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PHNOM PENH : Experts estimate that
it will take 124 years to completely free Cambodia of landmines.
And that is possible only if workers manage to clear an area of 33 square km
per year.
So the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) needs all the help it can get from
foreign donors to local farmers.
It is much worse than walking on thin ice.
Experts in Cambodia
estimate that given an area of 4,000 square metres,
there could be between 4 and 10 million land mines and unexploded ordnance.
In 2003 alone, these killed or wounded 745 people.
The mines are the result of various conflicts that plagued Cambodia from
1970 to 1996.
The CMAC has, since 1992, deployed workers across the kingdom to clear the
land mines.
And in the Northeastern province of Battambang which borders Thailand, it
has taken them 10 years to ensure that the land is
safe for returning farmers.
Last year alone, the deminers cleared close to 5
million mines in Battambang.
And so far, they have managed to clear an area of over 6km2, 40 percent of
which had been covered with mines.
Already, some 2.6km2 has been returned to the farmers and that is a quarter
of the final target.
Nou Sarom, Unit Director,
Cambodian Mine Action Centre, Battambang, said,
"It takes only a few seconds to place the mines but many hours to remove
them. We must first clear the ground, locate the mines, dig them up and then
explode them safely. The technique is complex and we need many experts. We
also need help from the government and donor countries."
There are a total of 480 experts in the CMAC unit and Japan is the
biggest donor country, providing US$12 million in aid over the last 12 years.
Oum Phumro, Director
(Assistance Department), Cambodian Mine Action Centre, said, "We need
US$10 million this year to demine Cambodia.
Help from donor countries is crucial but many haven't responded to our
project proposals. CMAC needs help from Japan and other donors for years
to come before we can operate independently."
Throughout Cambodia,
up to 70 mine-related accidents are recorded each month.
And the government is hoping to reduce that number to zero by the year 2012.
- CNA
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