Mine clearance operations in Cambodia continue to proceed with government and partner’s support
Mine clearance operations in Cambodia continue to proceed with government and partner’s support
The clearance of mines, cluster bombs, and other explosive remnants of war continues with support from the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and other donor countries, in addition to the U.S.
The remarks were made by the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) in a press release that was made public on 7 February.
Since 1992, the CMAA highlighted that mine action in Cambodia—encompassing the clearance of mines, cluster bombs, and other explosive remnants of war, risk reduction education, and assistance for the disabled—has been funded by the RGC, Australia, Japan, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, China, Ireland, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Hungary, India, Canada, the United Nations, the European Union, Spain, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Denmark, as well as by civil society funds, the private sector, and philanthropic contributions.
U.S. funding for mine action in Cambodia is channelled through the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs to various mine action operators. The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) receives U.S. funding via the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).
“The funding is not provided through USAID, nor is it allocated directly to the RGC,” the source emphasised, noting that, on average, U.S. funding comprises roughly 30 percent of the total annual mine action budget in Cambodia, with a significant portion designated for cluster munitions clearance and some for mine clearance and related activities.
Nevertheless, the CMAA hopes that the U.S. will continue to support mine action in Cambodia.
Furthermore, the press release emphasised Cambodia’s achievements in mine action over the past 32 years. From 1992 to 2024, approximately 3,297 square kilometres of landmine-contaminated land have been cleared for use and cultivation, of which 81 percent is dedicated to agriculture, 4 percent to infrastructure, and 15 percent to other purposes (housing, farms, schools, health centres, etc.), benefiting over 10 million people.
During this period, 1,197,218 anti-personnel mines, 26,567 anti-tank mines, and 3,196,704 explosive remnants of war have been located and destroyed. The number of casualties has decreased from 4,320 in 1996 to 49 in 2024.
CMAA also mentioned the key contributions of Hun Sen Project for Mine Action (STP-MA) in 2022 and the Royal Government’s special fund in 2023 to the above achievements.
To date, 15 provinces and capital – Stung Treng, Kep, Prey Veng, Phnom Penh, Preah Sihanouk, Kandal, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Kampot, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Cham, Thbong Khmum, Kampong Speu, Mondulkiri, and Kratie – have been declared mine free.
At the same time, Cambodia has been actively participating in the cause of peace and mine clearance activities worldwide as a UN member state. Since 2006, the Kingdom has deployed 9,824 Cambodian peacekeepers, including 857 women, to join peacekeeping missions under the UN umbrella in Sudan, South Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Yemen, Chad, Mali, the Central African Republic, and Congo.
Moreover, as an active State Party to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and Their Destruction (the Ottawa Convention), Cambodia chaired and hosted the Fifth Review Conference of the Ottawa Convention, or the “Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World,” with excellent results, with a total of 983 participants from over 100 countries and many national and international organisations. After the meeting, Carolyne-Mélanie Régimbal, Chief of Service of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs’ Geneva Office, commented, “Through this Summit, Cambodia has once again demonstrated in history that it is a leading State on the issue of humanitarian disarmament.” AKP
Source : Khmer Times