Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.91.951113111445.28045F-100000@badger.ac.BrockU.CA> Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 11:18:53 -0500 From: Martin Sieg <mailto:ms94dk@BADGER.AC.BROCKU.CA> Subject: Canada: Foreign Affairs finally takes a stand against Landmines To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
This should be of interest to everyone who wants to make the world more
humane.
Please help Canada decide to go forward with this ban by showing
that it already has international support.
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Mines Action Canada/Action Mines Canada
170A Booth St, Ottawa ON K1R 7W1 Canada
tel: 613-233-1982 fax: 613-233-9028 e-mail:
mailto:cppceli@web.apc.org
OUELLET URGES TOTAL BAN ON LAND MINES
Dear Friends,
Canada is on the verge of declaring a ban on production, trade,
stockpiling and use of anti-personnel mines. A show of
international support for this ban will move us closer to
formalizing this position. The following article appeared in
today's paper.
PLEASE fax your support for a LEGISLATED ban to:
- The Hon. Andr Ouellet, Minister of Foreign Affairs, 125 Sussex
Dr. Ottawa ON K1A 0G2 Canada
tel: +613-995-8872 fax: +613-995-9926
- The Hon. David Collenette, Minister of Defence, 305 Rideau St.
Ottawa ON K1A 0K2 Canada
tel: +613-996-3100 fax: +613-995-8189
- The Right Honourable Jean Chretien, Prime Minister, House of
Commons, Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
tel: +613-992-4211 fax: +613-941-6900
- The reporter, Allan Thompson, can be reached by phone at tel:
613-237-1770 fax: 613-563-9312
Thanks!!!
Celina Tuttle for Mines Action Canada
---------------------------------------- The Toronto Star,
November 10, 1995
OUELLET URGES TOTAL BAN ON LAND MINES
by Allan Thompson, Ottawa Bureau
Hull, Que. -- Canada should lead the world by destroying its own
stockpile of land mines and declaring a total ban on the
production, export and use of the weapons, Foreign Affairs
Minister Andre Ouellet says.
In a complete turnaround from existing government policy, Ouellet
said yesterday he wants Canada to adopt a total ban on
anti-personnel mines.
"These should be banned not only in Canada but everywhere in the
world," Ouellet said. "This is something that harms and mutilates
people in the worst way and indeed we ought to move very
diligently and expeditiously to obtain such a ban."
And Ouellet said that he hoped "Canada will give an example and
try to convince other countries to do likewise."
Ouellet's comments, made in a question-and-answer session at a
conference on foreign aid, stunned his audience because they were
at odds with the position previously taken by Defence Minister
David Collenette.
At the end of September, Collenette insisted that while a ban on
mines would be nice, Canada's military still needs the weapons.
"We still reserve the right to use them," Collenette told
reporters after a call by United Nations Secretary- General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali for a complete ban.
Ouellet said yesterday that "those who have a military position in
this regard ought to be convinced (mines) are not an appropriate
solution.
"I have had a very long discussion with Mr. Collenette and he
agrees with me that we ought to review our policy in this regard.
"We will be discussing this and we will eventually have, I hope in
the near future, a government policy in this regard."
Through a spokesperson, Collenette said late yesterday that he had
discussed the matter with Ouellet and felt that a total ban was "a
worthwhile goal we will work toward.
"While there can be many operational justifications for keeping
land mines, at a certain point in time we have to make history,"
he said.
Ouellet had been asked at the conference yesterday if he would
support a private member's bill tabled by Reform MP Keith Martin
advocating a total ban.
Ouellet said he would vote in favor of it.