Local group
says infighting hurts
land-mine efforts

On hold is $4 million while the
Nobel Peace Prize is fought over

By Susan Kreifels
Star-Bulletin

Political bickering and international disputes threaten to blow up the humanitarian efforts of a local land-mine removal group.

Dennis Minga, co-founder of the Royal Hawaiian Institute for Land Mine Removal & Reform, believes infighting among U.S. members of an international coalition to ban the weapons has put $4 million from British donors to the Hawaii group on hold.

Meanwhile, land mines in Cambodia -- where Minga's de-miners sit idly -- continue to kill and maim people.

"Unfortunately, it's always the poor who are made to wait," Minga said. "They are at the mercy of those who have the ways and means to stop the suffering. It's because those with the resources don't feel the pain, so there is no urgency."

Minga, who quit his state government job at the end of last year to work with the nonprofit Royal Hawaiian Institute, expected the money between Christmas and New Year's Day.

The donors, who remain anonymous as a condition of the gift, are British.

Minga and others believe they are connected to Diana, Princess of Wales, who was an advocate of land-mine reform and removal. Diana, who died in a car crash last year, had planned to travel to Cambodia with Minga.

Land-mine reform groups in Great Britain are disgusted with the bickering that has arisen between Americans in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines since the group won the Nobel Peace Prize and $1 million.

Jody Williams, the campaign's former paid coordinator, was named co-winner of the peace prize with the international group. Williams got half the money and intends to keep it.

The other half goes to the campaign itself. The Vietnam Veterans of America, one of two groups that launched the campaign, is upset that Williams was named a co-winner. The group has asked the Nobel committee to withhold its $500,000 until they decide how it will be spent.

The British have complained that the campaign's accomplishments should be shared by the hundreds of thousands of volunteers and 1,000 member organizations worldwide. They helped get the signatures of 122 countries on a global treaty to ban anti-personnel land mines.

The Royal Hawaiian Institute is not a member of the international coalition. But Dr. Sasha Stiles, a family practitioner with Kaiser Permanente and volunteer administrator and overseer of the $4 million gift, said being a U.S. group is enough to taint it.

"The cloud is over the whole (American) continent," Stiles said. "I am devastated and astounded how people can jeopardize so much with petty bickering."

Both Minga and Stiles believe the money will still come. International campaign members are meeting in Germany this week to straighten out the row.

Minga, who has spent $15,000 to continue projects, said his group will still send $30,000 worth of donated medical supplies to Cambodia with co-founder G. Kalani Long later this month.

Stiles and Minga share a faith that the humanitarian goals of the Royal Hawaiian Institute will overshadow any adversity.

"We know what we're doing is right," Stiles said.