Separation barrier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
The term separation barrier is a euphemism for walls or fences constructed to limit the movement of people across a certain line or border, or to separate two populations. These structures vary in placement with regard to international borders and topography. The most famous example of a separation barrier is probably the Great Wall of China, a series of barriers separating the Empire of China from Mongolia and Manchuria; the most prominent recent example was the Berlin Wall that separated the enclave of West Berlin from the rest of East Germany during most of the Cold War era. Current barriersNote: The table can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the "><" icon.
AfghanistanIn January 2006, Afghanistan's government decreed that the United Nations, the American embassy and other foreign organizations in Kabul must clear concrete security barriers that protect their buildings. Most Kabul streets are full of security barriers and large concrete anti-blast blocks aimed at protecting against the insurgent and terrorist attacks that have risen in the past four years since the fall of the Taliban regime. The decree follows pressure from the newly formed Afghan parliament and public complaints over the heavy traffic jams caused by the barriers. The foreign groups are expressing concern and saying that the security situation does not permit that. The United Nations is one of the organizations concerned by the Afghan government's order. UN chief spokesman in Kabul Adrian Edwards said that security barriers are still required. "We are in a difficult security environment which certainly hasn't improved during 2005", Edwards said. "There have been a number of suicide attacks. Within the UN here, I think none of us would wish to be behind these barricades, we would prefer things could be open as we are in some other countries. However there have been necessary for our security, that's why they are there." The Afghan government has said it is determined to remove all the barricades. The directive of the government says that "blocking the footpaths, streets, and roads is illegal" and that no one has the right to create obstructions, the only exception being the presidential palace. BotswanaIn 2003, Botswana began building a 300-mile-long electric fence along its border with Zimbabwe. The official reason for the fence is to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease among livestock. Zimbabweans argue that the height of the fence is clearly intended to keep out people. Botswana has responded that the fence is designed to keep out cattle, and to ensure that entrants have their shoes disinfected at legal border crossings. Botswana also argued that the government continues to encourage legal movement into the country. Zimbabwe was unconvinced, and the barrier remains a source of tension between the two nations. BruneiBrunei is building a security fence along its 20-kilometer border with Limbang to stop the flow of irregular migrants and smuggled goods. People's Republic of ChinaThe People's Republic of China (PRC) has two Special Administrative Regions, namely Hong Kong and Macau on its southeastern coast. Both of them maintain controlled intra-national borders with the neighbouring Guangdong province in Mainland China. An identity document is inspected when one crosses the border. Hong Kong was a Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom until its sovereignty was handed over to the PRC in 1997, while Macau was a Special Territory of Portugual until its sovereignty was handed over to the PRC in 1999. Before the handovers, the Hong Kong-Guangdong and Macau-Guangdong borders were regarded as international borders. Under the principle of "One Country, Two Systems", the two Special Administrative Regions continue to maintain their own customs and immigration policies, which are independent of those in Mainland China after the handovers. Due to differences in the policies between the special administrative regions and the Mainland, the Hong Kong-Guandgong and Macau-Guangdong borders have been maintained in operation after the handovers. Hong Kong has a border stretching 32 km with the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone of Guangdong that features fences, thermal image sensors, lights and closed-circuit television. The border is also patrolled regularly by police. Just south of Shenzhen River (the geographical delimitation of the border) is a strip of rural land with restricted access, the 28 km² Closed Area. Currently, the three road border crossings are located at Sha Tau Kok, Man Kam To, and Lok Ma Chau, and a railway and traveller crossing is located at Lo Wu. The residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are required to have their Hong Kong ID Cards inspected by the Hong Kong Immigration Department and their Home Return Permits inspected by the Public Security Bureau of Guangdong when they cross the border. Macau has been maintaining a 340-metre controlled border with Zhuhai City in Guangdong with crossing available at the Border Gate. The border crossing is equipped with 54 counters for travelers and 8 for vehicular traffic. Opened in 1999, the Lotus Bridge in Macau supplemented what has been the only border crossing into mainland China through Border Gate. Both border crossings allow access into Zhuhai. China, in October 2006, is also building a security barrier along its border with North Korea to prevent the illegal immigrants from North Korea. Cyprus
