Policy

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

In May 2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote the Monitor that “Singapore believes that humanitarian concerns pertaining to antipersonnel mines…should be balanced against the legitimate right of States to use such munitions judiciously for self defence…We will continue to support international efforts to resolve the humanitarian concerns over antipersonnel landmines…and to work with members of the international community towards a durable and truly global solution.”[1]

In 2010, the ICBL asked political parties in Singapore to share their views on the Mine Ban Treaty. The Singapore Democratic Party said that it supports a complete ban on the manufacture and use of mines and expressed its concern over Singapore’s role in mine production. It urged the Singapore government to join the treaty.[2] The Singapore Workers’ Party said that while it shares the humanitarian concerns surrounding the use of mines, and had asked the Minister of Defense about joining the treaty,[3] it would not be issuing any public statement due to other priorities.[4] In 2009, the Workers’ Party required a written reply in parliament regarding the government’s stand on the Mine Ban Treaty.[5]

Singapore voted in favor of UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 71/34 on the implementation and universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty, as in previous years.[6]

Singapore has regularly attended Mine Ban Treaty meetings, including the annual Meetings of States Parties in 2015 and 2016, and the Third Review Conference in 2014.[7]

Singapore is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, stockpiling, production, and transfer

A Singaporean official previously stated that the army only uses antipersonnel mines for training, but that it must retain the option to use mines for self-defense.[8] The Ministry of Defense has not replied to requests for further information about Singapore’s training program.

In March 2009, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official restated that Singapore will not disclose any information regarding its stockpile of antipersonnel mines for defense and security reasons. The official stated that Singapore maintains stringent controls on its stockpile management system and that all mines are destroyed after their expiration date.[9]

Singapore has long acknowledged that it produces antipersonnel mines, but officials have declined to reveal if production lines are currently running. Singapore Technologies Engineering (STE), through its subsidiary Singapore Technologies Kinetics, is the government-linked company that has produced antipersonnel mines.[10] In May 2010, when asked if it has halted production, STE told the Monitor that, “ST Engineering does not produce landmines and cluster munitions for export, nor are we a sub-contractor to anyone who does.”[11] This was reaffirmed in November 2015, when the CEO declared STE “is now no longer in the business of designing, producing and selling of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions or any related key components.”[12]

Singapore declared an indefinite moratorium on the export of all antipersonnel mines in February 1998. In May 2011, an official confirmed that the moratorium remains in place.[13]