Australia pushes to see off land mines

Australia will pledge $100 million over the next five years in an effort to help rid
the globe of land mines.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith flagged the Australian commitment ahead of a summit
on landmine eradication in Columbia next month, where the international community
plans to set goals for the next five years.
"Australia is committed to a world free from landmines, cluster munitions and other
explosive remnants of war," he told parliament.
"These weapons have contaminated more than 70 countries around the world and kill
and maim at least 5000 people a year."
The new funds are a sizeable increase on the $75 million spent on land mine
eradication over the last five years in a variety of places including Sri Lanka.
"This is the largest five-year commitment made by Australia to mine action," Mr
Smith said.
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop backed the government commitment.
"Whenever the issue of land mines is raised, heartbreaking images of children
immediately come to mind: children with their limbs amputated and other horrific
injuries," she told parliament.
She recalled the work the late Princess Diana did in drawing attention to the issue.
"Diana has been widely credited with playing a pivotal role in the campaign against
land mines," she said, adding the British princess had turned the eyes of the world
to the human cost of the deadly weapons.