim assistance increased in 2014. They were consulted in the planning or monitoring of programs and activities. They also attended meetings, seminars, or workshops to contribute recommendations and share lessons learned in regards to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities.[31]

Despite this increase, survivors and other persons with disabilities did not have many opportunities to participate in the development, implementation, and monitoring of plans. MoLISA officially consults ministries and departments, however, in some cases the opinions and comments of survivors and other persons with disabilities or their representative organizations were taken into account.[32] Persons with disabilities and their representative organizations were consulted in the development or review of national programs, such as the national poverty reduction program, vocational laws, and various educational policies.[33]

Many NGOs have consulted survivors and other persons with disabilities on issues related to their needs and adjusted their services in accordance with survivors’ recommendations.[34]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities[35]

Name of organization

Type of organization

Type of activity

Changes in quality/coverage of service in 2014

MoLISA and the Ministry of Health

Government

Prosthetics and rehabilitation services

Ongoing

AEPD

National NGO

Peer support program; economic inclusion; loans to survivors and vocational training, referrals, counseling, and medical assistance in Quang Binh province; national advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities

Ongoing

PeaceTrees Vietnam

International NGO with local partnerships

Medical assistance and education/economic inclusion for mine/ERW survivors in Quang Tri province

Ongoing

Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH)

International NGO with local partnerships

Operated six regional prosthetics centers in cooperation with MoLISA; provided vocational training and psychological support

Ongoing

Project RENEW

International NGO and provincial government partnership

Provided assistive devices and a prosthetic and orthopedic mobile outreach program and community-based rehabilitation for amputees; micro-credit projects and psychological support in Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri

Trauma care project ended; new cooperation with Catholic Relief Services on victim assistance programming

Clear Path International (CPI)–Vietnam

International NGO

Provided and facilitated emergency and ongoing medical care; prosthetics and rehabilitation; mobility devices; small grants, income-generating activities, educational scholarships, and sponsorship of Special Olympics sports; emergency relief support in partnership with local provincial government

Ceased operations

ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled (SFD), in cooperation with the Vietnamese Red Cross Society

International organization with local partner

Subsidized the provision of assistive devices and rehabilitation; identified amputees in need of prostheses replacement; covered transport and food costs, targeting amputees not covered by social security schemes; and supported the VIETCOT training center to build expertise in prosthetics and orthotics

Ongoing

Catholic Relief Services

International NGO

Began providing victim assistance services in partnership with Project RENEW

New cooperation with Project RENEW on victim assistance programming

 

Emergency and continuing medical care

In Vietnam’s central provinces, due to funding difficulties CPI stopped covering emergency medical care, surgery, rehabilitation, and prosthetics, as directed by the survivor’s physicians for survivors immediately following mine/ERW incidents and providing transportation and per diems during the patients’ treatment period. Although these services were extended to northern and southern provinces on a case-by-case basis in 2013; all services by CPI stopped in 2014.[36]

Based on a 2007 survey that found that 89.4% of trauma victims in Quang Tri province did not receive first-aid care, Project RENEW with Tromsø Mine Victim Resource Centre (TMC) and Quang Tri Department of Health undertook a project to improve trauma care. From 2007 until 2013, Project RENEW, TMC, and the Trauma Care Foundation from Cambodia ran annual trainings on “basic and advance life-support practices.” Although the project did not continue into 2014, more than 2,300 health workers in Quang Tri with 180 health workers from other provinces were certified and 1,200 village health volunteers were trained in first aid.[37]

Physical rehabilitation including prosthetics

The Ministry of Health has estimated that less than 10% of mine/ERW survivors were able to access rehabilitation programs in Vietnam.[38] In 2014, the ICRC SFD supported 1,180 persons with disabilities (60-70% of whom were mine/ERW survivors) to receive services including subsidized prostheses and mobility aids. About 20% of ICRC beneficiaries were new to the program in 2014. In 2014, the ICRC provided support to four rehabilitation centers. As part of the systematic quality monitoring system, the ICRC also conducted missions for technical support and quality assessment of services provided in the supported rehabilitation centers. Random assessments of patients receiving direct subsidies from the ICRC SFD were made and quality issues addressed with the partners concerned.[39] In March 2013, MoLISA issued a decision officially endorsing ICRC and partners’ recommendations regarding prosthetic and orthotic operational standards, which had been drawn up in December 2012.[40] In 2014, MoLISA and the Ministry of Health agreed to launch a national survey on mobility aids.[41]

MOLISA launched a project to improve rehabilitation services at commune health stations or clinics in 28 of the 58 provinces in Vietnam. In the pilot phase of this project, clinics in 10 provinces were upgraded to provide physical rehabilitation services, including for survivors. The project included trainings in psychological support and rehabilitation skills for health workers at the clinics.[42]

In 2014, Project RENEW provided support to persons with disabilities in four districts and also provided assistive devices.[43]

Economic and social inclusion and psychological support

Only 30% of persons with disabilities in Vietnam have stable employment or sufficient income to lead independent lives and support their families. A lack of decent work inhibits persons with disabilities from realizing their rights and often means they are living in poverty, at much higher rates than the general population.[44]

Those who require prostheses face even greater challenges if they are not able to acquire them.[45] In 2013, the VFD launched a project to be carried out in Hanoi and the three central provinces of Quang Tri, Quang Nam, and Binh Dinh over a three-year period to improve access to socioeconomic services for persons with disabilities.[46]

In 2014, CPI ended its micro-credit programs.[47] During the year, Project RENEW organized vocational training for mine/ERW survivors with visual impairments. Project RENEW maintained their micro-credit project, with 200 households participating in mushroom-growing for a sustainable income.[48] AEPD’s Supporting Livelihoods for Persons with Disabilities project ended in 2014; while a microcredit for livestock project to support persons with disabilities started during 2014.[49]

Psychological support was not widely available[50] and, although it was integrated in rehabilitation processes, did not receive separate government resources. Project RENEW organized a CBR training for 240 persons with disabilities and local health staff to improve peer support in communities.[51] Social inclusion services for survivors and other persons with disabilities were provided through both government and NGO programs.[52]

The ICRC SFD with the Spanish Red Cross and the Vietnamese Red Cross Society continued work on a social inclusion project in 2014.[53]

Laws and Policies

The first comprehensive national law providing for the rights of persons with disabilities came into effect in January 2011. The law prohibits discrimination against or maltreatment of persons with disabilities and requires equality in healthcare, rehabilitation, accommodation, education, vocational training, employment, and local transportation.[54]

In 2013 and 2014, James Madison University’s Center for International Stabilization and Recovery worked with Vietnamese organizations to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and the need to enforce the National Law on Persons with Disabilities. In 2014, 10 workshops were held regarding disability rights with participants including persons with and without disabilities as well as provincial government officials. AEPD also carried out a public awareness campaign on the rights of persons with disabilities.[55] AEPD integrated the needs of persons with disabilities into provincial disaster planning.[56]

Legislation requires that the construction or major renovation of new government buildings and large public buildings must include access for persons with disabilities. The Ministry of Construction units enforced accessibility regulations, primarily in major cities and pilot locations, as well as provided training on construction codes for inspectors and architectural companies in more than 22 provinces during the year.[57]

Vietnam ratified the CRPD on 5 February 2015. The (impending) ratification of the CRPD reportedly had already resulted in more coordination among stakeholders, review of the current legal situation of persons with disabilities, and discussions of best practices in implementation in 2014.[58]



[1] In 2014, casualty data was only available for Quang Tri province. Additional data for Vietnam was recorded through Monitor media scanning.

[2] Casualty data provided by Toan Quang Dang, Program Manager, Mine & Cluster Victim Assistance Program, Project RENEW, 2 March 2015.

[3] Email from Dang Quang Toan, Project RENEW, 9 August 2008. The additional casualties for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 were reported by the Monitor, see the Vietnam country reports and profiles on the Monitor website. The Vietnamese government press reports that official figures show that mines/ERW caused 104,000 victims between 1975 and 2000 (42,000 killed and 62,000 injured). See Socialist Government of Viet Nam online newspaper, “Bomb and mine clearance plan approved,” VGP News,14 May 2013.

[4] Dang Quang Toan, “Project RENEW’s Prosthetics and Orthotics Moible Outreach Program,” Journal of ERW and Mine Action, December 2015.

