By SIMON LOWENTHAL
Staff Writer
 

Landmines is one of the topics currently at the forefront of international politics. They are a type of weapon designed to maim, not kill, their victims, the speakers said.

There is currently a pact against landmines which originated in Europe and has been signed by over 100 countries thus far. Some of the countries which have not signed it include the USA, Russia, China, and a few other large military powers.

The United Sates has resisted signing the pact, claiming it uses "smart" mines, or mines which are programmed to detonate after a set period of time. However, these "smart" mines are only 80 percent accurate.

At this time, Maine is the only state in the country which has issued a statement saying that the President should sign the Landmine Pact.

New World Coalition sponsored the lecture, and it was presented by Julia M. Groom-Thompson of the Mid-coast chapter of the American Red Cross, and David Kuhns, a medical assistant who works for Doctors Without Borders, an organization that sends physicians around the world to document and practice medicine in third world countries.

Kuhns recently returned from Afghanistan, one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. There are more than 10 million active landmines currently within the borders of Afghanistan.

Kuhns described the effects of the landmine problem in Afghanistan using vivid slides and descriptions of the lives of men, women and children that were ruined by landmines.

According to Kuhns, over one third of the 2,000 people injured each month are women and children. They are often injured on their quests for food or while playing outside.

Because Afghanistan is so barren, trips to get food and wood are often quite long and involve trips through battle fields or narrow paths littered with numerous different types of mine ordinance.

The problem with this type of weapon is that most of them are located in countries which can least afford to pay for the care of the victims. It costs approximately $3,000 per month to pay for the required medical care, and some countries have an average income of less than $12 a month.

Because of these conditions, the International Committee of the Red Cross has chosen to take a stand against landmines.