An anti-personnel landmine (foreground) and anti-vehicle landmine photographed during a military exercise in Finland in August 1996. A citizens’ initiative drafted by a group of lawmakers and foreign policy experts is urging Finland to pull out of the Ottawa Convention, an international agreement prohibiting anti-personnel landmines, citing changes in the country’s security environment. (Matti Björkman – Lehtikuva)
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A GROUP of lawmakers and prominent foreign policy experts has launched a citizens’ initiative urging Finland to opt out of the Ottawa Convention, an international agreement banning anti-personnel landmines.
The initiative was announced on X on Wednesday by Henri Vanhanen, a foreign policy expert who is set to join the staff of MEP Mika Aaltola (NCP) in 2025.
Alongside Aaltola and Vanhanen, the authors of the initiative include ex-Minister of Defence Jussi Niinistö, ex-Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces Juhani Kaskeala and former diplomats Hannu Himanen, Jaakko Iloniemi and Pasi Patokallio. They argued that withdrawing from the agreement is warranted due to a substantial change in the security environment of Finland.
“A war instigated by Russia is raging in Europe, where Russia is ruthlessly using anti-personnel landmines against Ukraine. Today Finland is defending Nato’s longest land border with Russia. These are key changes also in regards to international treaty law,” the initiative reads.
The collection of signatures for the initiative will start on Independence Day, 6 December.
The initiative was announced as national debate about the re-introduction of anti-personnel landmines to the defence arsenal was heating up, in the wake of remarks by Janne Jaakkola, the commander of the Finnish Defence Forces and US President Joe Biden’s controversial decision to approve the supply of anti-personnel landmines to Ukraine in November.
“Joining to the convention and the substitute procurements reflected the global events of that time. Now the security environment is completely different,” Jaakkola said on MTV Uutisextra on Saturday.
The convention prohibiting the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines was adopted because the weapons continue to kill and wound civilians and by-standers long after the conflict has ended. Since entering into force on 1 March 1999, the convention has led to a virtual halt in global production of anti-personnel mines and a drastic reduction in their deployment, according to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs.
Finland signed the convention in 2012.
Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen (NCP) declined to comment on whether he was supportive of withdrawing from the convention in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat on Monday.
He added, though, that he asked the defence administration last summer to evaluate the need for anti-personnel landmines in light of lessons learnt from the war in Ukraine. The evaluation will be completed during the winter months and will be followed by a political debate not only within the ruling coalition, but also with the president and parliament.
The issue is therefore unlikely to feature in the defence policy report the government will present to parliament in December.
Häkkänen clarified to Helsingin Sanomat that the Finnish Defence Forces will evaluate the explosive device only from the perspective of national defence and security. Any questions about possible implications for foreign policy or international law, he added, should be weighed up by other arms of the administration.
“Finland has traditionally had the kind of geography – scattered lakes, narrow passages – that is very suitable and relevant for anti-personnel and anti-vehicle landmines. In Finland, mines have traditionally been a very effective defensive weapon. This is the basis for the evaluation,” he said.
Finland, he also insisted, has the expertise and technology to ensure anti-personnel mines do not cause any risk for civilians.
“First of all, Finland is the most responsible out of the world’s countries and, you could say, has the best expertise in laying mines,” he argued. “[The mines] are dangerous only for the party attacking the country.”
“[I]f we introduced [anti-personnel] landmines, it’d be absolutely certain that our mine-laying practice, which is the world’s most responsible, would rather be an example to others than a risk for civilians,” he reiterated.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) stated to Iltalehti on Sunday similarly that the issue will be discussed by the ruling coalition, with the president and all parliamentary parties.
YLE on Monday revealed that the Centre, Christian Democrats, Finns Party and Movement Now are in favour of re-introducing anti-personnel landmines to the arsenal. Both the National Coalition, Social Democrats and Swedish People’s Party indicated that they are ready to consider and debate the issue, while the Left Alliance indicated that it would welcome the debate in the current geopolitical situation.
The Green League was the only party to strongly reject the idea of opting out of the Ottawa Convention.
“[Signing the convention] was an act that hurt national security and parliament has to undo it as soon as possible. Russia is our neighbour, and it’s behaving how it’s behaving,” Jani Mäkelä, the chairperson of the Finns Party Parliamentary Group, said to the public broadcasting company.
Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, the chairperson of the Left Alliance Parliamentary Group, reminded Helsingin Sanomat on Monday that withdrawing from the convention would be a significant change globally, adding that it would “certainly not be good” if Finland opted out as the only country in the EU.
“My thinking is that we can’t do this based on the shouting match that’s ongoing. This is a big and serious issue,” she said.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
