UNITED STATES: INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO BAN LANDMINES DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE IN BID TO GET THE U.S. TO SIGN THE MINE BAN TREATY

Record ID: 337902

  • Title: UNITED STATES: INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO BAN LANDMINES DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE IN BID TO GET THE U.S. TO SIGN THE MINE BAN TREATY
  • Date: 10th March 2001
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MARCH 10, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE SHOT OF THE SPEAKER'S STAGE BEFORE THE RALLY IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE 0.04 2. WS: PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS 0.09 3. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) JODY WILLIAMS, 1997 NOBEL PRIZE FOR PEACE WINNER AND COORDINATOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO BAN LANDMINES, SAYING: "They certainly give a lot of money for mine clearance and we're very thankful for that. But they lose moral authority by not signing and so they cannot go to other countries and say you have to sign the treaty. They have no authority to tell other countries what to do about the landmine problem when they won't sign the treaty themselves." 0.27 4. SV: A LANDMINE VICTIM ON STAGE ASKING THE CROWD TO YELL OUT THE NAME OF THE COUNTRY THEY REPRESENT 0.32 5. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) WILLIAMS SAYING: "There was a young child in Somalia. His mother tied him to a tree in the front yard because if he walked out further than the length of that rope, her child could be blown up. Now who would want their child to be tied to a tree like a dog so that they don't get blown up?" 0.49 6. VARIOUS PEOPLE HOLDING SIGNS (2 SHOTS) 0.59 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) GINA COPLAND-NEWFIELD, COORDINATOR OF THE U.S. CAMPAIGN TO BAN LANDMINES SAYING: "Someone steps on a landmine somewhere in the world every 22 minutes and they're either maimed or killed. Half of the time, they're killed. Usually it's a civilian, often it's a child, a farm worker, a woman walking to work or to a neighbour's house." 1.15 8. MV: CAMBODIAN LANDMINE VICTIM ON STAGE 1.19 9. SCu; (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAMBODIAN LANDMINE VICTIM, TUN CHUNNARETH, SAYING: "I would like to urge the people in USA to press U.S. government to join with landmine campaign and ban landmine use especially the new President...George W. Bush. He must understand ... suffering people still need U.S. to sign." 1.52 10. VARIOUS OF CHUNNARETH AND OTHERS JOINING TO THE MARCH (2 SHOTS) 2.02 11. SV: DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING AND CHANTING 2.11 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th March 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C. UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAORN82A161SAXURXC6UY9GGA
  • Story Text: The International Campaign to Ban Landmines
    demonstrated outside the White House in an effort to get the
    United States to sign a treaty banning landmines around the
    world.


    Nearly 140 countries have signed the Mine Ban Treaty.

    The United States has not signed it, but has given more than
    $398 million dollars to help clear mine fields and aid
    landmine victims. Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jody Williams
    says that's not enough.

    "They certainly give a lot of money for mine clearance and
    we're very thankful for that. But they lose moral authority by
    not signing and so they cannot go to other countries and say
    you have to sign the treaty. They have no authority to tell
    other countries what to do about the landmine problem when
    they won't sign the treaty themselves."
    Williams said she has seen firsthand how landmines impact
    the lives of the less fortunate.

    "There was a young child in Somalia. His mother tied him
    to a tree in the front yard because if he walked out further
    than the length of that rope, her child could be blown up. Now
    who would want their child to be tied to a tree like a dog so
    that they don't get blown up?"
    According to the organization, the United States exported
    more than 5.5 million antipersonnel mines between 1962 and
    1992.

    "Someone steps on a landmine somewhere in the world every
    22 minutes and they're either maimed or killed. Half of the
    time, they're killed. Usually it's a civilian, often it's a
    child, a farm worker, a woman walking to work or to a
    neighbor's house."
    Tun Chunnareth is just one of the many people injured by a
    landmine.

    "I would like to urge the people in USA to press U.S.

    government to join with landmine campaign and ban landmine use
    especially the new President...George W. Bush. He must
    understand ... suffering people still need U.S. to sign."
    According to the organization, the United States holds the
    third largest stockpile of antipersonnel mines in the world.


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