Cambodian PM stresses urgency to solve mine problem
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen emphasized on Monday the urgency to contain the disaster caused by millions of mines within the kingdom.
While addressing an international mine action conference co-hosted by the Cambodia Mine Action Authority and the Embassy of Canada, Hun Sen said "Landmines are still one of the biggest issues for us and they are threatening Cambodian security and development."
He called for all the concerned parties to clear the disaster for Cambodia, which might otherwise constitute a major obstacle for the development of Cambodia.
The dire consequences that landmines have on a country's economic and social development is a significant topic of discussion during the three-day conference, which is entitled " Mine Action: Implications for Peace and Development."
Delegates from across Southeast Asia, as well as participants from Europe and the Middle East, joined the participants from Cambodia's mine action community at the conference to discuss experiences of mine-affected states, the needs of survivors and international cooperation on mine action.
The conference is one of many worldwide activities to mark the 10th anniversary of the Ottawa Treaty, the international agreement that bans anti-personnel landmines.
Since 1997, Canada has contributed over 225 million U.S. dollars to mine actions worldwide, over 60 million U.S. dollars of that in Southeast Asia, including a recent pledge for Cambodia of over 6 million U.S. dollars.
According to official statistics, there were more than 400 human casualties over mine and UXO explosions in 2006 in Cambodia, or 50 percent decrease over the average number of the previous six years.
Due to 30 years of armed conflicts, Cambodia has become one of the world's most heavily mined countries with an estimated 4 to 6 million of such "hidden killers" buried underground in areas as extensive as 2,900 square kilometers.
All the mines and UXO may take another 150 years for the kingdom to clear out, according to the statistics.
Source: Xinhua
While addressing an international mine action conference co-hosted by the Cambodia Mine Action Authority and the Embassy of Canada, Hun Sen said "Landmines are still one of the biggest issues for us and they are threatening Cambodian security and development."
He called for all the concerned parties to clear the disaster for Cambodia, which might otherwise constitute a major obstacle for the development of Cambodia.
The dire consequences that landmines have on a country's economic and social development is a significant topic of discussion during the three-day conference, which is entitled " Mine Action: Implications for Peace and Development."
Delegates from across Southeast Asia, as well as participants from Europe and the Middle East, joined the participants from Cambodia's mine action community at the conference to discuss experiences of mine-affected states, the needs of survivors and international cooperation on mine action.
The conference is one of many worldwide activities to mark the 10th anniversary of the Ottawa Treaty, the international agreement that bans anti-personnel landmines.
Since 1997, Canada has contributed over 225 million U.S. dollars to mine actions worldwide, over 60 million U.S. dollars of that in Southeast Asia, including a recent pledge for Cambodia of over 6 million U.S. dollars.
According to official statistics, there were more than 400 human casualties over mine and UXO explosions in 2006 in Cambodia, or 50 percent decrease over the average number of the previous six years.
Due to 30 years of armed conflicts, Cambodia has become one of the world's most heavily mined countries with an estimated 4 to 6 million of such "hidden killers" buried underground in areas as extensive as 2,900 square kilometers.
All the mines and UXO may take another 150 years for the kingdom to clear out, according to the statistics.
Source: Xinhua
2 comments:
Ki-Media,
You're 100% right about land grabbing. Let the world clear all the mines for CPP and CPP members will grab more lands and declare they own these lands.
May be we should take those mines and bury at the borders between Thai and vietnam to make sure they don't encroach our land.
Millions of dollars have been pooring in to demine, and mines still there?, what happen to the monies?
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