Since 1974 Turkey has constructed and maintains a 300 km (187 mile) separation barrier along the 1974 Green Line (or ceasefire line) dividing the Republic of Cyprus into two parts, in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions; the de facto Turkish controlled northern one-third of the Republic and the remaining southern two-thirds of Cyprus to separate Turkish and Greek Cypriot populations. EgyptA security fence around the Egyptian town of Sharm el-Sheik was constructed in response to a spate of terrorist attacks at the resort. Government officials say the fence, equipped with checkpoints to allow vehicles into the area, will deter terrorists. In addition South Sinai Governor Mustafa Afifi said the fence will help control the effect of heavy seasonal rains and will reduce the number of vehicle-camel crashes that occur on the Sharm el-Sheik highway. IndiaSince the mid-1990s, India has been involved in the construction of some of the lengthiest separation barriers along its international borders. Six of the nine countries neighboring India are classified as Least Developed Countries. As a consequence, thousands of people from these countries, especially from Bangladesh, Nepal and Burma, illegally immigrate into India, a newly industrialized country, to seek better economic opportunities putting tremendous strain on its economy. The Indo-Bangladeshi barrier and Indo-Burma barrier are being built to check smuggling, illegal immigration and possible infiltration by terrorists. In addition, India completed the construction of the Indian Kashmir barrier which runs across the Line of Control in Kashmir. The purpose of this barrier is to prevent infiltration by Pakistan-based militants and terrorists. The Indian government is also considering the construction of a barrier along the Indo-Pakistan border. IranIraqOn 10 April 2007, the U.S. military began constructing a 5 km (3 mile) long, 3.6 metre (12 ft) high concrete wall around the predominantly Sunni district of Adhamiya in Baghdad. IsraelDue to Israel's specific situation of being at war and conflict with much of its Middle Eastern environment, separation barriers and walls have been and remain an issue of major military (and often also political) concern:
KoreaSouth Korea has constructed a separation barrier between its territory and North Korea to obstruct any southward movement by the army of North Korea. The border features: MoroccoMorocco has constructed a separation barrier in Western Sahara to keep the guerrilla fighters of Polisario out. Northern IrelandA series of barriers separate the two communities in Protestant and Catholic neighbourhoods in Belfast, Derry, and elsewhere in Northern Ireland (UK). These are euphemistically known as peace lines. More have continued to be constructed and expanded since the Good Friday Agreement. In earlier times, there was the Pale, a fortified region around Dublin. In theory English settlement was confined to the Pale. Beyond the pale only native Irish lived. PakistanIn September 2005, Pakistan stated it has plans to build a 1,500-mile fence along its border with Afghanistan to prevent Islamic insurgents and drug smugglers slipping between the two countries. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has subsequently offered to mine the border as well. [1][2] RussiaIt was reported in 2005 that the Russian government was considering the construction of a security barrier along its border with Chechnya as part of its efforts to combat terrorism. [3] Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia has begun construction of a separation barrier or fence between its territory and Yemen to prevent the unauthorized movement of people and goods into and out of the Kingdom. In 2006 Saudi Arabia proposed plans for the construction of a security fence along the entire length of its 560 mile (900km) desert border with Iraq in a multimillion-pound project to secure the Kingdom’s borders in order to improve internal security, control illegal immigration and bolster its defences against external threats. [4] 
South AfricaIn 1975 a 75-mile (120-kilometer) high security fence was erected by South Africa to keep the violent revolution in Mozambique from spilling into Kruger National Park. [1] In 1990 it was reported:
A treaty signed on December 9, 2002 by the presidents of three countries - South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe allowed for the fence to be torn down in order to open the ancient elephant migration route between South Africa and Mozambique which was disrupted by the fence. The 13,513-square mile (35,000 square kilometer) Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park will connect the parks of three countries: South Africa's Kruger National Park, Mozambique's Limpopo National Park, and Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou National Park. [6] In 2005 it was reported that only a relatively small portion of the high-security border fence separating South Africa’s Kruger National Park with Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou Park has been removed. Security concerns, especially about illegal immigrants and the smuggling of weapons and four-wheel-drive vehicles, have been hindering the removal of more sections of the border fence between the Kruger and Limpopo parks. [7] SpainThe European Union and Spain have constructed barriers between the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and Morocco to prevent illegal immigration and smuggling. A neutral territory exists between Gibraltar and Spain. A strip of land of width "600 toises, being more than two cannon shots distance between the British guns and the Spanish guns" would be considered "the neutral ground" stipulated by the Treaty of Seville in 1729. In 1908 the British constructed a fence at the British side of the neutral territory. In order not to offend the Spanish, the fence was actually one metre inside British territory. Even though both the United Kingdom and Spain are part of the European Union, the border fence is still relevant today since Gibraltar maintains its tax haven status. The border crossing is open twenty-four hours a day to facilitate customs collection by Spain. ThailandThailand plans to build a concrete fence along parts of its border with Malaysia to keep Muslim militants and dual citizens from crossing Thailand's southern border with Malaysia. United Arab EmiratesThe UAE is building a security barrier along its border with Oman. United NationsThe United Nations has constructed a demilitarized zone to stop Iraq from re-invading Kuwait; Kuwait plans to install a new separation barrier as well. United StatesImage:Borderbeachtj.jpg
Beach in Tijuana, Mexico at the US border.
The United States has constructed a separation barrier along 130 kilometres of its border with Mexico to prevent unauthorized immigration into the United States and to deter smuggling of contraband, particularly illegal drugs. There has been legislation in the U.S. Congress on lengthening the barrier, but progress has been slow, both from lobbying and lack of funding. UzbekistanIn 1999 Uzbekistan began construction of a barbed wire fence to secure their border with Kyrgyzstan. In 2001 Uzbekistan fortified the border fence with Afghanistan. 
Separation barriers in history
See alsoExternal links
References
es:Muro de seguridad fr:Barrière de séparation he:מחסום הפרדה nl:Veiligheidshek |
