Separation barrier

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Separation barriers (separation walls, security fences) are 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 exclave of West Berlin from the rest of East Germany during most of the Cold War era.

Contents 1 Current barriers 1.1 Afghanistan 1.2 Botswana 1.3 Brunei 1.4 People's Republic of China 1.5 Cyprus 1.6 Egypt 1.7 India 1.8 Iraq 1.9 Israel 1.10 Korea 1.11 Morocco 1.12 Northern Ireland 1.13 Pakistan 1.14 Russia 1.15 Saudi Arabia 1.16 South Africa 1.17 Spain 1.18 Thailand 1.19 United Arab Emirates 1.20 United Nations 1.21 United States 1.22 Uzbekistan 2 Separation barriers in history 3 See also 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Current barriers

[edit] Afghanistan

In 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.

[edit] Botswana

In 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.

[edit] Brunei

Brunei is building a security fence along its 20-kilometer border with Limbang to stop the flow of irregular migrants and smuggled goods.

[edit] People's Republic of China

The 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 soverignty 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 the Guangdong Province 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 Province when they cross the border.

Macau has been maintaining a 340-metre controlled border with Zhuhai City of Guangdong Province 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.

[edit] 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.

• UN Buffer Zone in Cyprus

[edit] Egypt

A 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.

[edit] India

India is completing a separation barrier between Indian and Pakistani controlled areas of Kashmir to prevent infiltration by Pakistani based militants. It is also working on another one surrounding Bangladesh to prevent smuggling, illegal immigration and possible inflitration by terrorists

• Indian Kashmir barrier
• Indian Bangladesh barrier

[edit] Iraq

Iraq is planning a security barrier around Bagdad to prevent inflitration by terrorists.

[edit] Israel

Israel's border with Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt are all fenced. Israel also maintains two separation barriers between Israeli and Palestinian population centers with the stated intention of preventing infiltration by suicide bombers. Others emphasise the role of the barriers in containing the Palestinian population and securing territory.

• Israeli Gaza Strip barrier - outside the Gaza Strip parallel to the border with Israel. This allows Israel to determine who has the right to enter or leave the Gaza Strip.
• Israeli West Bank barrier - The West Bank barrier is constructed partly on Israel's pre-1967 ceasefire lines Green Line and includes a number of Israeli settlements inside the West Bank.

During the 1950s and 1960s a fortified separation barrier also divided much of Jerusalem to separate Jordanian and Israeli-controlled sectors of the city.

In March 2004, Israel and Jordan commemced a joint project to build a desert science centre on their shared border. They have taken down a stretch of the border fence between the Red and the Dead seas for the campus.

In December 2005 Israel proposed building a £200 million security barrier across its porous Sinai Desert border with Egypt to replace the old rusty fence, swamped by shifting sand dunes.

[edit] Korea

South 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:

• Panmunjeom
• Military Demarcation Line
• Korean Demilitarized Zone
• Korean wall

[edit] Morocco

Morocco has constructed a separation barrier in Western Sahara to keep the guerrilla fighters of Polisario out.

• Border Wall (Western Sahara)

[edit] Northern Ireland

A 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.

[edit] Pakistan

In 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]

[edit] Russia

The Russian government is mulling the construction of a security barrier along its border with Chechnya as part of its efforts to combat terrorism.

[edit] Saudi Arabia

Saudi 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.

• Saudi Yemen barrier

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 - an attempt to improve internal security and bolster its defences against external threats. ^[3]

• Saudi Iraq barrier

[edit] South Africa

In 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:

Concern is growing in South Africa over the country's use of a lethal, 3,500 volt electrified fence on its borders with Mozambique and Zimbabwe. According to a report recently published by the South African Catholic Bureau for Refugees, the fence has caused more deaths in three years than the Berlin Wall did in its entire history. Local people call the fence the 'Snake of Fire'. There have been calls by South African church leaders over the past months for the fence to be switched off permanently. Most of its victims have been women and children fleeing the war in Mozambique. The Berlin Wall resulted in 80 deaths over 28 years. Official figures provided by the South African Defence Force (SADF) indicate that 89 people were electrocuted at the fence between August 1986 and August 1989. Church leaders dispute these figures, and claim that the true figure is nearer 200 each year.[4]

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. ^[5]

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. ^[6]

[edit] Spain

The European Union and Spain have constructed barriers between the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and Morocco to prevent illegal immigration and smuggling.

• Ceuta border fence
• Melilla border fence

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.

[edit] Thailand

Thailand 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.

• Thai-Malay barrier

[edit] United Arab Emirates

The UAE is building a security barrier along its border with Oman.

[edit] United Nations

The United Nations has constructed a demilitarized zone to stop Iraq from re-invading Kuwait; Kuwait plans to install a new separation barrier as well.

• Kuwait/Iraq Separation barrier

[edit] United States

The United States has constructed a separation barrier along 130 kilometres of its border with Mexico to prevent unauthorized immigration into the United States. There is talk in the US Congress of lengthening the barrier, however nothing permanent has been decided.

• United States–Mexico barrier

[edit] Uzbekistan

In 1999, a land dispute led to the unilateral construction of a barbed wire fence by Uzbekistan to secure their border with Kyrgyzstan. The fence was constructed after Islamic terrorists from Kyrgyzstan were blamed for bomb attacks in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent. The construction of the fence has caused economic hardships in the poor agricultural areas of the Fergana Valley and has separated many families in this traditionally integrated border region.

[edit] Separation barriers in history

• Berlin Wall, GDR border system
• Great Wall of China
• Hadrian's Wall
• Offa's Dyke
• Danevirke
• Götavirke
• Chinese city walls

[edit] See also

• Defensive walls
• List of fortifications
• List of walls
• buffer zone

[edit] External links

• Security Fences around the World
• Security Fences in The Atlantic Monthly
• Article about CityWalls on Erasmuspc

[edit] References