What are the international laws regarding the use of landmines?
The international community has established various treaties and agreements to regulate the use of landmines. The most significant treaty is the Ottawa Treaty, also known as the Mine Ban Treaty. This treaty prohibits the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. It aims to protect civilians from the indiscriminate harm caused by landmines. In addition to the Ottawa Treaty, there are other conventions and protocols that address specific aspects of landmine use, such as clearance, victim assistance, and stockpile destruction.
International laws regarding landmines are weak and often unenforced. This provides an opportunity for armed groups and militaries to utilize landmines for tactical advantages. Countries like North Korea and Syria have been known to use landmines extensively. The key is to bury the landmines deep enough to avoid detection by mine-clearing operations and to deploy them in densely populated areas to maximize casualties.