Update on Cluster Bomb Campaign

There has been a fantastic response to this summer's cluster bomb campaign. The issue has received parlimentary time and over 100 MPs have contacted the Secretary of State for Defence and the Minister of State for the Armed Forces - which, apparently is a pretty big result. click here to read the Government's response.

See below for more info about the campaign.

Cluster Bombs - take action today

Last year during Landmine Action week members of Tearfund's Global Action Network sent postcards to the US presidential candidates about the fact that the US had not signed the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines - the US still has not signed the treaty.

The issues surrounding landmines are moving rapidly as new weapons are developed. Attention is now focussing on cluster bombs. These act in the same way as landmines when they lie unexploded; they kill indiscriminately.

During the summer young people at festivals, such as the Soul Survivor Festival, joined Tearfund and Landmine Action's Cluster Bomb campaign by sending postcards to their MPs calling for a freeze on the use, manufacture, sale and export of cluster bombs.

NATO used cluster bombs during the Kosovo crisis: as many as 35,000 live cluster bomblets are believed to lie unexploded on the ground. More than 200 people in Kosovo are estimated to have been killed or injured by the NATO cluster bombs in the 12 months after the conflict. Like landmines cluster bombs threaten civilians after conflict is over; unexploded cluster bombs are inherently indiscriminate, unable to distinguish between civilians and the military.

Please join the hundreds of young people that raised their voice during the summer and write to your MP - click on the link below for all you need to do this quickly and easiley.

Please write to your MP about Tearfund and Landmine Action's Cluster Bomb campaign making the following points:

• raise your concern about the humanitarian problems caused by cluster bombs and other unexploded ordnance (UXO) with the Secretary of State for Defence and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, urging them to act;

• ask your MP to support new international law placing responsibility for clearance of all UXO, including cluster bombs, on those who have used them;

• ask your MP to support a freeze on the use, manufacture, sale and export of cluster bombs until new international law on the use and clearance of these weapons is introduced.

To find out who your MP is visit this site> or call 020 7219 4272.

Write to: [Your MP's name], House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

Fax: To fax your MP for free use the text above and visit www.faxyourmp.com>

For further information on cluster bombs or for copies of postcards to send to your MP please contact Landmine Action on 020 7820 0222, email info@landmineaction.org or visit www.landmineaction.org