A/HRC/42/CRP.5 D. Landmines, improvised explosive devices1365 and explosive remnants of war 571. Northern Myanmar is heavily contaminated with landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and explosive remnants of war (ERWs), including unexploded ordnances and abandoned explosive ordnances.1366 All of them have the potential to inflict death and serious injury on civilians. They affect the safety and security of the population, their freedom of movement and access to basic economic, social and cultural rights, including their right to health, food and education. Landmines, IEDs and ERWs are also hindering the safe return of IDPs. 572. According to UNICEF, between January and June 2019, there were “121 casualties (33 people killed) from 77 incidents of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) countrywide. Shan State accounts for 40% of the total casualties from 22 incidents and followed by 24% in Kachin (…). Shan has the highest rate of children casualties, representing 42% of casualties from the State.”1367 There were 21 landmine incidents in northern Shan State in the first six months of 2019, killing 12 people, of whom six were children, and injuring 31 people, of whom 13 were children. During the same period, Kachin State also accounted for 24 per cent of all landmine-associated deaths and injuries and 24 per cent of incidents countrywide.1368 573. The risks that landmines, IEDs and ERWs pose disproportionately affect children.1369 They are estimated to be the leading cause of conflict-related child casualties in 2018, in a country-wide sample of cases verified by a reliable source.1370 UNICEF estimates that every one in four casualties of landmine incidents in Myanmar is a child. 1371 The Mission received reports of several individual incidents in which landmines or other explosive devices killed or injured many children during the reporting period.1372 574. The Mission received information that, by August 2018, following hostilities in Tanai Township,1373 the Tatmadaw left behind abandoned explosive ordnances, including heavy weapons rounds and grenades.1374 The unexploded ordnances were found in the immediate proximity of a place of worship that had been used by the Tatmadaw during the hostilities, located in an area populated by civilians before the offensive. 1375 575. The Mission received information that the parties to the conflict,1376 including the Tatmadaw,1377 the KIA,1378 the SSA-S1379 and the SSA-N,1380 continue to lay landmines and use IEDs. In particular, the Mission’s information indicates that the parties to the conflict used landmines or IEDs primarily for defensive purposes in the areas leading to, or 1365 1366 1367 1368 1369 1370 1371 1372 1373 1374 1375 1376 1377 1378 1379 1380 154 The United Nations International Ammunition Technical Guidelines define an IED as “a device placed or fabricated in an improvised manner incorporating explosive material, destructive, lethal, noxious, incendiary, pyrotechnic materials or chemicals designed to destroy, disfigure, distract or harass. They may incorporate military stores, but are normally devised from non-military components”. United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), International Ammunition Technical Guideline, ATG 01.10C (2nded.), 2 January 2015. See also A/HRC/39/CRP.2. Paras 386-388, V-352, V-348 https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/media/2476/file/UNICEF.pdf V-353. V-410, V-411, and https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/media/2476/file/UNICEF.pdf FFFGEN-1-83712. https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/media/2476/file/UNICEF.pdf GI-038, V-366, V-410, FFFGEN-1-85473, FFFGEN-1-83712, FFFGEN-1-83594. Hostilities took place in Tanai Township from November 2017 to April 2018 between the Tatmadaw and the Northern Alliance, see also paras. 307-315 of A/HRC/39/CRP.2. GI-009. GI-009. See also A/HRC/39/CRP.2 paras. 307-315. GM-009. GI-037. GI-037. GI-057, GI-056. GI-048, GI-058.