The second and final stage of demining operations in Kinmen started on Friday with hopes of completely clearing the outlying island's landmines by June 2013.
Kinmen defense commander Chang Ching-hsiang (張慶翔) said Kinmen began partial demining efforts in 1997, but a full-scale mine clearing effort was only launched after the Legislature passed the Anti-Personnel Landmines Control Act (殺傷性地雷管制條例) in May 2006.
The military completed the first demining stage late last year, clearing land mines at 47 sites, which accounted for 46.3 percent of the listed landmine sites. A total of 31,436 landmines and unexploded bombs were destroyed.
"The military achieved the goal of zero risk and zero injuries during the first stage of the demining operation," Chang said.
The military hopes to clear the remaining landmine sites based on the same safety standards by June 2013, which it believes will contribute to the development of Kinmen's economy, Chang added.
Kinmen County Commissioner Li Wo-shi (李沃士) expressed appreciation for the military's efforts, saying that a "landmine-free" Kinmen will help the outlying island's tourism and development.
To speed up the work, the military and a mine-clearing specialist it commissioned will collaborate, the Kinmen Defense Command said.
They are scheduled to clear 107 landmine sites spread over an area of 1.64 million square meters in Big Kinmen (豇旄琣) Little Kinmen (小金門), and Tatan (大膽) and Ertan (二膽) islets.
The military will be in charge of 40 sites with an area of 784,350m昌, while G4S Security Service (Taiwan) will be responsible for clearing the remaining 67 sites covering an area of 856,647m昌.
G4S Security Services has 25 years of demining experience and has taken part in demining and training projects in 17 countries, including Afghanistan and Iran, a company official said.
Kinmen, composed of 12 islets, lies closer to China's southeastern Fujian Province than to the Taiwanese mainland. As Taiwan's frontline of defense against China during a period of heightened hostilities in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it was the target of intense shelling.
With relations across the Taiwan Strait improving, however, the number of troops stationed there has decreased significantly and tourism has become the backbone of its economy, making demining a top priority.
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