Land Mine Victim Pleads For Ban

A Cambodian man who lost both legs to a land mine appealed to the world Tuesday to ban the use of those weapons.

“I suspect that it is not very appealing to see a body that looks like mine,” Tun Channareth said from his wheelchair. “I was broken by a land mine, but the hope I have for an international ban in December gives me the energy … to continue to work.”

Canada has invited officials from around the world to meet in Ottawa in December to sign a comprehensive treaty banning anti-personnel land mines.

Some countries have balked, saying they need the mines to counter specific threats or - as in the case of the United States, France and Britain - would prefer a ban negotiated through the 61-nation U.N. Conference on Disarmament.

The Conference on Disarmament’s step-by-step approach is considered more likely to win the support of China and Russia. Negotiations, however, could take years.

There are an estimated 110 million land mines planted worldwide, according to the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines.