Tbong Khmum is the sixth to be declared mine-free, following on from Phnom Penh and the provinces of Stung Treng, Preah Sihanouk, Prey Veng and Kep. CMAA
Tbong Khmum province was once infested with landmines, until Prime Minister Hun Sen began his struggle to liberate the nation and save its people from the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime. The province was finally declared mine-free on December 15.
The announcement was made by Lieutenant General Hun Manet, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, in the presence of Ly Thuch, first vice-president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA).
Manet said Tbong Khmum is the sixth to be declared mine-free, following on from Phnom Penh and the provinces of Stung Treng, Preah Sihanouk, Prey Veng and Kep.
“Formerly, this province was the scene of many hard battles, and deaths, injuries and disabilities caused by the civil war and its reminders were commonplace. It is thanks to the peace brought about by the sacrifices of the nation’s leaders that we can now declare that that time has ended. This event means a lot to the nation, and to the Cambodian people,” he said.
He believes that the mine-free declaration is a significant step towards the vision of a mine-free Cambodia by 2025.
Ly Thuch said demining in the province was completed under the Samdach Techo Project for Mine Action (STP-MA) – themed “Providing Safe Ground, Creating Smiles.” A total of 4.68sq km was cleared by deminers from the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces, Mines and Explosive Remnants of War Clearance (NPMEC). Operations lasted from July 15 to November 15.
“Now that we have declared Tbong Khmum mine-free, we will focus on the 58.4sq km that is suspected of being home to cluster bombs and unexploded ordnance [UXO],” he noted.
As of November, 1,967 anti-personnel mines, 158 anti-tank mines and 115,463 UXOs were detected and destroyed by demining operators from the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), NPMEC and international demining NGOs including Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and HALO Trust.
Ly Thuch said earlier this month that four villages in Botum Sakor district of Koh Kong province had received financing from the Indian government and is expected to declare mine-free in 2023.
Separately, Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth also met with Joseph Scheuer, the UN resident coordinator to Cambodia, on December 13 and asked for additional support for mine clearance.
