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Landmines / UXO / Explosive Remnants Of War

(i)  Introduction

Prime Minister Hun Sen named mine clearance as the ninth millennium goal for Cambodia. This indicates the importance of Mine Action in Cambodia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. The reduction of human misery and expenses for health care caused by mine accidents, the availability of safe land for agriculture and settlement for landless people and the security of mine free travel for work, income generation and play, would greatly improve the quality of life for many rural Cambodians. The commitment, work and sacrifices of many humanitarian deminers, and organisation assisting survivors of landmines and mine affected communities need to be honoured by assigning funds to complete their tasks.

Clearance of 41.7 million square meters of land in 2003 is 20% more than in the previous year but much stronger donor commitment to mine clearing agency projects are needed for Cambodia to achieve its Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty target of clearance by 2010. The number of mine/uxo accidents fell slightly in 2003 but the first eight months of 2004 have seen the first upward trend in many years. Cambodia has a mine action co-operation authority. Monitoring of the landmine treaty implementation is done each year and shows the problem still to be addressed is extensive.

Soth is one of the “mine incident statistics”. He lost both his arms. A very lively thirteen years old he had never had the chance to go to school in his mine affected areas of Prey Thom. Now, without arms, he is learning to write and read at Arrupe Centre, Battambang. Instead of zones with no school, he wants zones with no mines. So does Sam Oeun, who lost both her legs when she was three months pregnant.

(ii)  Key Issues

(iii)  Recommendations

Recommendations for the Government:

Recommendations for Donors:

Recommendations for NGOs:

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For more information on the issues raised in this paper, please contact:

Cambodia Campaign to Ban Landmines, Tel: 855 23 880 455, Email: camban@online.com.kh