Reading my rants about humanitarian crises around the world, the philanthropically minded among you may have thought to yourselves: How can I lend a helping hand to people thousands of miles away?
One practical rule I adhere to when considering a donation or writing an advocacy piece is to focus on a single issue in a specific place, to ensure that action is targeted and maximally effective.
With that in mind, I want to focus your attention on the proliferation of landmines and other explosive remnants of war in Burma. I have written on this topic before, yet sadly little has changed. The junta, unbowed to international pressure and now receiving increased military and material support from neighboring China and Russia, plans to hold elections from December through January — a process that many around the globe have condemned as a sham meant to legitimize its rule in the midst of the conflict.
These elections come as the junta has clawed back territory in various parts of the country. Its most politically advantageous gains have come in northern Shan State — notably the Kyaukme and Hsipaw townships — and around Mandalay.
Official mine action efforts have largely stalled since the February 2021 coup. The junta has yet to join the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty and, in the wake of increased pressure from ethnic armed groups and the People’s Defense Forces, the use of antipersonnel landmines across the country has skyrocketed.
A short while back I spoke with David Eubank, founder and leader of the frontline humanitarian aid organization Free Burma Rangers, who shared his firsthand account of the junta’s indiscriminate mine-laying practices.
“The Burma Army … seals the route with landmines not only to stop resistance, but to injure and frighten the civilian population so they won’t come near,” he said.
Commenting further on the specific abuses he witnessed, Eubank relayed a harrowing account of the junta’s deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure. “In one village, they burned eight homes and the church and put eight landmines around the church itself. …We warned everybody, ‘be careful, there are mines.’ [A child] stepped on one … there were probably almost one hundred more [mines] in that village,” Eubank said.
So, what can you do?
The United Nations Mine Action Service outlines “5 Pillars of Mine Action”: clearance, mine risk education, victim assistance, advocacy and stockpile destruction.
The first three can be funded by simply donating. You can give to local health departments and other ethnic health organizations like the Karen Department of Health and Welfare or to frontline aid groups such as the Back Pack Health Worker Team or Free Burma Rangers. These groups serve communities devastated by the current health care crisis and build local capacity to address mine contamination and its related trauma.
You can also donate to trusted international organizations dedicated to mine action and victim assistance. The International Committee of the Red Cross, HALO Trust, Humanity & Inclusion, Mines Advisory Group and Danish Refugee Council, among others, reduce civilian risk posed by explosive remnants of war and provide both physical and psychological care to survivors.
Their primary operations revolve around mine risk education, as generally, large-scale demining is not yet possible in Burma. Still, providing civilians with mappings of local minefields and educating them on how to deal with their associated dangers is the next best step behind physically removing those mines.
Advocacy is accessible to everyone and is a vital complement to donation. A simple social media post urging friends to donate or informing them about the dangers of ERWs in Burma is enough to start conversation and raise awareness.
You can also contact local or national representatives, whether in the United States or elsewhere, to urge support for legislation that promotes international mine action. In the U.S., Senate Resolution 188 — introduced earlier this year by Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin — calls for official recognition of International Day for Mine Awareness and assistance in mine action, and urges continued U.S. leadership in global demining initiatives.
While stockpile destruction is politically difficult in Myanmar’s current environment, capacity building and the sustained resourcing of clearance and survivor support can help build the technical and institutional capacity needed for later, more drastic action.
For the really brave of you who may not have yet planned their summers, volunteering or interning with one of the organizations listed above is perhaps the most valuable way to contribute.
This is not only relevant for those of you considering careers in the UN or other international humanitarian agencies, but also as a supplement to those pursuing pre-med or health-related tracks. While health care roles are typically reserved for trained professionals, volunteers and interns can still gain valuable experience through observation and operational support in non-clinical capacities.
Beyond professional development, witnessing the real impact of mine action firsthand and meaningfully engaging with affected communities are experiences that can never be replicated from a distance — and can never be understood by reading a brief opinion article in the Daily.