[5] Presentation by Thao Griffiths, Vietnam Country Director, International Center-Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (IC-VVAF), Side-event on “Mine/Explosive Remnants of War Victim Assistance: what role for information management systems?” Convention on Cluster Munitions Fourth Meeting of the States Parties, Lusaka, September 2013. The Vietnamese government press noted that the total number of casualties remains approximate due to “inadequate statistics.” See, “Hard to clear post-war bombs and mines,” VGP News, 14 May 2012.

[6] Dang Quang Toan, “Project RENEW’s Prosthetics and Orthotics Moible Outreach Program,” Journal of ERW and Mine Action, December 2015. See also “NGOs continue to push UXO clearance in Quang Tri,” Thanh Nien News, 6 May 2014.

[7] This estimate assumes that some 33% of all mine/ERW casualties reported since 1975 were likely to have been caused by unexploded submunitions. Handicap International (HI), Circle of Impact: The Fatal Footprint of Cluster Munitions on People and Communities (Brussels: HI, May 2007), p. 39; and Monitor analysis of annual casualty data.

[8] Email from Dang Quang Toan, Project RENEW, 28 June 2008.

[9] See for example, documentation on deaths and injuries caused by cluster munitions in the International War Crimes Tribunal–1967.

[10] Tran Kim Phung, Le Viet, and Hans Husum, “The legacy of war: an epidemiological study of cluster weapon and land mine accidents in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam,” in Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, Vol. 43, No. 4, July 2012, pp. 1,036–1,041.

[11]Scrap metal search a risky business,” Thanh Nien News (Ho Chi Minh City), 30 May 2008.

[12] See the Vietnam country reports and profiles from 1999 to date on the Monitor website.

[13] MoLISA, Victim Assistance Project Period 2012–2015, Hanoi, 2011; Socialist Republic of Vietnam, National Mine Action Program Period 2010–2025, Hanoi, 2010; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Le Thi Khanh, Deputy Head of Planning and Finance Department, MoLISA, 25 May 2012.

[14] SINTEF, “Users of the physical rehabilitation services supported by ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled in Vietnam,” Oslo, 30 March 2013, p. 76.

[15] SINTEF, “Users of the physical rehabilitation services supported by ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled in Vietnam,” Oslo, 30 March 2013.

[16] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Thanh Hong, Vice-Chairperson, AEPD, 11 May 2011; interview with Dang Quang Toan, Project RENEW, in Geneva, 27 June 2011; response to Monitor questionnaire by Tran Hong Chi, CPI, 23 June 2014; ICRC SFD, “Annual Report 2012,” Geneva, June 2013, pp. 25–28; and SINTEF, “Users of the physical rehabilitation services supported by ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled in Vietnam,” Oslo, 30 March 2013, p. 9.

[17] Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, “Minutes of Meeting: Landmine Working Group Meeting,” Hanoi, 14 October 2011. NSCMA is alternately known as the National Mine Action Authority.

[18] Presentation by Thao Griffiths, IC-VVAF, Side-event on “Mine/Explosive Remnants of War Victim Assistance: what role for information management systems?” Convention on Cluster Munitions Fourth Meeting of the States Parties, Lusaka, September 2013.

[19] Responses to Monitor questionnaire by Le Thi Khanh, MoLISA, 25 May 2012; and by Nguyen Thi Thanh Hong, AEPD, 11 May 2011.

[20] VNAH (Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped), “After Successful Pilot, VNAH Data System to be Implemented Nationally,” undated.

[21] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Tran Hong Chi, CPI, 23 June 2014.

[22] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Ngo Xuan Hien, Project RENEW, 27 June 2014.

[23] MoLISA, Victim Assistance Project Period 2012–2015, Hanoi, 2011; and Socialist Republic of Vietnam, National Mine Action Program Period 2010–2025, Hanoi, 2010.

[24] MoLISA, Victim Assistance Project Period 2012–2015, Hanoi, 2011; and Socialist Republic of Vietnam, National Mine Action Program Period 2010–2025, Hanoi, 2010.

[25] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Tran Hong Chi, CPI, 23 June 2014.

[26] VNAH, “Updates VNAH and HealthEd,” Winter 2011–2012, p. 8.

[28]VNASMA lauded for impressive achievements,” People’s Army Newspaper, 12 November 2015; “Quang Nam province: livelihood for UXO victims,” People’s Army Newspaper, 8 December 2015; and “Da Nang branch planned for VNASMA,” Viet Nam News, 28 October 2015.

[29] United States (US) Department of State, “2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Vietnam,” Washington, DC, 25 June 2015.

[30] Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) NGO Centre, “International NGO Partnerships for Development Report,” Hanoi, December 2013; and VUFO “Landmines Working Group,” undated.

[31] Macauley, Cameron and Heather Bowers Holsinger, “Building Capacity to Promote the Rights of People with Disabilities in Vietnam,” Journal of ERW and Mine Action, April 2015, pp. 12–15.

[32] Telephone interview with Thanh Hong, AEPD, 6 June 2012; ICRC SFP, “2014 Annual Report,” Geneva 2015; and US Department of State, “2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Vietnam,” Washington, DC, 24 June 2015.

[33] US Department of State, “2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Vietnam,” Washington, DC, 25 June 2015.

[34] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Tran Hong Chi, CPI, 23 June 2014.

[35] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Dang Quang Toan, Project RENEW, 2 March 2015; email from Thanh Hong, AEPD, 1 June 2012; US Department of State, “2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Vietnam,” Washington, DC, 25 June 2015; and US Department of State, “2013 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Vietnam,” Washington, DC, 27 February 2014.

[36] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Tran Hong Chi, CPI, 23 June 2014; and email from Tran Hong Chi, CPI, 23 March 2015.

[37] Dang Quang Toan, “Train-the-trainer trauma care program in Vietnam,” Journal of ERW and Mine Action, April 2015, pp. 28–29.

[38] Email from Thanh Hong, AEPD, 1 June 2012.

[39] ICRC SFD, “2014 Annual Report,” Geneva, 2015, pp. 18–19.

[40] ICRC SFD, “Mid-Term Report 2013,” Geneva, 2013, pp. 14–15.

[41] ICRC SFD, “2014 Annual Report,” Geneva, 2015, p. 18.

[42] “Landmine Victim Assistance In Vietnam - The Way Forward,” presentation by To Duc, Deputy Director General, Department of Social Assistance, Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Government of Vietnam, at the Southeast Asia National Society Workshop on Implementation of the 2009 Movement Strategy on Landmines, Cluster Munitions and other Explosive Remnants of War, Hanoi, Vietnam, 17–18 March 2015.

[43] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Dang Quang Toan, Project RENEW, 5 March 2015.

[44] Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, “New project: Decent Work & Community Empowerment for People with Disabilities,” 19 October 2012; and SINTEF, “Users of the physical rehabilitation services supported by ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled in Vietnam,” Oslo, 30 March 2013.

[45] SINTEF, “Users of the physical rehabilitation services supported by ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled in Vietnam,” Oslo, 30 March 2013; ICRC SFD, “Annual Report 2012,” Geneva, June 2013, p. 25; and SINTEF, “Users of the physical rehabilitation services supported by ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled in Vietnam,” Oslo, 30 March 2013, p. 76.

[47] Email from Tran Hong Chi, CPI, 23 March 2015.

[48] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Ngo Xuan Hien, Project RENEW, 27 June 2014.

[49] AEPD, “Current Projects,” undated.

[50] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Tran Hong Chi, CPI, 23 June 2014.

[51] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Dang Quang Toan, Project RENEW, 5 March 2015.

[52] Email from Thanh Hong, AEPD, 1 June 2012; and AEPD, “Current Projects,” undated.

[53] ICRC SFD, “2014 Annual Report,” Geneva, 2015, p. 17.

[54] US Department of State, “2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Vietnam,” Washington, DC, 25 June 2015; and US Department of State, “2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Vietnam,” Washington, DC, 24 May 2012.

[55] Cameron Macauley and Heather Bowers Holsinger, “Building Capacity to Promote the Rights of People with Disabilities in Vietnam,” Journal of ERW and Mine Action, Issue 19.1, April 2015, pp. 12–15.

[56] International Institute for Rural Reconstruction, “Resilient Communities to Disaster Risks & Climate Change,” undated.

[57] US Department of State, “2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Vietnam,” Washington, DC, 25 June 2015.

[58] Ibid.