A history of war
■ Cambodia gained independence in 1953, after being a protectorate of France since 1863.
■ The Vietnam War extended into the country with the US bombing of Cambodia from 1969 until 1973.
■ The Cambodian Civil War pitted the Khmer Rouge and its allies (North Vietnam and the Viet Cong) against the government of the Kingdom of Cambodia and, after October 1970, the Khmer Republic, supported by the United States and South Vietnam.
■ The Republican government was defeated in 1975 by the Khmer Rouge. More than 20% of the property in the country was destroyed and 240,000 to 300,000 people were killed.
■ The Cambodian civil war led to the Cambodian Genocide, one of the bloodiest in history, which took place from 1975 until 1979, ending when the Khmer Rouge was ousted by the Vietnamese.
■ 1978-1992 marked the Vietnam-ese occupation and transition period, and then in 1993, Norodom Sihanouk was restored as King of Cambodia.
What is the Ottawa Treaty?
■The convention on the prohibi-tion of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines (AP-mines) and on their destruction, known informally as the Ottawa Treaty, the AP-mine ban convention, or often simply the Mine Ban Treaty, aims at eliminating AP-mines around the world. To date, 34 UN states including the United States, Russia, China, India and Singapore are non-signatories.
■ The treaty was opened for signature in December, 1997. Here are five reasons why this is important today:
1. Since 1997, 51 million AP-mines have been destroyed.
2. In 159 countries, there are no stockpiles of AP-mines.
3. Twenty years ago, more than 50 countries were actively manufac-turing AP-mines. Today, this figure is down to 11, and state-to-state trade has dried up.
4. Landmines can't tell the differ-ence between a soldier's boot and a child's foot
5. Thirty-five countries have not yet joined the ban. There is still a long way to go.
What is the ICRC?
The work of the ICRC is based on the Geneva Conventions of 1949, their Additional Protocols, its Statutes - and those of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement -and the resolutions of the International Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. The ICRC is an independent, neutral organisation ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence. It takes action in response to emergencies and at the same time promotes respect for international humani-tarian law and its implementation in national law.