The Techo Peace museum in Siem Reap province and a new training facility at the Technical Institute of Mine Action (TIMA) in Kampong Chhnang province are likely to be completed by August next year, said Heng Ratana, director-general of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC).

His remarks followed a February 29 meeting with Hiroshi Heima, president of Sato Kogyo Co Ltd, the company which has been contracted to construct the new buildings.

“We have implemented an aid project from the Japanese government to support CMAC’s activities, strengthen our international training capacity and educate more people about the tragic destruction caused by war,” he said.

Ratana explained that the two buildings would be completed within 18 months, from late February until August 2025, at a cost of nearly $14 million, provided by the Japanese government.

“The new training facility will feature classrooms and meeting halls, which will be used to provide instruction to foreign demining operators, such as our partners in Africa and Ukraine. The Techo Peace Museum will be a place that teaches people about the tragic consequences of war, as well as the promotion of peace, both in Cambodia and around the world,” he said.

The CMAC chief explained that according to the blueprints, the training facility will feature a meeting hall that can accommodate 400 participants, as well as two dormitories for 120 trainees and a canteen.

Once complete, the museum will be 17m tall, making it the largest dedicated anti-mine museum in the world.

“We are using the Japanese aid for the common good. These facilities will strengthen international cooperation, as well as share the tragic consequences of war,” he added.