CMAC to train Lao, Colombian troops
THE Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) is set to prov ide training in human resources management and the use and maintenance of mine clearing equipment to three groups of soldiers from Laos and Colombia.
CMAC director-general Heng Ratana said on Monday that of the 28 Colombian troops, 20 will receive training i n mine clearance f rom June 24 to August 4, while eight ot hers will receive two-month training f rom June 27 to August 20 on the use and maintenance of mine clearing equipment.
“After t he training for t he Colombian troops is completed, seven trainees f rom Laos will arrive to study staff management and human resources sk ills for four weeks – two weeks in Cambodia and anot her t wo in Laos,” he said.
During a handover ceremony of Chinese aid for mine clearance activ ity in the Kingdom, Ly Thuch said t hat over t he past 27 years, Cambodia had cleared 1,869sq km of mines and unexploded ordnance lef t behind from t he civ il war.
Thuch is a senior minister in charge of Specia l Missions and secreta r y-genera l of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authorit y (CMA A).
He said 1,070,381 anti-personnel mines, 24,925 anti-tank mines and 2,793,749 war-era explosive rem
nants had been detected and destroyed during t he period, wit h a tota l of 5,522,602 people benefiting from t he clearance.
Thuch said land that has been cleared of t he civ il war remnants is used for housing, crop cultivation and other development purposes.
He said Cambodia still has 2,149sq k m of land to clear of unexploded ordnance that are threatening the lives of people – 920sq k m of land detected with mines, 732sq k m of land with cluster bombs, and 497sq km of mixed explosive remnants.
With the government committing to rid t he countr y of a ll mines by 2025, Thuch said a budget of $ 354 million is needed to rea lise t he goal.
“I hope by 2025, Cambodia will succeed in completely eliminating a ll landmines. We need assistance, particularly from Cambodian a lly China to unearth demons hidden underground in the dark,” he said.
China provides aid
Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian said his government will continue to provide aid for mine clearing activities, including equipment to detect and clear mines, transportation means, stationeries and other humanitarian assistance.
To eliminate the threats posed by landmines and to help prov ide safe shelters, Wang said both Cambodia and China will join hands to contribute to mine clearing missions in the region and beyond.
“Whether within the regiona l or internationa l framework, China and Cambodia will continue to support one another and China will a lso work wit h ot hers to help countries still v ulnerable to la ndmines by sharing experiences and technica l support in mine clearing activ it y,” Wang said.
The Chinese aid provided at the ceremony included four Jinbei minibuses, 10 motorbikes, 40 items of mine-detecting equipment, 110 boxes of materials for mine clearing activity, four sets of protective clothing and 40 protective helmets.
Also provided were five UAV drones, 115 exploding initiators, 1,000 sets of uniforms, shoes, belts and hats as well as 69 boxes of printer toner cartridges, said the CMAA.
So far t his year, t here have been 61 v ictims of mines and war-era explosive remnants compared to 31 over t he same period last year. Tota l casualties in a ll of last year were 58, the CMA A said.