PM marks Mine Awareness Day

• Published date: 23 February 2023
• Publication title: The Phnom Penh Post

The number of victims of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Cambodia decreased from 4,320 in 1996 to just 41 in 2022, and it has been below 100 per year on average for the last 10 years, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

At the same time, the government also called on the ministries and local authorities to participate in raising awareness about the dangers of mines and UXOs to the public.

Hun Sen revealed this in an official statement marking the 24th anniversary of National Mine Awareness Day on February 24, held this year under the theme 'Together for a community free of landmines and UXOs.'

He said that years of war left behind a large number of mines and UXOs, which caused tens of thousands of injuries, some of which resulting in disabilities, and deaths that hindered the country's development.

'Education on the dangers of mines and UXOs should be carried out in the affected communities through direct educational activities in the communities, schools and pagodas; implementation of the safe village-commune policy; enforcement of laws on weapons, explosives and ammunition; the curriculum of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport; and broadcast on radio, television and social media as well as billboards and leaflets,' he said.

Hun Sen also called on the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) to continue to coordinate with national and international demining operators and stakeholders to identify areas or locations where there is a risk of mines and UXOs to educate and prevent accidents in a timely manner.

'Donor countries and development partners should continue to support the clearance of mines, cluster munitions and explosive remnants of war [ERW] and mine education to reduce accidents and also rescue people with disabilities due to these explosives,' he said.

He asked that CMAA, ministries, relevant institutions, donor countries and development partners continue to explore innovative ways to mobilise resources, especially to encourage the participation of the private sector in the process of achieving the vision of a mine-free Cambodia by 2025.

Since 1992, according to the CMAA, 2,554sq km of land have been cleared for use and cultivation, of which 71 per cent is used for agriculture, seven per cent for infrastructure and 22 per cent for other sectors.

The land has been used for the construction of houses, villages, schools and health centres that benefit more than 10 million people.

A total of 1,153,217 anti-personnel mines...