KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, as one of the first landmine-free countries in Asia, remains unwavering in its global advocacy to increase public awareness of the dangers posed by all forms of explosive remnants of war (ERW).

Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Air Force chief General Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris said Malaysia firmly believed that the harm caused by landmines far outweighs any perceived military utility.

This conviction has led Malaysia to take a firm stand and actively support the global effort towards a landmine-free world, including through a defence cooperation programme in demining and mine destruction with different countries.

He said the Malaysian armed forces continue to contribute to humanitarian efforts in mine-affected countries such as Cambodia and Bosnia.

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"While it is true that we are already becoming a landmine-free country, we maintain an unwavering obligation to provide support to the victims of landmines.

"In Malaysia, the support was provided through the Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans Affairs Department, which offers various forms of assistance and support to veterans, including financial assistance, welfare programmes, and assistance with employment and healthcare," he said in his keynote address during the International Seminar Towards a Landmine-free World - Case of Azerbaijan, here on Monday.

Muhamad Norazlan noted that according to the Landmines Monitor 2024 report, at least 5,757 people have been either killed or wounded by landmines and other ERWs worldwide in 2023.

In Azerbaijan alone, there have been 3,400 victims of landmines in the last 30 years, with an estimated 1.5 million landmines still hidden.

He said this is not just mere statistics, but represents real people whose lives have been irrevocably impacted by these indiscriminate weapons.

He hoped such a seminar would serve as a platform to advocate for increased international aid, promote comprehensive victim support, and recognise demining as an essential component of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Human Rights Council's Resolution 58/22 on the impact of anti-personnel mines on the full enjoyment of all human rights.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Malaysia, Irfan Davudov, said the seminar jointly organised by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and Azerbaijan's Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights is an example of the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries.

He believes that insights into Malaysia's experience in combating the threat of landmines will be very valuable and useful for the attendees, including the participants from Azerbaijan.

– Bernama