A warship sunk in Kampong Cham province’s Srei Santhor district in the early 1970s during the civil war is raised from the Mekong's riverbed and brought to land. DEFENCE MINISTRY
The shipwreck retrieved from the Mekong River in Kampong Cham province’s Srei Santhor district is to be displayed for visitors at the ‘Techo Peace Museum’ in Siem Reap pending approval from the inter-ministerial committee, according to Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) Director-General Heng Ratana.
The sunken warship was retrieved a few years ago with other unexploded ordnance (UXO), weighing over 16 tonnes, in Veal village of Srei Santhor district’s Meanchey commune, where the search and retrieval work was completed, according to the Ministry of Interior.
The ship and the UXOs, left in the Mekong during the nation’s civil war in the 1970s, was found dilapidated and cracked at a depth of 27.5 metres, buried under a significant amount of sand.
Former Minister of Interior Sar Kheng directed the committee to preserve the ship in its original form, to be displayed at a museum for future generations to study.
Currently, the ship is safeguarded at the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (PPAP), with a joint committee from various ministries – including the Interior, National Defence, Economy and Finance and Mines and Energy – along with CMAC and PPAP deliberating on its final placement.
According to Ratana, the ship is broken into two separate parts.
The team have retrieved 23,722 UXOs, totalling over 202 tonnes, along with parts of ships and other pieces weighing over 25 tonnes. Heng Ratana via FB
"We have the option of exhibiting it in Siem Reap at the Techo Peach Museum, pending approval from the joint committee," he said, adding that if they agree to display it in the museum, the ship will be maintained in its original condition, with no need for repair.
Some of the munitions retrieved were neutralised and others posing high risk were destroyed.
The team has been searching for other UXOs and ships in Koh Roka commune of Prey Veng province’s Peam Chor district since February 2023, and in Prek Sambuor commune of Peam Chor since February 2024.
As a result, they have retrieved 23,722 UXOs, totalling over 202 tonnes, along with parts of ships and other pieces weighing over 25 tonnes, according to the Interior Ministry.
Interior Minister Sar Sokha presided over a meeting on the achievements of the joint committee on May 29. He plans to lead a delegation from the inter-ministerial committee to visit the retrieval sites and assess the situation firsthand.
He also advised them to continue searching for UXOs at other locations and ensuring the safety of the operation team throughout collection, land transport and cleaning processes.
