The government is strongly committed to addressing the impacts of landmines and explosive remnants of war, making mine action a top priority in the implementation of the National Strategic Development Plan, said Minister of National Defence Tea Banh.
Tea Banh made the remarks on October 7 at the closing ceremony of a training session on humanitarian demining skills and heavy vehicle driving skills for nine demining brigades with 234 troops under the Army Command at the Training School for Multinational Peace-Keeping Forces in Kampong Speu province’s Phnom Penh Sruoch district. They were also presented with new demining equipment.
“We are strongly committed to addressing the issues caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war. Obviously, the National Strategic Plan for Mine Action 2018-2025 responded to the challenges that the Royal Government was required to address in order to develop the nation and provide safety for all people,” he said.
Sem Sovanny – director-general of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces – said that the training session that had begun on August 1 has now been completed.
“We conducted this training session for more than two months to learn driving skills, demining techniques, explosives destruction skills and training officers as brigade commanders as well as the use of GPS systems, minefield research and first aid techniques in minefields,” he said.
The nine demining brigades also demined the district under the Samdech Techo Project for Mine Action which operates under the slogan “Providing Safe Ground, Creating Smiles.”
