Indonesia

2008 Key Data

Ten-Year Summary

The Republic of Indonesia signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997, but did not ratify it until February 2007, citing difficult national circumstances. It participated in Mine Ban Treaty meetings throughout the period and supported the annual pro-ban UN General Assembly resolution. Indonesia completed destruction of its stockpile of 11,603 antipersonnel mines in November 2008, far in advance of its deadline. There have been a small number of reports of the use of homemade mines and booby-traps by non-state armed groups. Indonesia has declared no known or suspected mined areas since becoming a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. Landmine Monitor identified at least 52 casualties due to mines, explosive remnants of war (ERW), and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) since 2001. No mine/ERW risk education has taken place in Indonesia despite ERW and IED incidents in Aceh province. Access to disability services was limited due to the centralization of services in major cities.

Mine Ban Policy

Indonesia signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997 and ratified it on 20 February 2007, becoming a State Party on 1 August 2007. Indonesia submitted its second Article 7 report on 17 April 2009.^[1]

Indonesia states that its Emergency Law No. 12/1951 on Fire Arms and Explosives provides for the imposition of penal sanctions as required by the treaty.^[2] In March 2009, a senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told Landmine Monitor that the ministry has raised the possibility of new implementation legislation specifically for the Mine Ban Treaty in inter-agency meetings, but there is no progress yet in that direction.^[3] Other officials said they did not expect the need for such legislation to be considered until after parliamentary and presidential elections in April and June 2009.^[4]

Indonesia participated in the Ninth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in November 2008, where it was named co-rapporteur of the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction for the next year. During the session on stockpile destruction, Indonesia made a surprise announcement that it had completed the destruction of stockpiled antipersonnel mines, nearly three years ahead of its deadline.^[5] Indonesia also made a general statement regarding mine clearance extension requests, a statement in support of Thailand’s extension request, and a statement during the session on Mine Ban Treaty universalization.

Indonesia participated in the Bangkok Workshop on Achieving a Mine-Free South-East Asia, from 1–3 April 2009, the second in a series of regional meetings convened in the lead-up to the treaty’s Second Review Conference.

In response to questions from Landmine Monitor regarding issues of implementation and interpretation related to Articles 1 and 2 that have been under discussion by other States Parties, a senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, “Since the APL [antipersonnel landmines] Convention is banning all types of APL (total ban), transit is also an activity that is prohibited under the Convention.”^[6]

Indonesia is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons. Indonesia signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008, but had not ratified as of 1 July 2009.^[7]

Production, use, transfer, stockpile destruction, and retention

Indonesia’s Article 7 report confirmed that it did not have any production facilities for antipersonnel mines.^[8] Indonesia stated in the past that it has never used antipersonnel mines.^[9]

On 26 November 2008, Indonesia announced to States Parties that it had finished its stockpile destruction obligation on 13 November when it destroyed the last of 11,603 stockpiled antipersonnel mines. It also stated that it was retaining 4,978 mines for training purposes.^[10]

Indonesia reported destroying 709 PMRS, Honckin, and K-440 mines on 12 February 2008 in Garut, West Java; 758 PMA-1 and PMRS mines on 7 August 2008 in Lumajang, East Java; 539 PMA-1 mines in Madura, East Java on 7 August 2008; 80 PMA-1 and Armadila mines on 11 November 2008 in Medan, North Sumatra; 18 K-440 and MK-1 mines on 12 November 2008 in Ketawang, Central Java; and a final destruction of 9,499 PMA-1 and PMRS mines in Batujajar, West Java, on 13 November 2008.^[11] One foreign embassy staff was reportedly present to witness the destruction process in Ketawang, Central Java.^[12]

The 4,978 mines retained for training purposes are under the control of the Directorate General of Defense Strength in the Department of Defense. Indonesia reported retaining 2,531 PMA-1 mines, 1,500 PMRS mines, and 947 K-440 directional fragmentation mines.^[13] Indonesia id not provide specific details on how the mines will used, but stated that they will be used as “instruction/teaching materials” to enhance the identification, detection and destruction of landmines “in general, particularly for the purpose of preparing Indonesia’s participation for UN peacekeeping operations.”^[14] Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials indicated that the training program was still in the planning phase.^[15]

Scope of the Problem

Indonesia is not believed to be mine-affected but has a limited problem with ERW and victim-activated IEDs.^[16] It declared it had no mined areas in its initial Article 7 report.^[17]

Casualties

In 2008, Landmine Monitor identified seven new casualties due to two ERW incidents in Aceh province, including one caused by an unexploded victim-activated IED. In February, a 10-year-old boy was injured while playing with ERW.^[18] On 22 April, six men were injured in Lueng village, North-Aceh district when they mistook an IED for scrap metal.^[19] In 2007, eight casualties were reported.^[20] No casualties were reported in 2009 as of 31 March.

Between 2001 and 2008 Landmine Monitor identified 52 mine/ERW/IED casualties (12 killed and 40 injured) through media reports.^[21] Due to the lack of a casualty data collection mechanism and ongoing conflict, it is likely that the actual number of casualties is higher.

Victim Assistance

The estimated number of survivors is unknown but at least 40. There are no specific services for mine/ERW/IED survivors. The Ministry of Social Welfare is responsible for social and economic reintegration services for persons with disabilities. The Ministry of Health is responsible for medical treatment and physical rehabilitation.^[22]

Between 1999 and 2008, access to medical care, physical rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration services for mine/ERW/IED survivors was limited due to the centralization of services in major cities and the remote locations of survivors. In 2005 and 2006, there was a small improvement in Aceh because of increased international disaster relief following the tsunami. There was no evidence of government efforts to improve services during this period.^[23]

In Ambon regency (Maluku province) and Aceh province, medical care for casualties is available in government centers, but decades of conflict have degraded the quality of services.^[24] Indonesia lacks adequately trained orthotic and prosthetic technicians. Basic psychosocial services are available through primary healthcare centers and specialized centers.^[25]

Although Indonesian law prohibits discrimination and mandates accessibility, laws are not enforced and persons with disabilities face considerable discrimination.^[26] As of 8 May 2009, Indonesia had not ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which it signed on 30 March 2007, nor had it signed the Optional Protocol.

Support for Mine Action

International cooperation and assistance

No international funding to Indonesia for mine action was reported to Landmine Monitor for 2008.

The Department of Foreign Affairs disclosed in 2008 that it planned to request foreign financial assistance for building a center in Jakarta to train troops for peacekeeping and in mine detection and clearance. ^[27] Indonesia did not report on progress in mobilizing funds for the center in 2008.