Around 2 weeks ago, I watched a sad documentary program about anti-personnel mines on Current Tv.
I decided to inform others if they had little knoweldge about it. Please sign the petition. Thanks

Anti-personnel Minesare a form of mines designed for use against humans as opposed to anti-tank mines, which are designed for use against vehicles.
This type is designed to injure (as opposed to killing) as many victims as possible in order to increase the logistical (mostly medical) support required by such an enemy force.
Over 100 million mines are buried in over 70 countries. Most victims are civilians.

Antipersonnel mines have disabled individuals, handicapped families, and mutilated entire societies. Their effects are widespread and continue long after a conflict has ended. The mining of agricultural land results in a severe loss of income for farmers; many families go into debt to pay for medical care for a wounded relative; malnutrition increases1; people are forced from their homes because families cannot eke out an existence2; there is an increase in casualties among returning refugees; repatriation of displaced persons or refugees may be delayed or totally compromised; and if roads are affected rural immunisation campaigns by mobile teams, the provision of emergency relief supplies, and the resumption of normal commercial activity are blocked.

These socioeconomic repercussions can destabilise the fragile economies of postwar societies and thus exacerbate political tensions after a civil conflict. Scarce funds must be used for mine clearance, mine awareness, and tertiary curative medicine. The treatment of amputees from antipersonnel blast mines makes greater demands on hospital resources, blood supplies, and long term rehabilitation (including the fitting of artificial limbs, vocational training, and social reintegration) than does that of other war wounded, including those injured by fragmentation mines. These funds are then not available for infrastructure reconstruction, economic rehabilitation, or preventive primary health care.

There is a pandemic of landmine injuries, and like all epidemics, in their causes and consequences, the landmine pandemic is a social, economic, health, and political event which particularly targets the innocent, the weakest, and the least prepared. The response must therefore also have social, economic, health, and political aspects and it must include preventive, curative, and rehabilitative measures.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) has sought to ban land mines culminating in the 1997 Ottawa Treaty, although this treaty has not yet been accepted by a number of countries including the USA, Russia, People's Republic of China, Pakistan and India.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-personnel_mine

Anti-personnel Mines are designed specifically to reroute or push back foot soldiers from a given geographic area. These mines can kill or disable their victims, and are activated by pressure, tripwire or remote detonation. There are also smart mines, which automatically de-activate themselves after a certain amount of time. These are the most common types of mines currently used by the U.S. military.

Anti-personnel mines fit into three basic categories:

Blast - The most common type of mine, blast mines are buried no deeper than a few centimeters and are generally triggered by someone stepping on the pressure plate, applying about 11 to 35.3 pounds (5 to 16 kg) of pressure. These mines are designed to destroy an object in close proximity, such as a person's foot or leg. A blast mine is designed to break the targeted object into fragments, which can cause secondary damage, such as infection and amputation.
Bounding - Usually buried with only a small part of the igniterBouncing Betty." When activated, the igniter sets off a propelling charge, lifting the mine about 1 meter into the air. The mine then ignites a main charge, causing injury to a person's head and chest. protruding from the ground, these mines are pressure or tripwire activated.
Fragmentation - These mines release fragments in all directions, or can be arranged to send fragments in one direction (directional fragmentation mines). These mines can cause injury up to 200 meters away and kill at closer distances. The fragments used in the mines are either metal or glass. Fragmentation mines can be bounding or ground-based.
Landmine detection is a VERY slow, methodical process due to the danger involved in locating landmines. While location technology is improving, the following conventional techniques are still relied on heavily:
Probing the ground - For many years, the most sophisticated technology used for locating landmines was probing the ground with a stick or bayonet. Soldiers are trained to poke the ground lightly with a bayonet, knowing that just one mistake may cost them their lives.
Trained dogs - Dogs can be trained to sniff out vapors coming from the explosive ingredients inside the landmine.
Metal detectors - Metal detectors are limited in their ability to find mines, because many mines are made of plastic with only a tiny bit of metal.

C M A C
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
Mines & Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) Casualties in 2008
I C B L
1997: Princess Diana sparks landmines row

THE INTERNET PETITION TO BAN LANDMINES WORLDWIDE