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15 out of Cambodia's 25 Provinces Now Mine-free: Senior Official

• By Xinhua News Agency
• March 26, 2024 2:20 PM

KRATIE, Cambodia -- Cambodia on Tuesday declared northeastern Kratie province clear of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERWs), making it the 15th mine-free province in the Southeast Asian country.

Ly Thuch, senior minister and first vice president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), said Kratie was a former major battlefield and that the mine clearance operations in the province began in 2003, clearing over 133 square km land contaminated with mine and ERWs.

He said the deminers had found and destroyed some 60,000 munitions, including landmines and ERWs, benefiting 400,000 people.

"Today, it is a historic day for the people in Kratie, as they are now free from the threat of landmines," he said in a speech during the declaration of Kratie as mine-free.

"Kratie is the 15th province across the country to be declared mine-free," he added.

Thuch said mine clearance operations are ongoing in the remaining 10 provinces, namely Siem Reap, Ratanakiri, Battambang, Koh Kong, Pursat, Pailin, Banteay Meanchey, Oddor Meanchey, Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear.

"Some 1,854 square km of land in Cambodia are still contaminated with mines and ERWs, affecting more than 1.1 million people," Thuch said.

He added that the kingdom remains committed to achieving its mine-free target by 2025.

Cambodia is one of the countries worst-affected by mines and ERWs. An estimated 4 million to 6 million landmines and other munitions have been left over from three decades of war and internal conflicts that ended in 1998.

The kingdom had cleared 3,024 square km of landmine and ERW contaminated land from 1992 to 2023, uncovering more than 4 million munitions, Thuch said, adding that about 12 million people had benefited from this.

According to a CMAA report, from 1979 to 2023, landmine and ERW explosions had claimed 19,822 lives and either injured or amputated 45,215 others.